VIDEO
Oranienburger Strass U-Bahn, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Oranienburger Strasse U-Bahn, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
U-Bahn Art, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Sign, Checkpoint Charlie U-Bahn Station, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
U-Bahn Art, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
U-Bahn Sign, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Pankstrasse U-Bahn Station
Elliott Waits for the U-Bahn. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
U-Bahn Art, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
U-Bahn Art, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
U-Bahn Art, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Ben and me, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in Leipzig. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Drinking Absinthe in a Kreuzberg Bar, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in Weimar, Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Denkmal für die im Nationalsozialismus verfolgten Homosexuellen, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Holocaust Memorial, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me & the Brandenburg Gate
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Ben and me, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Brandenburg Gate Selfie. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me and Ben, May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Me Leaving Opfermoor Vogtei. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Der Neue Wache Memorial, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me, Opfermoor Vogtei. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Tiergarten, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in our Berlin Courtyard, April 2016
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in Our Courtyard, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Goethe and Schiller, Weimar. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Holocaust Memorial, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Me in Gorki Park Cafe, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museuminsel, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Architecture in Germany is historically significant for its lack of consistency. You can have buildings ranging in age from 300 years old to last year on the same block. This patchwork effect is the visible scarring from centuries of war and division. Germans feel no need to maintain their reputation for a fairytale aesthetic; you often see 18th century buildings with neighbors or additions done in a completely modern style.
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen Town Square, Bremen.. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Building Detail, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen Town Square, Bremen.. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Geismar. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen Hauptbahnhof. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dachau Concentration Camp
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dussman’s Media Market Lobby, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Novum Hotel, Hamburg. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Fernsehturm, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Grimmwelt, Kassel. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dussman’s Media Market Lobby, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alt und Neu, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Badstraße 40-41, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Neue Synagoge, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Humboldt University, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hamburg. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dussman’s Media Market Lobby, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Sign, Checkpoint Charlie U-Bahn Station, Berlin. Photo by Elliott Cribbs
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen Town Square, Bremen.. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Church Door, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Passionskirche, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Longhouse, Opfermoor Vogtei. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, Hamburg. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Friedrichstrasse, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Viktoriapark, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen Town Square, Bremen.. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Geismar. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Modern Building, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Church, Geismar. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Bremen. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Humboldt University. Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Weimar. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
May Day, Kreuzberg. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Sunset on Torstraße, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Zionskirche, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Stadthaus, Berlin. Ph, oto by Scarlett Messenger
Volksbühne, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dorotheenstädtisch-Friedrichswerderscher Friedhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Berliner Dom & Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Opfermoor Vogtei. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Topography of Terror Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hameln. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Elliott and I stopped by Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof to see the graves of the Grimm Brothers. This is about 30 minutes away by train, a completely random and out of the way corner of Berlin near the Steglitz borough. As we are walking through the cemetery taking photos, I see someone slowly coming towards us in the distance that triggers a familiar response in me. We continue to walk up the path, stopping to photograph or read the headstones, and the person on the path does the same. After about 20 minutes of this, we get lose enough that I see who it is. Out of 3 million people in Berlin, our friend from Bellingham, Ben Kohn, is standing in front of me. Seriously, I can’t tell you how astronomical the odds of that are, that we happened to be at the same cemetery, at the same time, let alone that we happened to be walking up the same path he was coming down. We decide such implausible synchronicity deserved a beer.
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Elliott alerted me to a sign he saw advertising a fairy tale festival at a museum that is a recreation of a medieval German village. We decided to attend, and while it was very lovely and fun, it was raining quite hard and the actually storytelling was forced into tiny tents. Rather than elbow children out of the way for my own selfish interests, I opted to wander the grounds and try to talk to the staff. Language proved to be a challenge, because contrary to popular belief not everyone in Germany speaks English, especially older people who grew up in the East before the reunification. However, I did manage to learn a bit about “Schlüsselblumen”, or “key flowers”, which is the flower we call Cowslips. She explained that it was part of the folklore of fairies, elves, and woodland spirits, although I am not certain how. It is also known as the more Christianized “Himmelsschlüsselblumen”, or “Keys of Heaven Flowers”. It was a lovely, if not rainy, afternoon.
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Museumsdorf Düppel, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
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An Study of the German Forest in Song, Myth, and Folklore