Berlin Music Tour

Trevon's high school music tour was scheduled for Berlin this year.  We decided that all three of us would go, a fun trip for Scott and I to have with Madeleine soon after her mission, a chance for her to see Berlin (she's never been) and of course for us to support our favourite tuba player!  

At the Berlin Wall

Brandenburg Gate

The moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Check Point C, AKA Check Point Charlie

Some buildings remain intentionally unrepaired as a reminder of past sins

King Friedrich II. of Prussia

Unter den Linden

Bebelplatz, the site of the Nazi book burning

The Stolpersteine project commemorating people in their last known places of freedom before falling victim to Nazi terror with small brass plates.  The project touches countries throughout Europe where over 100,000 Stolpersteine are now laid.  It is a moving memorial, and quite literally stops you in your tracks to pause and consider the lives lost to such evil.  Incredibly powerful.  

Anyone is a performer, even an out of tune dude with a pair of headphones willing to sing his heart out

My ears perked up when I heard the tune of Ukraine's national anthem across the square.  Slava Ukraini!

A different view of the Berlin wall in the north of the city

Here there is also a small section where the entire dual wall complex elements are kept in tact.  It's visible from an elevated platform across the street, certainly holds greater impact than seeing wall fragments.  

Crossing the Spree

Berlin TV Tower

Giving major Jason Bourne vibes

Compact old town Berlin

After a busy couple of days in Berlin we hired a car and drove south.

Charming Wittenberg!  "The Cradle of the Reformation" The high school music tour itinerary was challenging in geographical scope.  The concerts were actually nowhere near Berlin, both of the two evening concerts were in fact quite some distance from Berlin, each about two hours away.  That complicated things a bit, so we had to choose one cancer to attend to make the logistics work.  The second concert was actually in historical Wittenberg.  We stayed a night and a day to make the concert and see a bit of the town before our flight back from Berlin.

Wittenberger Marktplatz

Even though the plentiful array of shops and restaurants indicated a vibrant life here, the place was totally dead.  Hardly any other people, which was both lovely and interesting.  

I can't see Germain steins and not think of my Uncle Todd

The door at the All Saints Church where Martin Luther famously posted his 95 thesis

Martin Luther's Tomb

Lucas Cranach's portrait of Martin Luther

Stadtkirche Wittenberg

A plaque replaces a former antisemtic statue.  As with virtually every important historical figure each is a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses.  Luther introduced new religious discourse that lead to a wide variety of changes in faith expansion going forward, but was also an indisputable antisemite. This is, of course, a gross oversimplification of his achievements and flaws, but it’s important to view the whole person as they were, appreciating contribution while importantly acknowledging flaws. 

Amazing Cranach paintings in Stadtkirche Wittenberg

Cranach-Hof

Lutherhaus

With our favourite tubaist before the concert in Wittenberg.

They played to a full house (they were turning people away at the door). The kids were on fire and presented a stunning concert, but the local enthusiasm says a lot about the culture here.  Such a wonderful concert.  Trevon was amazing!