It’s about time that i showed off some of the historical landmark-y bits. Rest assured, i came to Germany for more than photography of snacks, graffiti, and magpies eating puke. That said, here’s some graffiti. The majestic older stuff mentioned in the title is futher below.
Can’t quite recall where this one was… It must have somewhere along our route we took to Alexanderplatz though… I want a complete pic of the ‘truth maschine’ above that’s cut off.
“I’m a Berliner and tomorrow I’m dead,” says the bunny. (Huh?!) Took me a sec. Down with animal cruelty and all that, but reading this as i walked to the U-Bahn raised an eyebrow and a mouth corner. It’s a sad kind of funny, where you laugh and then feel a little guilty.
Another translation funny moment, but this time without guilt! English brain saw a man frustrated with his ladyfriend. “what’s weighing you down, brah?” “HER DAMIT!” Then German brain kicks in and sees “BRING IT ON!”
Pink sign in the background struck me as funny. [Hashtag] Berlin am Arsch. I’d guess this means something like “Berlin outta luck,” or “…on it’s ass,” something like that (Or it may be a shop of some form of ill repute?..). I could be far off on all counts though. Can barely hold my own at the supermarket in German as it is. The van, meanwhile, says ya can’t accomplish anything without a strong team (thanks google). If i got the 1st part right at all, that’s a nice counterbalance. You can do it, Berlin!
Saw this thing and thought, how remarkable, this spire towering over all other things… The Fernsehturm… Now i see it everywhere and it is almost eery how wherever you go, it still seems to be in view. It’s even in most of the German hip-hop videos i’ve been watching. It can also be bought in miniature from most gift shops. Scarlett read something the other day, apparently some here call it the “Tele-spargel,” the TV-asparagus. (smileyface)
Then we reached the big, open square that was surrounded by the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), The Tele-spargel, and Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church. More on that in a moment). This is what is in the middle: the Neptunbrunnen. As it says on the Wikipedia, “. . . built in 1891 and was designed by Reinhold Begas . . . The four women around him represent the four main rivers of Prussia.” It was apparently moved to the site in the 1950’s from the Museuminsel (Museum Island) in the middle of the Spree River, which runs through the middle of the city.
From afar. The cranes are another common site here. It seems the city has been under continual construction for more than half a century.
This one be Vistula, with her forestry symbols. Didn’t get a front view of this one.
With grapes and fishnets draped across her, this woman represents the Rhine.
Closeup of Rhine and Neptune, both looking at the same something, it seems.
Stately, hairy-nippled Neptune and a couple strange looking children.
There are three other animals, all spraying up towards Neptune. Only have the turtle to show here. Huh. Just noticed smileyface McGee in the background. Is he on the phone or picking his teeth?..
Here is Elba, with a sickle and her harvest.
Elbe’s tired face with an exceptionally clean, shiny nose. That’s the tower of Marienkirche in the background.
And finally, Oder, with a mighty goat companion at her side. Look at those horns gleam! Also, i have noticed that my camera seems to make bright light gleam. That’s just the way the lens will be until i get around to polishing it, though it does lend a nice, dreamy effect.
That’s the Marienkirche on the left and the accordioned structure is at the base of the Fernsehturm. I took a vertical panorama of the Fernsehturm but i am unable to upload that one unfortunately… Maybe i figure this out later.
The tall tower mid-left is the Rotes Rathaus and the Marienkirche completes the circle around the square. …Now let’s go see the church!
So, this church is debatably the oldest in the city, next to Nikolaikirche. Both are from the 13th century, and while Marienkirche isn’t mentioned in historical documents until the 1290s, it is definitely older. Nikolaikirche dates back to 1230s, maybe 1220s. Later on i will post pictures of when we went to see that one. Didn’t get interior photos; they charge einige geld for that. HOWEVER, i just went to the Nikolaikirche’s website and found out that the first Wednesday of the month is free, so maybe on the 4th of May… It’s a beautiful place, from the photos on their website, and the acoustics are ‘renowned.’ The pipe organ in both places look incredible.
Hello, stately building of God! You used to be a Catholic church, didn’t you? Yes you did! Now you’re a protestant church, ever since that Mr. Luther came around. Who’s a little Protestant church??
Oh, hey! There’s Scarlett, also taking a picture! Every now and again i am struck by a wave of self-consciousness when i realize that we are consummate tourists in this awesome place. “Oooh, lookit the pretty church! Where’s my camera??” “Hey that graffiti says something in bad English! Where’s my camera??” “There’s a bird! Where’s my camera??” Then i remember that we are also making the most of what we get to see here, and we want to share it with our homelanders.
