Final Day in Berlin

This morning, I headed for the Reichstag. My request to scale the dome had been approved and I was assigned a reservation at 10 a.m. After arriving at the Hauptbahnhof, I walked across the river Spree and went though security.

Led by a German guide, my small group climbed the main steps. I’d wanted to see this historic building up close for some time. The Reichstag has been at the center of so many pivotal events. Completely renovated, you could see repairs to the stone work on the facade from war damage.

On the night of February 27, 1933, an alarm sounded at a Berlin fire station. By the time they arrived at the Reichstag, the main chamber was engulfed in flames. A young Dutch communist was arrested and charged with arson (he was later executed). Even at the time, the fire was rumored to have been plotted by the Nazis themselves.

Just one month into his role as Chancellor, Hitler seized on the incident as evidence of a Communist plot and urged German President Paul von Hindenburg to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree. The emergency powers nullified key civil liberties of the German people and paved the way for the Nazis to consolidate power legally.

After passing through another stiff security check inside the front entrance of the building, we rode an elevator to the roof. There, a modern glass dome had been added to the 19th century architecture.

I climbed the spiral walkway as it wound over the Reichstag itself. From this height, I could see out across most of Berlin. A central pillar in the middle of the dome directed natural light via mirrors into the main legislative chamber below. It symbolically conveyed that today’s German government is transparent and monitored closely by its citizens.

One clever feature was a large shade that pivoted automatically with the sun to filter out direct light that might dazzle the legislators below.

I’ve seen famous photos of Russian soldiers scaling the Reichstag in the final stages of the battle of Berlin at the end of April 1945. Stalin insisted the Russian flag fly over the symbolic heart of Nazi Germany by May Day and he got his wish.

Comparing photos of the ruined Reichstag after World War II and my experience today was fascinating.

Especially when you can see history up close and personal, like the preserved graffiti left by Red Army soldiers following the capture of the building.

As I came down the steps, I looked out on the massive German flag representing the reunified country. You can see it raised here on October 3, 1990, as east and west came back together as a united Deutschland:

After the tour, I traveled back to the Charlottenburg neighborhood where my Airbnb is located. Of course I finally had to have a beer at the Route 66 Diner down the street. Elvis music played in the background as I sipped my Hefeweizen. Looking around at the Germans, I bet I was the only patron in the place who had lived within walking distance of Route 66!

I’ve enjoyed Berlin and this upscale neighborhood where I’ve become familiar with the streets and outdoor cafes. But it’s time to move on.

In the morning I head south to Dresden. Until then, Grüße aus Berlin!

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