Berliners welcome the global community
Among the countless things to see and do in Berlin, its landmarks stand as the symbol of a relatively new city full of histories to tell.The most visited museum in Germany, the Pergamon museum, situated in the museum island, in the spree river, with another four museums, has a collection in three subdivisions: the antiquity collection, the Middle East museum, and the museum of Islamic art. Most of the displayed items were excavated by German archaeologists in the 20th century. It’s filled with Greek, Roman, Babylon and middle eastern architecture, sculptures, mosaics, jewellery, bronze and others.
One of the most well known landmarks of Germany, the Brandenburg Gate, is a triumph arch representing the peace. Ironicaly, it was incorporated to the Berlin wall during the cold war, standing nowadays as a symbol of its fall and the reunification of east and west city. The Victory Column, which had the goal of celebrate the military successes of Prussia over Denmark, was moved by Hitler from its original place, in front of the Reichstag to the centre of Tiergarten where it stands today.
If you are interested in Berlin’s history, the Berlin wall memorial is a good spot to visit. It is dedicated to the people that died crossing the wall. It helps to understand how difficult it was to cross the wall and why so many died doing it. The memorial is open everyday from 6am to 10pm. Along the river there is an intact stretch of the wall, preserved as a gallery, with politically motivated murals, painted and beautiful. Berlin is surely a place full of stories to tell, and it’s landmarks are like open books for whoever wants to read them.
