East Berlin…..
It’s appropriate today to reminisce a little about our trip to Berlin, a few years ago. A guiding colleague and friend, Holger Zimmer, and I bumped into each other in Switzerland, one year. He to,d me about his experiences growing up in the former East Berlin….. I was enthralled. Anyway, he and I agreed that I should meet up with him in Berlin so that he could give the tour….. So a couple years later, Toni and I flew out to Berlin for a week long stay.
Holger was as good as his word and was a fabulous guide. He took us to places that no one would even know existed, and painted the picture of his childhood….. It was a great learning experience and we had a blast !
It’s a city that is full of sobering memorials and stands today as a testament to mankind’s belligerence…. I like to think that it’s a Germany/Berlin that has finally come of age.
On one visit, Holger took us into an old ballroom, today used as a nightclub and cafe… we dashed behind the stage, in the hope that the waiting staff didn’t see us, and climbed a ‘once’ regal staircase that swept upwards in a huge spiral. Paint was flaking off the walls and the balustrade was sticky to the touch from condensation and decades old sweat, deposited by some very fancy people a long time ago. Then we entered a very large lounge area that would have also served as a cocktail bar. Every surface was coated in a thick layer of dust, and cobwebs were hanging whimsically from the chandelier and very ornate gilded mirror that hung askew over the massive fireplace. Toni, Holger and I held our breath as we looked around……. The image tattooed itself into my memory.
Holger then made the simple statement…… ‘imagine officers of the Gestapo meeting here’. !
Toni and I looked at each other……. I could almost hear stern German voices cutting through the dust motes and an old piano being played by the fireplace, glasses clinking happily………. Almost!
Thank you Holger.