Goodbyes

It’s our last week in Berlin!

We sent the students off with two fun activities: first, a trip to the opera to see Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

Then, we wrapped everything up with dinner and dancing at Clärchens Ballhaus, a Berlin institution that’s been around since the 1920s. Niguel and Anna tore up the dance floor with some swing moves!

It’s hard to believe that the program is already over! Ten weeks is not nearly enough time to explore a city as rich and layered as Berlin … but I think we did a pretty good job! The students will be moved out and on their way to new destinations by this weekend – some home to Seattle, and some off to explore more of the world! We hope this experience stays with them …

Student Exhibition night!

On Tuesday we held our exhibition of student work at the Adalbertsrasse apartments. Each student installed his or her work in one of the apartment spaces, along with an artist statement explaining the piece. Then we all wandered around and enjoyed their creations, just like at a real art opening.

Everyone helped out with setup, including a lovely spread …

… and the student projects were inspiring! Each one revealed a unique and interesting response to Berlin. (Shown here: Annie’s audio project and Robert’s flip book.) Several guests joined us for an evening of wandering through the building, listening to a spoken-word and music performance, and enjoying being together!

Dinner at Hasir

This Monday we had dinner at the Turkish restaurant Hasir! Turkish culture is a huge part of Berlin, and it was wonderful to enjoy some of its culinary delights … YUM!

Cheering on Hertha BSC at Olympia Stadium

This Saturday we headed out to Olympia Stadium to see Berlin’s team Hertha BSC play against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Not only was it fun to cheer on the team, but we got to experience a piece of history! Built under the Nazis, Olympia Stadium was home to the famous 1936 Olympic Games. In 2006, it also hosted the World Cup (the fancy new roof was added then).

Even though our team lost, the students really enjoyed the experience of a true European soccer game – complete with wildly cheering fans. The energy in the stadium was enough to keep us all entertained!

A day on the Pfaueninsel

On Friday we took a trip about an hour outside of Berlin to a magical place called the Pfaueninsel – Peacock Island – for a class retreat. Our goal wasn’t to engage with official historical narratives so much as to relax and be together in a beautiful natural setting!

After riding the S-Bahn to Wannsee, we got to ride on a classic double-decker bus that took us through the woods to the entrance to the island.

Our first stop on the island was Schloss Pfaueninsel, erected for King Friedrich Wilhelm II and his mistress Wilhelmine Enke in the 1790s. Built from wood, it’s supposed to look like a white ruin on the island of Capri!

Of course, the first thing everyone looked for on the island were the eponymous peacocks – and the students found, and were chased aggressively by – a whole flock of them!

The island contains no end of sublime vistas and interesting architectural follies. It was formerly one of the many pleasure grounds of the Prussian royalty, replete with ridiculous attempts at the picturesque. For instance:

A “dairy” in the form of ruined Gothic church, where the king and his mistress could first play at milking the cows before going upstairs to drink milkshakes in an ornately decorated salon!

The island has some quirky modern works, too …

… and there are allusions to buildings that are no longer there, as well. A palm house designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel once stood on this site, but it burned down in the late 19th century. A pleasant little palm garden pays homage to the absent building.

Though it was sunny, the weather was quite cold and windy. By lunchtime, we were thankful to sit down in the cozy Wirtshaus zur Pfaueninsel and enjoy some delicious home-style German food. Schnitzel, wild boar, Klopse (meatballs), Flammkuchen and pumpkin soup were all on the menu, accompanied, of course, by generous helpings of potatoes!

As we headed home, I couldn’t help thinking about the royals who had once frequented the island. What were their lives like? How would they have experienced the space? We’ll be finding out more about how they lived this coming week, when we visit Park Sanssouci, home to several royal Prussian palaces.

photo courtesy of Ryna Chin

Movie Night: The Murderers Are Among Us

We had our first movie night this week, and as our theme for seminar was Trümmer – rubble – it seemed appropriate to screen The Murderers Are Among Us. Shot in 1945-46 on location in war-torn Berlin, it’s the story of love, loss and revenge, and a meditation on the ravages of WWII. Distributed by the Russians, the ending of the film (the main character was originally supposed to kill his former commanding officer) had to be changed because it was thought that it might instigate revenge killings.

Our evening began with an amazing potluck, courtesy of the students, including curry, crepes and other delicacies prepared in the kitchens of their Arwobau apartments. We then continued with a cozy screening in the living room of Rachel, Annie and Melissa’s apartment. (We have a teeny tiny projector and speakers provided by CHID — they work wonderfully!)

All agreed that the movie was pertinent, moving and beautiful, even if we did think that the couple fell in love a little too fast for our modern sensibilities … a highly recommended film about post-war Germany.

the German conversation group gets going

Chance met with several of the students this past Friday for the first informal German conversation group. The point of the group is to provide a resource for the students on the program who either haven’t had German before, or who want to practice the basics. The hit this week: Chance’s impression of the Hausmeister’s Berliner Schnauze – his Berlin dialect!

warming up to Berlin

Chance and I met John and his lovely wife Eleanor today in their (and the students’) new Berlin neighborhood, Kreuzberg. It’s a beautiful part of the city, with a lively and diverse feel. Though we spent most of the day taking care of various administrative and technological tasks (it’s always a challenge to get settled into a whole new system of cell phones, internet and ATMs!), we got to enjoy the great fall weather and explore a little of our new surroundings too.

We started out with a walk through the park along the Engelbecken and Luisenstadt Canal.

Like the rest of Berlin, the architecture in this neighborhood is full of contrasts. We admired the Max-Taut-Haus on Oranienplatz, which fits so well into Berlin’s current aesthetic that you might never guess it was built between 1931-33. Max Taut, the architect, was Bruno Taut’s brother. The stately St. Thomas Kirche was constructed in the mid-1860s.

We finished up the evening at Hasir, a delicious Turkish restaurant on the corner of Orianienstrasse and Adalbertstrasse.

The students arrive on Monday, and we’re looking forward to commencing our explorations of this fantastic neighborhood – and the rest of the city – together!

ready for takeoff

Things are really shaping up for our trip! It’s only 5 weeks until we all meet and begin our adventure in Berlin. Meanwhile, we’re reading A Woman in Berlin and Irmgard Keun’s The Artificial Silk Girl as we go about our summer activities, I’ve been busy organizing and uploading the many course readings to our class site, and Chance and I have been brushing up on our German.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get to Berlin? I know exactly what I’m doing: it’ll be Döner time the moment I step off the plane! Happy travels, all!