Brandenburg Gate at dusk. Berlin isn’t necessarily a beautiful city, but its a living testament to 20th century history. Its what a “new” city looks like after its been ravaged by war, and the Berlin Wall, the former Gestapo headquarters which now house the Topographie of Terror Museum, the German History Museum, the Pergamon and the Neue Gallery all make it a worthwhile educational expedition. There are more museums in the city than one trip can hold, and the organic cafes and bustling modern city life all make it worth a visit.
No tale of WWII Germany is light, so check out the anonymous journalist’s diary of life in 1945 Berlin under Soviet occupation in A Woman in Berlin. Marta Hillers was later uncovered as the author, after she spent most of the rest of her life living outside of Germany.
