Open Air Gas Lantern Museum

The Open Air Gas Lantern Museum was established in 1978 and shows 90 historic lanterns, both originals and replicas, from 25 German and 11 European cities. The lanterns originate from the era between 1826 and 1956. It is the largest collection in Europe of its sort. The museum is situated near S-Bahnhof Tiergarten between the Strasse des 17. Juni and the upper lock in the Landwehrkanal. Don’t forget the few at the other side of the Strasse des 17. Juni behind the Burger King. Especially in the evening or at night it’s worth a visit, as lights are switched on at dusk.
If you would like to see more gas lanterns “in the wild”, then you are in the right city.

Berlin gas street lighting

More than 200 years ago, in 1814 the first gas lanterns appeared in London. Since then, the use grew rapidly due to the industrialisation. In Berlin, gas lamps are used since 1826 and have been silent witnesses of the eventful history. Currently there are still about 44.000 of them in operation in Berlin. A unique number, which is more than half of all working gas lanterns in the world. The majority of the relatively modern lamps are found in the western part of the city, as in this isolated part of the divided city it was easier to use gas than to be dependent on electricity supplies.

While the 90 lanterns of the museum are protected by world monument funding, the 44.000 in the streets of Berlin are not. There are plans to gradually convert all of them into electric lamps, as gas lighting is supposed to be environmentally harmful and more expensive, which is highly debatable.

A good overview of the different types of Berlin gas lanterns and where it is worth seeing them, can be found on the website of Gaslicht-Kultur, which is an association to promote and protect the gas operated street lighting in Berlin. It also organises tours.

More information

Gaslaternen-Freilichtmuseum/Open Air Gas Lantern Museum
Strasse des 17. Juni/Klopstockstrasse
S5 S7 S75 N9 Tiergarten
Open anytime
Free admission
www.gaslicht-kultur.de

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And at November 9th 1989 the wall was torn down, an impressive and amazing event in recent world history. This sunday it will be 25 years since the the peaceful revolution of East German citizens finally ended in the opening of the Berlin Wall, which was the beginning of the end of the cold war and led to the reunification of Germany.

This 25th anniversary has been celebrated extensively during the past few months and will have its big final during the weekend of 7-9 November. The event will be attended by international guests such as the former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.

Lichtgrenze

The celebrations start Friday at 17:00 with the opening of the light installation Lichtgrenze along the track of the inner Berlin wall. Along a 15 kilometer course, starting at the Bornholmer Strasse, through the city towards the Oberbaumbrücke, 8000 white illuminating Helium balloons will outline the former inner Berlin wall. This project by the Berlin artists Christopher and Marc Bauder enables visitors to imagine and feel the existence of the wall in a symbolic way. The illuminated balloons bring hope and happiness, and it reminds of the burning candles, which became symbol of the many peaceful demonstrations which finally led to the fall of the wall.

At points along the light installation, the exhibition 100 wall stories 100 times Berlin can be viewed, which tells 100 personal stories of people from the divided city.

On sunday at 19:00 the fall of the wall is celebrated when all the balloons will be released and sent into the sky.

The weekend is closed with the Mut zur Freiheit party at the Brandenburger Gate with Udo Lindenberg, Clueso, Peter Gabriel, Paul Kalkbrenner, and others.

Main Programme 7-9 November

• Lichtgrenze Fri 17:00 – Sun 19:00
• Wall Stories Fri 17:00 – Sun 24:00
• Guided Tours Fri hourly 18-20, Sat hourly 12-20, Sun hourly 12-16. Starting from the Mauerpark, Checkpoint Charlie and East Side Gallery.
• Balloon Release Sunday at 19:00
• Party Brandenburger Gate at Sunday, programme can be found here

An overview of all the photo exhibitions, readings, discussions, walking tours, etcetera, can be found at www.fallofthewall25.com.

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Town Wall

Berlin is famous for its wall, which was built around West Berlin in 1961 to stop the unsatisfied citizens from fleeing out of the GDR. It was torn down 25 years ago, an historic event which will be celebrated and commemorated intensely in the coming months. However, this was not the only wall in the history of Berlin.
The first Berlin wall was actually built in the 13th century. The city originated from the two settlements: Berlin, which was roughly the area between the Spree, the Littenstrasse at the east side and the Rochstrasse at north side, and Cölln, which was the southern part of the Museum Island. One single town wall surrounded both parts, in order to protect its citizens, instead of keeping them inside. The wall remnants which can be found in the Waisenstrasse date from the 14th century, when the original wall had been rebuilt. Because of the expansion of Berlin and Cölln, the original wall lost its function and most of it was torn down and re-used as building material. The small sections of this wall in the Waisenstrasse survived because they were incoporated into houses which were built against it. Since 1948 these remains have a monumental status.

Zur letzten Instanz

One of the few remaining houses that adjoined the old town wall, is used by the oldest restaurant in Berlin. Restaurant Zur letzten Instanz was established in 1621 and has been located at the same spot for almost 400 years, although the current housing was rebuild in 1963. It is said that Napoleon dined here during one of his European trips. I wonder what the Frenchman thought of the traditional Berlin cuisine. It is a cosy restaurant, still serving traditional Berlin food, and in summer you can eat or have a drink on the quiet and pleasant terrace.

Franziskaner Klosterkirche

When you walk a little bit further along the Waisenstrasse you end up at the ruins of the Franciscan Friary Church. The early-Gothic church and the friary were built in 1250 just after the settlement of Berlin in 1237.
After the Reformation, when the friary was closed, the building was used for several other purposes such as a laboratory. Also, the first printing office of Berlin was located here. From the 16th until the 19th century it housed a famous grammar school at which, among others, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Otto von Bismarck and Erich Rathenau graduated. The complex survived for a long period, until it was bombed during the Battle of Berlin at the end of the 2nd world war. The friary was demolished and turned into a public garden, the ruins of the church were kept and are gradually being reconstructed. Today, the ruin is used as an exhibition space for sculptures and cultural events.

