Entertainment - Museums

    

    A big form of entertainment for people is museums because they are a way for people to observe the history of not only the city they are in but from all over the world. Berlin is special because of the number of museums available for people to explore. There is a famous museum hub in the center of Berlin called "Museum Insel" or Museum Island, which has 5 museums and this is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This area is always busy with people, and most are not Berliners but this shows the attraction that Berlin has to international audiences. There are around 170 museums in Berlin and what is really nice is that many museums or free or they offer a pass that allows you to go to a lot of museums for a one-time fee. 

    In my program, I am taking a class called 'Museums and Memories" and I have had the opportunity to go to many cool museums with my class. I have been able to go to the Nueus Museum, the Pergamon, the Humboldt Forum, and the Topography of Terror. It is interesting to see how the public history and memory of Berlin are practiced and put on display in museums. Each museum has different exhibitions or collections on display that are focused on different themes. For example, the Pergamon has three collections:

1. Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) - like Green and Roman antiques

2. Vorderasiatisches Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East)

3. Museum für Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art)

The Nueus Museums presents two fascinating collections:

1. Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung (Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection)

2. Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte mit Objekten der Antikensammlung

(Museum of Prehistory and Early History with objects from the Antiquities Collection) 

  There are many more different types of collections throughout the other museums. I have enjoyed my Museums and Memories class because we have been learning and investigating how museums in Berlin specifically present their own history. This is a complicated subject because Germany has been involved in a very fatal and destructive history. There are also parts of German history that are not widely acknowledged/recognized - like their colonial past in Africa and the genocide of the Nama and Herero people. Recently though, Germany has been working to come to terms with their past through museum exhibitions. There is a word in German -  Vergangenheitsbewältigung - which means coming to terms with the past. This is something Germany has most definitely needed to do, especially with the events of the second world war and the genocide of millions of innocent people. Their response to WW2 and the holocaust has been approached with an attitude of it never happen again, which is why there are so many museums dedicated to the victims and horrors of the war. On the other hand, there are also places that are not dedicated to the victims but rather work to educate the people about the perpetrators of history. The Topography of Terror is known as a "documentation center," not a museum or memorial because it focused on the SS and Gestapo and the terrors and war crimes they committed. This is a different approach to history but is a good example of how Germans are presenting their past to the people and coming to terms.

    The Humboldt Forum is an interesting topic because there has been a lot of debate on it and its purpose. I would recommend reading about the history of the palace and the controversy today (link to great article on Humdolt Forum) because it is hard to cover the entire topic. Essentially, the place where the forum now stands was once a "Schloss" or palace for the royal family of the Prussian Empire then it was rebuilt after being damaged from the war. Its construction was debated also (not many Berliners are very happy with how it looks because it does not blend into the city well) and in the end, was decided it would house the forum. In an attempt to come to terms with the past, the forum is actually under a lot of fire because" instead of practising ‘openness’ and ‘multi-perspectivity’ artworks and the question of their origins were to be buried ‘like atomic waste’. Savoy pointed to a fundamental contradiction: the palace proved that historical reversals were possible, but those demanding the restitution of objects robbed by colonial powers were told that history couldn’t be reversed" (Müller). When I visited the Humboldt Forum with my class, there was a display at the entrance of the "Ethnological Museum" which was the forum's attempt at showing people that it is acklowdgeing their past and that the artifacts (not all) in the forum were stolen or taken from other countries (like the Benin Bronzes). It did have sufficient context in explaining the history of Germanys' colonization and recognizing their wrongs, so I do believe it is a step in the right direction but this needs to be expanded to the rest of the museum.  There is a lot more to discuss on this topic and how museums in Berlin Practice public history but it most definitely would not fit into this blog. I would definitely recommend watching this video - Chimamanda Adichie on the Humboldt Forum because it gives good insight about what is right and wrong when practicing public history and how it pertains to the forum. 

    I have learned so much in Berlin through discovering museums and I am really looking forward to visiting more. I recommend shifting your perspective the next time you visit a museum and asking yourself questions such as "To whom do these artifacts really belong?" and "What is the story behind them?"

 

Entertainment - Sundays

    I have been able to experience many Sundays in Berlin to see the way in which Germans relax and entertain themselves. On Sunday, many stores are closed so it is a day when many individuals and families spend time outside. Now that the weather has been getting warmer, more and more people gather in outdoor green spaces to spend their days playing, eating, and drinking. There is an amazing park near my apartment called Volkspark Friedrichshain that I have gone to many times to run during the colder months to run but have been able to enjoy more for relaxing as it gets warmer here. This park has trails for running and walking, lots of green space, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and tennis courts, a track, a playground, a restaurant, a cafe, and a pond.  The past two Sundays I have walked to the park to enjoy it with my friends. Upon entry, I saw many dogs with their owners playing fetch (there are SO many dogs off-leash in Germany!), kids on bikes and skates, people playing guitar in the grass, and people jogging. Deeper into the park there is a playground that was full of kids of different ages climbing and swinging as their parents watched from a distance, and there were many people by the pond and sitting at the restaurant/cafe enjoying a beer or coffee. I sat with my friends at a table and we turned on music, journaled, and chatted. It was fun to sit and watch all of the different people go by doing different things to enjoy themselves. 

    Another Sunday, my friends and I headed down to the River Spree to enjoy "Holzmarkt 25" which can be described as a cultural center. It is hard to even describe so here is a link so that you can see more about it, but it has food, drinks, clothes, and shopping.  The crowd was definitely more of an artsy, alternative younger-ish group (not any older people really) We sat down by the water and just chatted and enjoyed the sun. The day we went was called "Vegan Sunday" so the food being served was 100% vegan and it was really fun to see the unique and creative food being served. One thing that my friend Oscar ate was a carrot hotdog - I am not sure I would enjoy this but it looked decadent and he said it was yummy. Other foods being sold were vegan Pizza, ice cream, and other things I am not sure I could identify. I am not vegan at all so I had to leave to eat other food but spending time there was very cool and unlike anything in America. 

