Second post of the day - Berlin

I wrote this a few nights ago and thought I'd hold onto it until I had a bit of a thin period writing-wise...But then I had a rethink ....I'm posting it anyway.


Sat a watched some of the Bourne Supremacy the other evening, much of it is set in Berlin – pretty much the only city in the world, apart from perhaps New York, that I think I could live in.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the years in Germany, but only been to Berlin once for about five days with my friend Jo. We went early in the year and there was snow on the ground; we had snowball fights late at night with some guys we met in a bar and generally had a great time.

Two things in particular made that trip memorable; my first even visit to the Opera and visiting the Jewish museum. Actually we’d gone primarily for the art and I particularly went for the famous film festival.

First the Opera.

We went to the Komische Oper
and saw Don Giovanni. Now I’m not a huge lover of opera; always seemed to me to be fat men and women with amazing voices singing in Italian about some tragedy. Carmen I understand, the music I even know, another one, West Side Story – I know it’s not a proper opera, but it’s just about as near as I get, maybe Madame Butterfly at a pinch, but that’s it really…just a philistine really. But we had the opportunity and it seemed like a good idea; take in some culture, act like grown-ups. So Jo and I dressed nicely, took the tram and I resigned myself to a dull but educational evening.

Hmm….educational, certainly, but dull, no. This was a modern version of the opera; if you’ve ever seen any Shakespeare performed in modern dress you’ll perhaps get the general idea. It was a very contemporary take on the story; basically Don Giovanni is a bit of a lad, he leads on a couple of women, and gets his comeuppance. This was depicted very graphically on stage in Berlin…a good few elderly opera goers got up and left when the simulated sex started on stage. Jo and I were astonished; no one had ever told us that this is what the Opera was about! The final denouement of Don Giovanni is his emasculation by some of the women….this was enacted in an interesting way – one woman shoved her hand down the front of Don Giovanni’s trousers and pulled out his tackle…or so it appeared…it was actually rolled up tights or stockings, we think….

So that was a very interesting experience…but to be honest, I haven’t been back to see anymore operas.

The Jewish Museum

This was a far more sober experience. Firstly the building itself is worth seeing; the architect Daniel Libeskind is also known for his proposed new World Trade building in New York. Both outside and inside the Jewish Museum is striking; the outside resembles some sort of prison-like fortress but the inside is deeply affecting. The building itself takes angular turns, each area of the museum is linked by long corridors which appear to lean in and out like an Expressionist film – The Cabinet of Dr Caligari in particular. So you’re constantly being reminded of the German Expressionist history and also the pure physical confusion of your eyes simply not understanding what your body knows; the corridors appear to be wonky, yet you’re walking on a level plane, but the walls and the ceiling are at a very odd, wrong angle.
The main body of the museum is pretty much an ordinary museum; deeply sad and shocking because you are viewing the entire history of Jews in Germany and you already know the end of the story. The final corridor that we took was the one that dealt with the Holocaust. Glass cases were set into the oddly angled walls, they were filled with the sort of stuff that each family has; bit of everyday junk that we save and pass on like school reports, old cards, scarves, baby toys, photographs. I seem to remember that each item was catalogued along with the details of the last owner.
The final ‘room’ of the Holocaust corridor is manned by museum staff; it’s got a heavy door which they open for you and generally people enter singly. I went first….the door opened and I was hit with a blast of icy air; the room is open somehow to the elements, yet there is a total and complete absence of light. I was unable to stay; I wouldn’t even allow the door to be closed upon me. I can honestly say that I have never ever felt as close to Hell as I was then. I ran out of the room, pushing past Jo who was waiting to go in, and I went straight to the nearest loos where I shut myself in and sobbed.




If ever you get the opportunity to visit Berlin, do; it’s exciting, frightening, fascinating and disturbing. I’ve not visited anywhere else in the world quite like it.