Before coming on this trip, I developed an unrelated obsession with Verdi’s “Va, Pensiero”. I had it on perpetual loop once we got here, and then later learned that it had been adopted as a sort of anthem in East Germany about how they yearned to be reunited with their homeland . My computer finally blew up and I couldn’t do any work until I got a new power supply, so my flatmate and I went to the Tiergarten to bum around nature since it was a holiday and nothing was open. On the way back, I saw that the Mall of Berlin was busy and decided to stop and see if the Saturn was open (Saturn is like the German “Best Buy”.) It turned out they were having a “symphonic mob”… and the second they started playing I recognized it. I almost cried. Literally one of the most unreal and beautiful moments of my entire life.
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RELATED: Urban Folklore: “Va, pensiero” and East Germany
The Altes Museum was built in the early 19th century to contain the Prussian royal family’s collection of art. As lovely as it looks in photos, in real life it is stunning. My traveling companion and I toured the museum for hours, studying the Ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan works. At 6pm the bells of the Berlin Cathedral began to ring the call to Vespers, so we ran outside to listen. Once out there, we saw a Syrian wedding party arrive in the Lustgarten out front. They danced and played music while the crowds gathered around and clapped. Later in the trip, I discovered that this exact location was used by the Nazi’s for rallies during WWII. In the image below, I would have been standing about where Hitler is standing as I filmed the New Berlin being celebrated.
Berlin Kundgebung zum 1. Mai 1936 am alten Museum im Lustgarten. Attribution: Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P022065 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Syrian Wedding Party, Lustgarten, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
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Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Zeus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Etruscans, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Juno Sospita, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Boy with Thorn in Foot (Spinario), Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
The Green Caeser, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Griffon, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Berliner Dom & Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Young Girl’s Memorial, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dancing Maidens, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Roman Women, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Livia, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Griffon, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Satyr & Hermaphrodite, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Amor & Psyche, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Actors, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Mourning Slave, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Meleager, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Berliner Dom & Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Roman Woman, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Greyhound, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Hermaphrodite, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Narcissus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Theseus & The Minotaur, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
The Spear-Bearer of Polykleitos, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Marcus Arelius, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Nike, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Homer, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Persian Goat, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Athena, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Nike, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus & Silenus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Recumbent Man from Chiusi, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Trojan Heroes, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Dionysus, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Amazon, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Demeter, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
The Praying Boy, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Artemis, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Apollo, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Lion, Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo by Scarlett Messenger
An Study of the German Forest in Song, Myth, and Folklore