THIS IS NOT A PLATFORM FOR ACTIVISM.
PEOPLE INSULTING OTHERS WILL BE BANNED.
IT SHOULD REMAIN AS A PLATFORM FOR CIVILISED DISCUSSIONS.
PLEASE SAVE MY TIME AND YOURS.
Guided Tours to the Forest Cemetery! Book a tour to one of the biggest cemeteries in the world.
Berlin has a satellite city that is a huge necropolis for 120,000 graves. This cemetery was carefully decorated by nature, and there are many wonderful hidden monuments that are hard to find on your own. I will show you the most interesting and beautiful crypts and graves and tell you their stories, explaining the symbols you can find there and sharing the stories of some important inhabitants of Berlin from the past.
It’s a remarkable cemetery and definitely one of the most beautiful cemeteries that exists!
#Cemetery #goth #gothgoth #tours #guidedtours #berlin #berlinhistoricalphotos #berlinhistory #secretspots_berlin #wanderlustinberlin #germany #deutschland #brandenburg
Expressionist Sacred Architecture
The Protestant Kreuzkirche (Church of the Cross) in the Berlin district of Schmargendorf, one of the rare Expressionist sacred buildings, was constructed between 1927 and 1929 based on designs by Ernst Paulus and his son Günther Paulus.
This church is an important and representative example of the architectural ideas of the 1920s in Berlin.
Two and a half million bricks were laid to build the church. The tower, positioned along the Hohenzollerndamm with its three spires, the pagoda-like, East Asian-inspired portal porch with its blue-glazed ceramics (created by the sculptor Felix Kupsch, along with the column figures), the twisted columns made of hard-fired clinker bricks, and the distinctive masonry — these are the features that give the Kreuzkirche its unmistakable character.
It’s unusual to see a combination of East-Asia inspired art and a german war memorial (Kriegerdenkmal), where a soldier in a German steel helmet is depicted.
#1920s #germany #berlin #architecture
HOW SHOULD WE TREAT OUR HERITAGE?
Lev Kerbel, the sculptor of the Ernst Thälmann monument, on his first work:
“When Lenin died, I was just over six years old. The adults were crying — my grandfather, my mother. Lenin was greater than God back then. I was so struck by it that I started drawing. I copied a photograph from Krasnaya Niva magazine of Lenin lying in his coffin. A friend of my father’s saw the drawing and said, ‘Hey, he drew it really well!’ That’s probably where it all started.”
The aim of this video is strictly to document the current state of the monument. I distance myself from the ideologies represented and hope for a civilised and respectful discussion in the comments.
The Ernst Thälmann Monument in Berlin is a colossal statue honouring the Communist Party leader Ernst Thälmann. It was created by the Soviet sculptor Lev Kerbel and unveiled on 15 April 1986 in the Ernst Thälmann Park, which is itself a listed historical monument.
What other socialist monuments should I film?
#germany #berlin #deutschland #tours #coldwar
READ THE DESCRIPTION! In the Third Reich, the term “Kulturlandschaft” (German: cultural landscape) was often used to describe objects and scenery created during the NS era. Architecture was frequently adapted to regional or rural styles, while in cities more monumental buildings were constructed. Countless war memorials were erected across Germany, and as a result of aggressive German policies, cemeteries filled with war graves.
This is exclusively educational content that teaches people to recognise the patterns used during the NS dictatorship in Germany from 1933 to 1945. These patterns are often overlooked because they resemble styles from other eras. Some buildings look like the modernist architecture of the 1920s, while others imitate traditional German architecture. Most people tend to recognise only the strict monumental style characteristic of the regime’s major projects.
#germany #deutschland #ww2
Memorial to the Fallen Guard Pioneers by Hermann Hosaeus from 1929.
The large than life Pioneer is depicted with a rifle slung over his back, while holding a pickaxe in his right hand (which makes sense as they were often tasked with constructing fortifications and repairing infrastructure) and what appear to be oak leaves in his left hand. His ammunition belt is equipped by a pair of Stielhandgranaten. The soldier is encircled by lightning bolts, which do give off the impression that the figure is encased in an electrified coffin, but it’s most likely emulating a roman aedicula (aka a small shrine).
Inscription below: „1914-1918 To the fallen Pioneer Guards Forward and through»
The monument today is in terrible shape. The Soldier’s head has been broken off since at least 2008 - its whereabouts are unknown (as in it’s not clear if city officials have it or if it was stolen or destroyed). The base of the memorial is constantly smeared with graffiti, and the soldier statue itself is also regularly doused in paint.
The surroundings of the memorial, i.e the rear section of the church is also less than inviting as its filled with rubbish, used syringes and rats, as well as overgrown bushes and weeds making it a less than inviting place to visit.
#ww2 #berlin #germany #deutschland
„Reichs-Burger-King“ in Nuremberg.
