Stolperstein Tour

Day 7: March 13, 2015

 

Germany has thousands of these brass plaques in the ground which has victims from the Nazis. The plaques include names, date of birth and date of death of the victims. It started as a project by the German artist Gunter Deming. The plaques are not consider an official memorial. First the stones were placed in Cologne illegally. Munich has banned the placing of these stones.

 

Anyone can buy a plaque and have it engraved. On the tour our local tour guide explained how their was a plaque for a little girl and she  had only lived to be one year old. It said all of her family was killed and it makes you wonder who made this plaque for her?

Walking through Berlin our tour guide told us a story about how a blind business owner took in blind and deaf Jews. He would have them work for him to save their lives. He would make them fake ID cards so it said they were not Jews. He saved thousands of people but was later killed because a woman told the Nazis what he was doing after they captured

her.
Another story he told us were about how the Nazis told the fire department not to come when fires break out. So one night the only synagogue was set on fire. The officer on duty had a way in with the fire department and luckily was able to save the synagogue.

All the stories we heard that day were heartbreaking. To know what the Jew's went through was horrible. Berlin went through so much tragedy to become what it is today.
  

The synagogue

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 



March 12, 2015: Architekturforum Aedes

"We want to look into the future. What do we want? What are the possibilities?" -Beate Engelhorn

It was a chilly Thursday afternoon in Berlin when we arrived at the Aedes Architecture Forum and were greeted by its head curator, Beate Engelhorn. 'Aedes' is Latin and means "a dwelling of the gods, temple, sanctuary, without partitions." Aedes was founded in 1980 and strives to explore and communicate urban planning, landscape architecture, and sustainable urban concepts. They approach this in a way that is highly accessible to the public: they display architecture in a gallery setting. In contrast to a museum, though, Aedes exhibits the work of modern architects and challenges people to see things differently.

On display was "Contemplating Basics", an exhibition of models and photographs developed by an architecture firm based in Beijing. The exhibit presented solutions for small-scale living in a city of millions.

Also on display was "Alps, Architecture, Tourism", an exhibition of new architecture in South Tyrol, Italy.

Beate was very knowledgeable and shared so much of her experience with us. It was wonderful to be exposed to a different way of communicating architecture and design!

March 13, 2015 Potsdamer Platz - The Sony Center

Potsdamer Platz, or Potsdam Square, is a huge and important traffic intersection at the center of Berlin. It's named after the city of Potsdam and intersected one of the busiest roads in Berlin. After the destruction of part of the building during World War II, and the construction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, the building was left desolate. After the Berlin wall was torn down, major redevelopment projects have been in place to improve the construction, but more importantly, the resilience of the building. One of the major developments and additions to the Potsdamer Platz is the Sony Center, which houses Sony's European headquarters and is the main
business sector of the area. This addition is
characterized by magnificent architecture and the
latest and trending technology.

Potsdamer Platz
Apartments and Business meeting areas

Sony Center: At first glance

As the group arrived to the Sony Center, we were
accompanied by our guide Lukas Kronawitter, the co-author of Water Sensitive Urban Design. Lukas was a pool of knowledge (no pun intended) and gave us an overview of the history of Potsdamer Platz, as well as the Sony Center and his research in water and its importance in creating resilient structures and communities. Lukas explained to us that Potsdamer Platz was almost completely destroyed during the war and was divided during the construction of the Berlin Wall. After the wall was torn down, the construction of Potsdamer Platz became one of their major modern development ideas in creating a sustainable ecosystem for Berliners, business executives, and tourists alike. Upon entering the Sony Center, I was overwhelmed with enormous architecture and a sense of sophistication (this is the business sector of Potsdamer Platz). One of the interesting concepts about Potsdamer Platz is that the building contains shopping centers, business and meeting spaces in the Sony Center, as well as living space for locals who want to buy apartments in the area. This is a huge step towards the idea of modernization and integration. However, one of the downsides to this concept is that because the apartments are located within Potsdamer Platz, the prices of them are well over what the average Berliner can afford. This raises the question, "If Berliners can't afford these apartments, then who is living in them?". Foreigners that can afford these apartments have taken over the living space, and have ultimately created an unintended tourist environment.

Upper apartments. Below lies Zara.
Distance: TJ Maxx, Wohrl, and Rewe

Sony Center Dome

 There were many connections to Resilience that I experienced while exploring Potsdamer Platz. The building itself is energy efficient and was built with the ecosystem in mind. The temperature can be maintained with automatic operating windows, and the water that surrounds some of the areas acts as a cooling system during the warmer times of year. One fascinating characteristic that stuck out for me was the dome of the Sony Center. The building itself is not enclosed and can be entered by all sides via open entrances. However, the position of the building and the shading of the dome create a micro climate so that the areas inside can remain warm enough to shop, eat and do business. The Sony Center and Potsdamer Platz are truly their own Metropolis within the city of Berlin. The city continues to grow and expand with new buildings being built every day with resilience on the forefront of their design.

Sony Center: Panoramic view

Berlin, here we come! March 11, 2015

Berlin’s Museum Island connected to the urban city by its River Spree and the Kupfergraben, a 400-meter-long canal.

  Berlin is a resiliency wonderland, currently standing as the largest metropolitan area in the Eastern European country of Germany. One would not believe that the city still flourishes after it fell to purely rubble as a result of the devastation of World War Two. To put things into perspective, by early May, 1945 about “600,000 apartments have been destroyed, and only 2.8 million of the city’s original population of 4.3 million still live in the city.” Devastation struck Berlin, like a bad seasonal cold, as it’s economic, demographic, and social culture plummeted.  Politics divided Berlin into sectors, a means to tame the potential of its strength. Walls alienated people into regions of the city.  Residents responded by find refuge in other parts of the world, creating a desire for cultural diversity and social empowerment. Despite the despair of its past the city stands strong today, displaying the resiliency of the people and their new defined culture.  

