#friedrichsstrasse

[berlinisingermany]

[mickaeljou]

206/365

[daytodayberlin]

[yoramkelmer]

#berlin #friedrichsstrasse #fernweh #anywherebuthere #spätsommer #sommer #sommer2016 #wolken (hier: Friedrichstrasse Bridge, Berlin)

[mariyainberlin-blog]

Berlin's Palace of Tears

Berlin’s “Tränenpalast”, or “Palace of Tears” reopened as a museum last week and pays tribute to, as Chancellor Merkel put it, the “inhuman division of Germany”.  Originally planned as a reception area for guests traveling to East Germany and designed in 1961 before that fateful August 13th day, it opened in 1962 for exactly the opposite purpose:  the reception area became a place of separation where countless East German citizens bid farewell to visitors.  Because those without exit visas were not allowed anywhere near the control booth, expressing emotion to visitors and relatives “in wind and weather”, the building quickly earned the name “Palace of Tears” and is right next to the Bahnhof Friedrichsstrasse.

The Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik (“house of German history”) has invested EUR 1.3 million to renovate the structure of glass and steel, housing the permanent exhibit “Grenzerfahrungen” (“border experiences”), which is open daily except Mondays from 9-19:00 (weekends 10-18:00) and is free to all.  Besides the building itself and one of the booths for those confronting rigid customs officials checking exit documents, ten testimonials tell of experiences in this historical hall; one hour suffices to glean an understanding of the “absurd and often terrifying” East German border regime.