MARIENKIRCHE GALLERY (i am growing to understand new feratures of this site as i go~ Heh. Learning tickles.)
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- Mmmm. rib vaulted ceiling… I really wnted to sing in here… But the reverence i was feeling would have been lost on others i presume. Some of them at least. So i hummed softly, for it couldn’t be helped entirely.
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- Hey, look at you up there, doin’ a little saucy dance! Get down with your righteous self, yo! Praise be unto those gyrations!
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- Derp!? What happened to that right eye there? If this statue were to make a noise, it would be something like “hnerrrgh!”
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- Sometimes when things are broken, they only become more amazing.
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- As if demonstrating the hammer-blow, the wee cherub glanced at the skull, “like this,, ka-POW! And they’re down!”
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- Some of these carvings are from other churches in the city. During WWII several others were destroyed. Marienkirche was reconstructed and now houses some of the art that was displaced.
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- Another wonderful carving. There would be deeper value in these for me if i had a better grasp of German, and more still if i understood medieval German!
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- So many awesome skulls! And the olde German fractur writing… First, learn German, then i believe an unerstanding of this font will follow.
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- More skulls & fratur. I liked this one for the cobwebs across the skull.
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- At first i thought, “hey, who are those other people in the background?? They are supposed to be the first and only humans!” It was almost upsetting for some reason. I think i get it now: The garden before on the left and aftermath of the fateful fruit filching on the right… That was really a bum deal, and a sad reason for the persecution that was to come.
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- I believe this says “Dort ist Bestand!” What i am getting from translations is something like “the village is a constituent part!” or maybe “The village stands!” Perhaps as pertains to persistence..?
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- Now able to walk on water AND air, Shining One swooped down with his staff of justice and snatched his felow beings from the maws of certain damnation!
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- Gold, babies, haloed mothers, and adulation!!
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- MUSIC-BABIES! A great statue! But i get the sense that if it were to animate,, that the noise they’d be making would be less musical, more of a cacophony.
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- For an elaborate description of this one, look to the text page! That page came in 4 flavors by the way: English, Italian, French, and German.
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- This describes the 15th century carved altar!
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- Yep, i really did take these pictures. This one was a near accident but i went with it. Worked out pretty good with those vaulted ceilings.
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- Too bad! Somebody won’t be playing patty cake ever again…
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- Leaning towards frigtening creature here- it looks like it is frozen in the act of emitting a high-pitched shriek.
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- This statue is behind a gate for unknown reasons. Why are you trapped and sad, and also, are you a boy or a girl?
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- One cherub has a leafy donut and the other one is disappointed in his lack of leafy donut.
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- An altar to human sacrifice and the proper postures to assume.
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- I believe this is Prussian fieldmarshal Otto Christoph von Sparr…EDIT: I was mistaken! An email from someone who works there says this is an epitaph of Johann Korn. He was dressmaker on the royal court.
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- To the right of what i believe is Otto is this little fellowe. Looks like he has been celebrating and needs a nap now.
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- Feathers & vaulting! If i were to take the picture again, i’d frame it better. At the time it was all about the texture of the feathers for me.
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- Every one of the babyface sculptures in this church looks bizarre to me. This one’s eyes appear to be ready to pop out of its face.
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- Such amazing feathers! Waiting for the organ recital, i see?
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- The pipe organ, which i hear is slowly succumbing to disrepair. only 33% of the original pipes are still intact.
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- The altar, off limits to such as myself.
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- Again with the creepy children… Well, every earthbound person in this image is fixed on the viewer. Mildly unnerving. Truly though, i respect the talent and time that a painting must take.
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- A trio of mozaics depicting Der Totentanz (the Death Dance). In my ignorance, i saw space visitors being greeted by clergy. After some research i know better.
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- The mosaic is a recreation of a 22.6 meter long painting that once trailed around the church. It was painted over and then rediscovered in 1860. Restoration efforts have been in progress for decades apparently.
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- A donation of 2.50€ allows you to add tiles to this mosaic reproduction. The Death Dance is depicted in many churches across Europe. Events like the 100 years war and plague outbreaks left an indellible mark on cultures of the time.
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- Through a door off to the side i spied these more contemporary pieces. A fun anachronicity!
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