Berlin Skies [Sky Watch Friday]

Our Germany trip concluded in Berlin, one of our favorite cities, which we have visited many times. Among the most photographed sites is the old Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, which was was largely destroyed  in an air raid in WWII. However, part of the spire and much of the entrance hall survived. The remains stand as a memorial. A modern church has been constructed adjacent to the old one; you can see a portion of it in the lower left hand corner of the bottom image.




The Brandenburger Tor [Brandenburg Gate] is an 18th-century neoclassical monument and one of the best-known landmarks in Germany. During the years of the Berlin Wall in 1961, it was located in the East German sector. In the shots below, I took advantage of my 16-300mm telephoto lens to zoom in on the quadriga atop the gate.
 

Two other sites that we return to are modern constructions; viz. the Jewish Museum [designed by Daniel Libeskind] and the Holocaust Memorial [designed by Peter Eisenman]. I have posted images from previous trips and will confine myself here to just a single shot of each. Below is the museum characterized by its slashing windows and lines. It was designed to make one feel uncomfortable and succeeds both outside and inside.

The Holocaust Memorial is an open air field of rows upon rows of stalae [concrete pillars] of varying height/width that are arranged in grid-like formation. All told, there are a total of 2,711 pillars. Following its opening, there was a great deal of discussion as to how visitors were expected to comport themselves within this somber site. Today, one sees every possible emotion, from stunned silence to playful gaiety. The latter is illustrated in the image below [another shot made possible with my zoom lens].