Berlin MB Kreuzberg

Just an interesting piece of architecture in the Kreuzberg neighborhood -- Kaiser's is a grocery chain.

An historic public bathroom in Chamißoplatz, with a somewhat less historic person :)

The Preußisches Nationaldenkmal für die Befreiungskriege / Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars, a cast iron statue dedicated in 1821. The monument commemorates the civilians and soldiers involved in the battles that were part of the eventual consolidation of various states into the German nation. The English language version of the Wikipedia page on this is difficult to follow: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_National_Monument_for_the_Liberation_Wars

Viktoriaprak and liberation monument, in the Kreuzberg neighborhood. The liberation monument (discussed in later pictures) was dedicated in 1821, long before the park opened in 1894. The park provides an enjoyable green space in the city and interesting views from the top. Though much of Berlin looks quite flat, the hill is natural and was once part of a wine-growing area. The waterfall is man made and operates in the summer. It started operation when the park opened in 1894, though there were long periods from WWI all the way into the Cold War when it did not operate. See the Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktoriapark

A warm Spring sunday afternoon in Kreuzberg.

The view down the waterfall and along Großbeerenstraße, looking north. The cranes in the distance are most likely the construction east of Potsdamer Platz.

From the liberation monument in Kreuzberg Viktoriapark, looking pretty much north. The tall building in the center of the picture is the Postbank building near my hotel. The Die Welt balloon in the background, and seen in many other pictures, is tethered to the ground and thus is always in about the same location.

The Victory Column in the Tiergarten, from the liberation monument in Vikoriapark. This image, taken from one very prominent war monument and looking at another very prominent war monument, fits with a sense that developed throughout the trip of the past being much more integrated into contemporary German culture than seems to be the case in the U.S. Maybe the difference is due to my living in Southern California, but it does seem that U.S. culture has much less of a sense of the culture as being part of a continuum over time, instead being something that is constantly remade in the present.

On the northern perimeter of Viktoriapark, a former brewery converted into a housing complex.

Historic watertower (wasserturm) in Kreuzberg neighborhood, apparently one of the few remaining brick watertowers.

Neighborhood around the watertower.

Entering St Matthäus Kirchfriedhof (church cemetery) in the Schöneberg section of Berlin. Though it may look like a typical shaded and calm cemetery, it has a number of surprises, including one that I did not photograph -- a delightful little cafe that is just to my left, inside the cemetery grounds.

Similar in many ways to an American military cemetery, with simple grave stones.

59 years old, died about one week before the end of the war.

Part of the same stone, I couldn't figure out the script but the dates would be for WWI.

Calm

First of the apparent gay couple sites (see right panel of tomb stone) for Frank Walter (deceased) and partner Joachim Lenz. Per my firend/guide, historic grave sites can be leased and reused if the family of the predecessor (the Lentz, here) do not renew the lease (leases are for 20 years). If the accompanying tombstone is registered, then the new lessors must maintain the tombstone, including the names of the original lessors.

At the gravesite for Napoleon Seyfarth (deceased) and living partner. The marker says: Lebenssatt! Todestrunken! Lust will Ewigkeit - Tod hat sie Google translate did not work for this. Per a friend in Germany, he would translate this as "Satisfied with life! Drunken to death! Desire longs for eternity - death is eternal"