Curiosity near the NS Party rally grounds in Nuremberg. This building, which is a former transformer station, is hosting a Burger King and a fitness studio. Previously it was a part of the territory that was sacred for Nazis. All the NS party symbols were removed from the building, and that building is being desacralized by its new usage, which is a very common practice in Germany. This common space, like many other buildings of that period in Bavaria, became a new interpretation.
#ww2 #germany #berlin #deutschland
Egyptian-style mausoleums were built in Germany primarily during the 18th and 19th centuries due to a fascination with Ancient Egypt. This trend, driven by romanticism, freemasonry, and archaeological discoveries, symbolized eternity, wisdom, and death. Some were also built as romantic, symbolic memorials.
- Symbolism of Death and Eternity: Egyptian forms—pyramids, obelisks, and pylon-shaped tombs—were seen as representing monumental, enduring afterlife, making them popular for aristocratic and wealthy families’ mausoleums.
- Cultural Fascination: Following Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and the subsequent boom in European archaeological discoveries, Egyptian art and architecture became trendy in Europe, particularly in Germany.
- Romanticism and Freemasonry: The era saw a romantic view of ancient cultures. Freemasonry also adopted Egyptian imagery for its association with ancient wisdom and mystery.
- Archaeological Influence: The widespread acquisition of Egyptian artifacts by German kings and the acquisitions leading to the Neues Museum in Berlin—fueled public interest in the culture.
These structures were rarely used to bury actual, mummified bodies, but were, rather, European adaptations of Egyptian style, often used to reflect the deceased’s personality or intellectual interests, or simply as an aesthetic fashion.
THIS PARTICULAR CRYPT IS BEING RECONSTRUCTED AND IS NOW NOT IN USE!
Music justification: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - The Magic Flute & Thamos, King of Egypt: Mozart, a Mason, incorporated Egyptian, Isis-worshipping elements into The Magic Flute.
#germany #berlin #deutschland #tours
You can stumble upon fascinating relics in Berlin's bars and dance floors. Case in point: this 1930s sign banning swing dancing. The regime's grip on everyday life was suffocating, especially towards the war's end. Today, these signs are often displayed tongue-in-cheek, but they remain a significant part of Berlin and Germany's complex history.
BOOK GUIDED TOURS TO UNCOVER MORE!
#ww2 #history #tours
Inside the Reichshauptbank, Berlin 1940.
NB! This is a post about the art history. Please focus just on that topic in the discussion. Any comments glorifying the crimes of the German dictatorship will result in a ban.
Designed by Heinrich Wolff and architect from lower Silesia known for his work for his multiple reichsbank designs during the Weimar Republic continued his work during the NS era in which he designed 5 different buildings with his masterpiece being the extension building for the Berlin reichsbank built from 1934to 1940. The enormous block is one of the largest NS architure project that were completed in Berlin. The building is not only impressive from the outside with its granite and sandstone facade but on the inside it was adorned with the most exclusive materials and artworks by renowned artists such as Josef Thorak, Fritz Erler and Ludwig Gies.
#ww2 #germany #berlín #art #history
Hohenzollernplatz is a Berlin U-Bahn station located in the Wilmersdorf district on the U3 line.
The train station was built between 1909 and 1913 and designed by Wilhelm Leitgebel.
The independent municipality of Wilmersdorf wanted to enhance the appeal of the surrounding new housing development and simultaneously underscore its own importance by creating elaborate designs for the train stations located within its boundaries.
In 1913, eagle sculptures by the sculptor Robert Korn were installed on either side above the lamps.
#germany #berlin #deutschland #tours #ubahn
This is a historical monument that was destroyed and later restored after the reunification of Germany. This post is not intended to glorify the NS dictatorship. Harmful or disrespectful comments will result in an immediate block.
This is a post about a historical artifact, not about your current political views. Please keep your comments constructive and respectful.
The bison monument was created as a half-sculpture by Professor Max Esser as a decoration for the nature park near Hermann Görings residence.
Dr. Lutz Heck described the monument at its dedication in October 1934 as „a statue... depicting an attacking bison bull on the front, masterfully sculpted by Professor Max Esser, and bearing an inscription on the back that reads: ‚Once, primeval game roamed Germany’s forests. Hunting was a test of courage for our Germanic ancestors. In 1934, under Reich Hunting Master Hermann Göring, a primeval game reserve was established on this site. Bison, capercaillie, elk, wild horses, beavers, and other animals found a sanctuary there and were intended to bear witness to the abundance of wildlife in Germany, once untouched by humans!‘“
The monument is adorned with a verse from the Nibelungenlied: “Afterwards Sivrit slew a bison and an elk, a mighty aurochs and a grim rooster”
Music justification: the monument itself is an example of eclectic piece of art, that simulating something ancient, out of time and context. For the same reason this music was chosen for that video. It’s complementary by it‘s qualities.
#germany #ww2 #deutschland #tours
