Germany Pt 1 & Stalag IVB

5th to 7th May - Reisemobilisation, Berlin, Germany

Somehow we managed an "early" rise in the morning and had a cuppa with the travelling family before setting off onto Berlin. The drive seemed to take for ever with Brenda sending us down various streets as we tried to find a camping spot close to the city. We actually ended up driving right through the city and right through Checkpoint Charlie. BB really has seen everything now!

We finally found a good place that was walking distance into the city and opted for a quite night in preparation for a big next day.

Our spot

And what a big day it was, we walked from the camping spot down the main street and towards the Brandenburg Gate and headed to the information place to make sure we had our list of sights correct. The list that Michelle gave us the night before (thanks Michelle!!) was pretty spot on. We checked out the Reichstag and Holocaust Memorial before walking through the Potsdamer Platz.

 

The Holocaust Memorial

 

 

 

 

We then checked out Checkpoint Charlie (the checkpoint between East and West) where we visited the black box museum and learnt a bit more about the Berlin Wall and post war Germany. I found it really interesting. It was great to finally know the full story, for however long I can remember it for!

A section of the wall which we found on the way with an awesome display of the full Nazi party story

 

Checkpoint Charlie

After lunch we walked to the banks of the Spree in Friedrichshain where the longest section of the wall is still standing.

On our way

 

 

 

After this fairly long walk we opted to catch the train back into the centre where we then checked out the GDR Museum (German Democratic Republic). This again was interesting but aimed at a younger audience with many interactive displays. As a result it was packed with school kids and was difficult to experience it fully.

After about 10 hours of sight seeing we decided to head home via another section of the Berlin wall which was actually close to the campsite. The campsite itself is situated where the wall once stood.

The next day we checked out the shopping district, had a schnitzel and then onto the Schloss Charlottenburg.

Just a break between breakfast and lunch

 

One thing that really stood out was the graffiti, it was absolutely everywhere. In some cases it looked good, in other cases like on restaurant walls, park benches and even the bloody kerb, it didn't. From doing a little research it looks like its a problem that they are actively addressing. In 2008 there were over 15,000 graffiti charges with people "visiting" the city to try and make a name for themselves.  Cops are dressing up as graffiti artists themselves to catch the youths who are dressed up like construction workers along the railway tracks.

Another thing that stood out was the city appears to be recovering well from the financial crisis, there are cranes absolutely everywhere!! You can see government spending as well as private projects.

I think you can spend a week with all the museums and attractions if you are into that but we'd seen enough after two days and needed to get moving and check out Potsdam tomorrow.

 

8th May - Potsdam Camperplaats, Germany

On the way to Potsdam we (Nat) wanted to stop at an outlet mall just outside of Berlin. Instead of walking away with a shirt or a pair of pants we walked away with a set of Silit pots and pans that Nat has had her eye on. Just what we need for the remaining 3 month trip in BB, what with all the spare room and all.

We made it to Potsdam and found a free spot for the night, it was dark and rainy so we stayed in and would check out the town tomorrow.

 

9th May - Meissen Camperplaats, Germany

We headed off and checked out the sights. We walked through a parkland with old palace type buildings scattered through it from the Prussian era. Its at this point that I should tell Nat the parking for BB that day was actually 10 euros and not the 4 euros we thought it would be. If I had said it at the time the parking machine may not have survived. Pretty stupid that you cant pay for only 2 hours, although I don't know how we missed that. Cant wait for English signs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So it was now time to push on to Dresden but I had an important mission to accomplish before we got there. My Dad and Uncles confirmed the name of the POW camp that Doug (my grandpa) was held during WWII, which I wanted to visit, Stalag IVB.

The first step was to find the memorial for the soldier's who died whilst in the camp. This was easy enough to find as we just followed the signs to the cemetery in the local town of Neuburxdorf which is situated between Bad Liebenwerda  and Muhlberg. A small cemetery but with a dedicated section for the soldiers. Many of the soldiers had been removed from this site and taken to their home country and only a few remain which can be seen in the photo below.

 

Both sides of the path used to be packed with crosses until they moved the bodies

 

 

 

Now it was time to find the camp location. I really didn't have a clue where it was and the address I had was actually the local museum in Muhlberg, which of coarse was closed. Just when I thought all hope was lost Nat says "I saw a sign on the main road that I think says Stalag IVB". After a heated exchange of "why didn't you say anything" "well I don't know what your doing I thought you knew where you were going!" we headed back and sure enough we took the turn off down a gravel road (there was a proper road right from the memorial to the site we later found out) and drove up to the location of the camp. (coordinates: 51°26'45.1"N 13°16'59.9"E)

Overall location

Camp location (location of the main clearing shown a few photos below)

Approaching the campsite, the forest in the far distance is the camp location

The camp is now more or less a forest with only some minor remains, there was another cemetery there as well but not sure what ties it has with the camp.

The camp was close to the rail network hence its location and was one of the largest POW camps in Germany. I tried to take some photos to give an idea....

 

Shows the 7 layers of fencing and the selected electrified layer

Overall plan

Location for the next photo

Only the foundations are left

 

 

There was a large clearing with only the foundations of the buildings left over

 

As above

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were many signs with lots of information about the camp but it was all in German. I took a photo of them all and one day will have them translated. I also found a peaceful spot in amongst the trees and left what remained of Doug's ashes. Although this was not a happy time for him, it was none the less a time that he would never forget and perhaps even contributed in shaping him into the great man he was. I also think he would like to see what was a place of captivity is now actually a really quiet and peaceful place.



VLD has the last laugh

Once I finished exploring the area we headed direction Dresden and ended up staying the night in Meissen along the Elb river.

Our spot

 

Our view

  

 

10th May - Dresden Camperplaats, Germany

We surprised ourselves today and managed to get up and arrive in Dresden around 10ish, which is good for us. We found some parking for the night and walked into the town.

 

 

We thought this was pretty cool

 

 

 

 

 

We found a local market thing in one of the squares and soaked up the atmosphere. We plan on getting on it tonight in town so we headed back to BB to begin the warm up drinks and put on our dancing shoes.

 

Nat drinking a "girly" beer

We headed back to the market that we found and had a beer but they were winding down and the band had finished.

The market at night

We found a funky South African bar around the corner, then the Aussie "Ayres Rock Bar" and then stumbled onto a night club just across the street. After a very odd discussion with the door girls about having to pay to give them our jackets, we then asked "do we have to" to which they replied "well no but it gets hot". We said for the price of two drinks we would keep wearing our jackets and with a look of what can only be described as disappointment, frustration and "f&$ck you then" she took our cash to get into the place and told us to go on in.

When we first walked in we were the youngest by about 30 years but as the night went on it filled with a good mixed crowd. We saw a tall mean German have some altercation with a little German dude who had no idea why she was screaming at him 1 inch from his face. Nat was asked to dance by a friendly German guy who was in town to watch a footy match with his mate. He even asked me if it was alright, you don't get that down under!

Nat mid hip thrust

 

 

Nat danced her little heart out in her new shoes "that she had to have" and now has a huge blister that "she knew she would get". It was a fun night and we stumbled home just before 2am.
Tomorrow we head to Czech Republic, and not for the first time we enter a new country with a self induced headache.