Berlin Day 4: The German-Soviet War (and some chocolate)

 WJU students traveled to the Deutsch-Russisches Museum Berlin-Karlshorst on day four of our trip. This museum in East Berlin was the main headquarters for the Soviet leadership in Berlin during the Soviet occupation. At the museum site, the Nazis unconditionally surrendered to the soldiers of the USSR in 1945, which ended the war with the Soviets.

The museum is dedicated to German- Soviet relations as well as the fallen soldiers on both sides. In addition, the personal accounts of the soldiers and civilians were very moving. There were many primary source documents from the war such as letters, orders, military clothing, propaganda posters and photographic images that helped us picture the war in our minds. Some of our favorite things at this museum were the tanks. There were several Soviet tanks the outside of the museum, the famous Soviet T-34 battle tank. 

 

After the students finished at the Deutsch-Russische Museum, they headed back into downtown Berlin via subway train, arriving in the early afternoon at the headquarters of renowned German chocolatiers Fassbender und Rausch. Here we sampled the best chocolates Berlin has to offer, a much welcomed treat after days of walking in the 80 degree weather. Students tried all types of chocolate-based products such as cakes, chocolate drinks, and mousse. After the treats were finished, we ventured downstairs to the main level of the store where there were many chocolate delicacies available for purchase as well as massive displays such as a 1:100 scale chocolate Reichstag, the German parliamentary building located in Berlin, as well as the Brandenburger Tor.

 

Once the students had regained their strength from a sugar infusion, took pictures of the chocolate models, and made their purchase, they once again set off on the subway. This time the destination was Treptower Park, south of downtown Berlin. This park is located along the river Spree and is a popular destination for Berliners looking to relax. The park was very lively, but had wide sidewalks moving in every direction like a large spider’s web, and ample shade to stay cool in the warm Berlin summer weather. Located in the center of the park is a massive memorial erected by the Soviet government in East Berlin that both commemorates the fallen Soviet soldiers from the 1945 Battle of Berlin and serves as a cemetery for over 5,000 soldiers.

Upon entering the memorial, one passes through a large gap between two artistic renditions of massive soviet flags.

The memorial also contains 16 large stone sarcophagi with relief work depicting acts of Soviet heroics with descriptions in both the German and Russian languages.

Opposite the entrance at the other end of the memorial is a 12 meter tall statue depicting a Soviet soldier proudly destroying a swastika while holding up a German child. This monument is truly inspiring and shows how much pride the Soviets possessed and what the war had meant for them. Its large scale also serves at a stark reminder of Soviet power in Eastern Germany from 1945-1989.