WOW! What a week in Berlin and Prague..

 View of the tv tower that dominates the Berlin skyline.

 First day in Berlin we went to a former stasi prison where the communist party held and questioned east germans that were viewed as threats to the party. This was an area of german history I was not very familiar with so this was an eye opener for sure. Following the tour of the prison, our program arranged for a lecture and Q&A session with two people directly impacted by the stasi and the prison system. One of them was caught on 3 different occasions trying to escape to the west and spent 10 months in prison and the other had her family torn apart by stasi accusations.

 The following morning we went to the Reichstag, home of the German parliament (outside seen above, inside main parliament hall below).

 Later in the day came a city tour of Berlin with an emphasis on the post-war history. 

The Brandenburg Gate (seen above) is miraculously still standing despite much of Berlin being destroyed during WWII. This was the start of many of the Nazi propaganda parades through the streets of Berlin. 

 The most disturbing thing seen in Berlin was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (seen above). The monument features over 2000 of these blocks with no significance of the number. None of the blocks are the same size. The abstract design was intended to leave much of the memorial up to personal interpretation. As you walk to the middle, the blocks reach around 20 feet in height and you feel surrounded by the dark stone. Ive seen many memorials for different events, but this is right up there with Ground Zero for the most impacting.

 Next stop on the tour was the Topography of Terror which stands just next to the Berlin Wall on the former site of the Gestapo and SS headquarters. This memorial outlines Germany from 1933-1945 and the rise and fall of the Nazi party.

 Area of the Berlin Wall by the Topography of Terror

 After the tour we explored Berlin and headed to the famous East Berlin Wall Gallery where there is around 3/4 of a mile of street art that artists were allowed  to use after the wall came down then later touched up and restored.

 The famous Berlin Cathedral which has been restored following WWII bombings.

 After a few days in Berlin we headed to Prague. Above is the statue and museum that are the main parts of the big Wenceslas Square, home to many restaurants, bars, clubs, and farmers market.

 Off in the distance from the Charles Bridge is the Prague Castle (largest in the world)

Many people gather in Old Town Square on the hour to see the Astronomical clock strike on the hour.

Not too many pictures from Prague, but both Prague and Berlin were an amazing time despite battling a horrible cold. 

Starting a full class schedule tomorrow but am hoping to get around Freiburg with my camera some more to post up some more pictures of the town.