Ich bin ein Berliner

Wednesday April 29th 2009:

I woke up the following morning, and took another run in the Park. After breakfast Julia, Steph and I decided to check out the “Topography of Terror” Museum. This “Museum” was really a photo exhibition right beside a construction site for the future museum, which in some ways really fit the theme of destruction. This exhibition laid out the rise of the Nazis, how they took power and the details of their destruction throughout Europe. It was an interesting, but difficult exhibition to see, and the cold wind was blowing and the clouds were threatening rain.

After the exhibition, we headed to another concert hall in Berlin, because we were supposed to see a rehearsal. However when we arrived, we found out that the rehearsal had actually ended early. Having the rest of the afternoon to ourselves, some of us decided to go to a used music store just one stop from our hostel. We looked through Henley editions, and music of all sorts, from classical to clarinets polka quartets.

After the store, I went back to the hostel and decided to rest a little before dinner. We again ate at the Vegetarian café, and then went with the group to another string quartet concert. This one was in very ornate style concert hall, and was performed by the principles of the Leipzig orchestra. They were obviously good musicians, but lacked the intuitive quality of the other group. At times they even seemed slightly out of tune, and were continually harsh in tone quality. It was tough at times for me to maintain interest in the group’s performance. What was funny was that our professor much preferred this group, but I suspect its because he had had “a few beers” before this concert.

As we packed up that evening, I began reflecting on my experience in Berlin. And I found that I had grown quite found of it. The people seemed very nice, and laid back. The music was wonderful both in the concert hall and on the streets. In fact it wasn’t uncommon to hear beautiful Bach fugues resonating from the accordion players in the subway. There was a particular player I enjoyed listening to at one of the stops on the U6 line, who would play Bach’s organ fugues, and even a rendition of the Marcello Oboe Concerto!!

Berlin was culturally very interesting. It seems to have an interesting juxtaposition of national guilt, remembrance, history and modernity. However despite the history of conflict and war, the city is still rebuilding, but in a positive manner. Its citizens remember the past, but look ahead to form a brighter future. They embrace youth, art and culture. As Kennedy fondly said in his pledge of West German support “Ich Bin ein Berliner”, he meant it to mean “I am a Berliner” but instead he put an article in front of Berliner, and called himself a Jelly doughnut.