More information

U2 Klosterstrasse U6 S5 S7 S75 Janowitzbrücke
Zur letzten Instanz, Waisenstrasse 14-16, Berlin-Mitte
www.zurletzteninstanz.com
Franziskaner Klosterkirche, Klosterstrasse 73A, Berlin-Mitte
www.klosterruine-berlin.de

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Germania

One of Hitler’s many bizarre ideas was to transform Berlin into “World capital Germania”. It is 1937 when Hitler ordered his architect Albert Speer to redesign the center of Berlin to make it more representative for its new status.

Speer designed a 7km long North-South axis, starting with a station at the north side in Wedding, going southward via a Great Hall (measuring 300m in all dimensions, planned between the current main station and the Reichstag), finally ending at a huge station south of the center, which was planned at the current Südkreuz station. Along the 120 meter broad boulevard important government buildings were planned and all major companies from the Third Reich should get their main offices here. To honour all German soldiers who fought and died during the 1st and 2nd World war a huge Triumphal Arch was designed near the southern station, which should be 120 meter wide, 110 meter deep, and 100 meter high. As we’re talking about the World capital here this was of course many times larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Schwerbelastungskörper

There was only one problem: the weak sandy soil of Berlin. It was not clear if such large and heavy buildings would sink into the ground or not. In order to test the load bearing capacity of the ground a 12650 ton heavy concrete body was developed at the site of the Triumphal Arch: the Schwerbelastungskörper. With a diameter of 20 meter, a height of 12 meter and a depth of 18 meter into the ground, it exerts a pressure of 126 ton per square meter, which was more than the Great Hall or Triumphal Arch. When the body sank no more than 2cm into the ground, the soil would pass the test. It was build in 1941, most probably by prisoners of war.


In order to have a nice view on the Great Hall from the entire north-south axis, it was planned that the Triumphal Arch had to be placed 12 meter higher than the existing ground level. This meant roughly that many houses in the surrounding area had to be torn down, the inhabitants of these houses had to move into the houses formerly inhabited by Jewish people who were deported, the total area had to be elevated by 12 meter and that the entire Schwerbelastungskörper would disappear into the ground as well. The whole project had to be finished in 1954 on Hitler’s 65th birthday.

Because of the end of the war the plans for Germania have never been put into practice. Many years after the war was over it was not possible to remove the heavy body, as houses were to near to have it blown up. Apart from being used for some construction test measurements, it has been standing around for more than 70 years being useless.

Today the Schwerbelastungskörper has a monumental status, you can visit it and try to imagine the outrageous design of Germania. And from the 12m high platform next to the body you have a wonderful view over Berlin. Highly recommended!

More information

www.schwerbelastungskoerper.de
General-Pape-Strasse/Loewenhardtdamm
Bus 104 Kolonnenstrasse, S1 Julius-Leber-Brücke
Open April-October Tue Wed 14-18 Thur 10-18 Sun 13-18
Free entrance
Guided tours by the Berliner Unterwelten e.V. every Sunday at 12, 6 Euro (recommended)
www.berliner-unterwelten.de

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Berlin has an old brewing tradition. In the past, the city housed many breweries and around 1900 the amount of breweries was the largest of Europe. Most do not exist anymore, or are part of the large Berliner-Kindl-Schultheiss brewery.
Since the last couple of years however, the amount of microbreweries is growing fast, which can be directly linked to the popularity of craft beer.

Craft Beer

The craft beer movement originates in the US during the 1980s. Unsatisfied by the narrow offers of mainly industrial lager beer, people started brewing their own home-made beer. The fun of experimenting with rare ingredients, such as hops and flavours, resulted in a new beer drinking experience. It became more an event of tasting beers which have more character and more taste, and which are more honest and more personally made.

Berlin Craft Beer Fest

Also the craft beer community in Berlin rocks nowadays, which is celebrated
by the Berlin Craft Beer Fest, a two day beer festival which is a little brother of Braufest Berlin. It will take place at the same location around the Badehaus Szimpla at the RAW Gelände. About 20 Berlin microbreweries will be presenting their finest craft beer, accompanied by talks, streetfood and some fine music.
I personally am on a quest for the best IPA. Hopefully I will succeed during this Craft Beer festival!

Also interesting to know is that the 2nd Braufest Berlin will take place 11th-13th September on the same location, with an international line-up with more breweries.

Berlin Craft Beer fest 2014

www.braufest-berlin.de
Badehaus Szimpla RAW Gelände, Revaler Strasse 99, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
Fri May 30 12-23 Sat May 31 13-23
Free entrance
S5 S7 S75 U1 Warschauer Strasse
M10 M13 M16 Revaler Strasse

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It’s a nice opportunity to test a new camera. Don’t forget to bring your ID in order to lend one. Afterwards you may keep the SD card with your own photos. Or you can just bring your own camera if you don’t want to queue up for one.

Opernwerkstätten building

Not only the installations by the artist, also the building itself is worth a visit. The Opernwerkstätten (opera workshop), located in the Charité area, was built in 1941 by Albert Speer and houses 18000 m2. Here, sets and costumes were constructed, serving all 3 opera houses and several theaters.
Today, the building is used for events and exhibitions like the Olympus Photography Playground.

Olympus Photography Playground

www.photographyplayground.de
Till May 25 2014
Open Daily 11-19
Opernwerkstätten, Zinnowitzer Strasse 9, Berlin-Mitte
S1 S2 S25 Nordbahnhof, U6 Naturkundemuseum

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