    One thing I noticed that is different in Berlin than in America is that nobody was on their phone at Holzmarkt or the park - when I took a few videos and pictures I was pretty much the only one doing that. Everyone was totally just enjoying the day outside and with their families rather than documenting the experience on their phones. In America, there would be more people using their phones to take videos or record themselves and it was refreshing to see people living in the moment. Berlin also has way more parks which give the city a bigger sense of community and togetherness. Although Americans spend time outside in warmer months and on weekends, there are considerably fewer parks (at least in my experience) where people go solely for leisure. If there are parks they are generally smaller and people are more separate( again, in my experience). The playgrounds are also different because the kids are climbing and given a lot of independence to take risks. In America, there are way more regulations and safety measures so that no kids get hurt, and the parents are watching their kids more closely. The other thing I find funny and am jealous of is how many dogs are off-leash and the owners do not care. The dogs are very obedient and do not run off to other people or other dogs and it is really nice because other people can enjoy the park if they don't like dogs and the owners do not have to worry.     

    The Sundays in Berlin are something I look forward to because they are so laid back and it is a good time to destress from the week and prepare for the upcoming week. It is so nice to emerge myself in the Berlin culture and see how people entertain and enjoy themselves. 

Entertainment - Soccer

    In Europe, soccer is regarded not just as a part of life, but for many as a way of life because of how important it is to community and friendship. Soccer brings entire cities and countries together because it is a game that is full of and elicits passion, emotions (both happy and sad), and relationships not only from and by the players but the fans too. In a city like Berlin, which was once divided not only physically but culturally, soccer is an avenue for unity and shared interest. 

    There are two main teams in Berlin, Hertha FC, and FC Union Berlin, and both of these teams compete in the Bundesliga. Although the favored and higher-level team is Union (recently becoming very good), Hertha FC does have loyal supporters. When the Berlin Wall first came down, these two teams had a friendly match that attracted around 50,000 fans! Today Olympiastadion Berlin (used for other events such as concerts and the 1936 Olympics)where Hertha plays holds around 75,000 people and Union's stadium, Stadion An der Alten Försterei, holds 22,000 and is usually sold out on game days. Both of these teams garner many enthusiastic fans throughout the year and it is an ode to how important and valuable soccer is in the life of Berliners. 

    Here in Berlin, I am currently playing on a soccer team called Berolina Mitte which is about 15 minutes from my apartment. I found the team through an old William Smith teammate who lives in Berlin. The girls are around my age and are very welcoming and kind. The practices are entirely in German and my teammates are very open to speaking German which me and helping me understand what we are doing. I have learned a few words that they use a lot during practice:

1. Unbedingt: meaning regardless of any obstacles, under any circumstances - used when someone scores a goal by giving it their all

2. Weiter: means more, continue, further - used by defenders to get their team to keep pressing or not giving up

3. Druck: this means pressure - it is used when you pass the ball to your teammate who has a defender near them so they know to pass the ball back

4. Durch: this word means through - it is used when you want the ball to be passed through two defenders to you 

    I was able to experience the excitement and community brought about by soccer on International Womens Day when my team went to an event at the Adidas Sports Base in Berlin. The event was a 5v5 tournament with around 12 teams and each team was representing a different club team in Berlin that they play for. My club team split up into two teams of 7 and I was excited a lot of us were going to be there because it was a chance to get to know them better. The day started in the morning and Adidas supplied every player a whole uniform and other gear that we got to keep! We all got to run out on the field and were introduced and cheered for by the spectators.  Each team played a few games and then there were playoffs and a final. Unfortunately, my team did not make it to the finals but we had a lot of fun playing in the games because the crowd was energetic. There was an announcer on a microphone commentating the event who was very into it, there were DJs playing music, and a lot of media personnel taking pictures and videos throughout the day. Each player also got free food and drinks from the food truck and we could hang out in the main room that had couches and tables. The coolest thing was the panel held in the middle of the day where some famous soccer players, influencers, and other cool people were interviewed and all of the players got to watch, It was entirely in German so I did not understand much of it but it was a good opportunity to practice my listening skills. The event was all about the players and celebrating women's accomplishments in sports. Everyone there was so excited to be there playing soccer. 

    I have not experienced an event like this in America. Although I have been to countless soccer tournaments, I have not experienced something of this caliber that celebrates both sports and women at the same time. Sure America celebrates women in sports a lot but the media personnel and services (free clothes, food) to the players were something I have not experienced before. There are events like this in America but usually, they are for players of higher caliber or for famous athletes. This event celebrated just the "average" soccer players of Berlin (saying this to show that not just famous or outstanding people are celebrated here in Germany, but everyone) and it was really fun to feel special for who I am. At tournaments or soccer events in the US, there are usually so many people there and it is easy to get lost in the crowd and feel small. The Adidas Sports Base was a more intimate setting and it was easy to tell that a lot of time had been put into planning and organizing the day so we could all enjoy it. I think being in a big city makes it easier to attend cool events like this because there is a "sports base" and more funds and recourses are able to be put in. In the town where I live in Maryland, there is less likely things like this happen because companies do not have bases in my town and there are also fewer soccer teams and therefore a lack of a tight-knit community. There are too many other sports people are involved in (lacrosse) for there to be as much excitement around soccer in the US as there is in Germany.  

    Overall I really enjoyed this experience and seeing how soccer has the ability to bring together a lot of people and give them a memorable and special day.