The Third Reich

What a great day.  We set off on the Hop on Hop Off bus and got off at the Siegessaule (The Victory Column)  We looked at the displays on the ground level of the tower then climbed a spiral staircase all the way to the top.  The view was amazing.  Apparently the original spot for the Column was in another part of Berlin but during the time of the Third Reich and their plans to make a different city, it was moved and made taller.  This happened in 1938-39.
After that, we made our way back in the direction of the Brandenburg Gate where we did a Third Reich walking tour.  The tour leader was a great guy called Sam.  He was so knowledgable and had a passion for history and his tour was really interesting.  It was a three and a half hour tour which turned into 5 hours because everyone was so interested and wanted to keep knowing more.  We saw the Former SS and Gestapo Headquarters, Goebbel's Propaganda Ministry, stood on the site of Hitlers Chancellery and bunkers, it is just a car park now and will never be recognised because the Germans didn't want to put anything on the spot incase it become a shrine. The bunkers are still underground and they have tried to remove them but they were built so well and are so thick they can't be moved and cant be built on because the walls are so thick and inpenetrable that they cant put foundations down for another building.  We also saw the Lufthansa building, and caught a train to the Jewish Quarter and saw the Synagouge and Cemetry. It has made us want to visit even more sights in Berlin but time is running out!  After the tour we caught the train back to our place (after taking the wrong train at first and going the wrong way) While at the station we checked out the next leg of our trip to Chemnitz and had crepes for tea.  I love Berlin!

Happy Birthday, Catherine xx