     The contemporary city is vibrant:  said to be “a major center of politics, culture, media, and science.” Various people gravitate to the Berlin because it is so multifaceted. Differences are more extreme, socially and architecturally, yet the paradox is a key element to the city’s apparel.  Urban environment is brought together with high quality life; formulating a melting pot of businesses, science developments, people orientated government, and culture.  There are a number of city centers, which play into the way Berliners identify with their neighborhoods. The entire city is now accessible through various means, making Berlin a precious jewel that can be admired many times in many ways.

March 11, 2015: Prague's Jewish Quarter

THE JEWISH QUARTER

TOUR WITH PROFESSOR RON HOFFBERG

Dobrý den!

TODAY WE VISITED Prague’s Jewish Quarter, Josefov in Czech. Our tour guide was Ron Hoffberg: a rabbi, historian, and professor at CIEE. He was a wealth of information and shared his knowledge and experience with us at a variety of historical places. We admired the architecture and the level of detail in the decoration. We were in awe of Prague’s centuries of history.

Gothic arches at the Old New Synagogue

First we visited the Old New Synagogue, Europe’s longest continually-used synagogue. Professor Hoffberg explained about the arch supports used in 15^th century architecture and mentioned that the idea of flat ceilings was rather recent. The original exterior of the building was no longer visible, as an addition had been built when it was decided that men and women had to worship separately.

A stolperstein in Prague

While en route to our next stop on the tour, the Professor stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and pointed down at a small plaque mounted on a cobblestone. It read: “In loving memory of Klara Mahlerova, born 1883, cruelly murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz, 1942.” He explained that it was called a stolperstein or “stumbling block” and was part of a project undertaken by German artist Gunter Demnig to commemorate victims of the Holocaust by placing a plaque in the sidewalk outside their former homes or places of work. 

Interior of the Spanish Synagogue

Next we arrived at the Spanish Synagogue, an incredible example of the Moorish Revival style of architecture. The synagogue is incredibly elaborate and stunningly beautiful: every surface is ornamented with brilliant paintings or carvings. During World War II, the Nazis seized the property and used it for storage of belongings taken from their victims. Ron told us about how the building was destroyed as a result and flooded in the intervening years- but fortunately underwent a restoration in the late 1990’s which returned it to its former glory.

Pinkas Synagogue

Our next stop on the tour was the Pinkas Synagogue, which is now a memorial to Czech and Moravian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. There are 80,000 names inscribed on the walls- which is still only a fraction of the number of Holocaust victims. It was a chilling and moving experience.

Gravestones at the Old Jewish Cemetery

Our last stop on the tour was the Old Jewish Cemetery, which was very interesting and about which Ron knew seemingly everything. The oldest grave dates back to 1439, and the newest to 1787. When the cemetery ran out of space and was not allotted any new land, more layers of soil were added above the existing graves and the gravestones moved to the new layer. This was done 12 times, and as a result there were over 10,000 burials there.

All in all, it was a wonderful last day in Prague! We learned and saw so much while we were there. Now off to Berlin!

Experiencing Prague from the Zizkov Tower

Figure 1: Prague TV Tower

If one desires a grand view of Prague’s beautiful city, the Zizkov TV Tower is the best location to get it. Standing 708.6 feet is the air, this TV tower is an unmistakable landmark in the city. It can be said that “on a clear day, one can see to a distance of up to 60 miles” from inside the viewing rooms.  It was originally built in 1985-1992 despite a tremendous amount of protests from locals. Locals feared that the massive construction may become an eyesore in comparison to the notoriously traditional city architecture. On the contrary to local assumption, the tower proves a breathtaking 360 degree view of Prague, alongside TV and radio signal.

 Housing complex from inside the Tower 

The views really are magnificent, allowing spectators to see the clustering nature of the city structures. City guides often speak of the uniformity of Prague apartment buildings, but it is really not put into perspective until seen from 700 plus feet in the sky. It is as if all the urban structures are casted from the same mold and plopped on a designated plot of land. No apartment is given more space than another, and no roof is pitched higher. The entire city is traditionally designed in a hierarchy: the tallest building being the castle, followed by the church, then government buildings, and lastly the citizen buildings. Families, and people with similar trades, were grouped in the same housing complexes, with an internal common space for the complex. This allowed for the king to have access to the best in each trade by keeping the professional people grouped. What these clusters really created was smaller community developments within the entirety of the city.

         

Closer view of Housing Complex from inside the Tower 

The tower shines light on many differences in the urban design. The major difference that can be seen is in the color of the building façades themselves; decorating the city with pastel shades of pinks, yellows, greens, blues, creams, and bright red roof tops. The color scheme pays respects to the Art Nuevo style decoration that was added to the buildings.  It almost looks like a toy model, which is a reoccurring theme in the city of Prague. Yet, the TV Tower goes against the traditional aesthetic of the city. The tower itself is designed more futuristic, with rounded cube pods that project out from the interior of the structure.

The exterior resembles some form of a space station in the sky, with giant figures crawling up the tower poles. At first glace, the figures make the tower look like it is infested with black ants. Gladly, this is not actually so. Czech sculptor David Cerny’s designed these black fiberglass babies, or miminka in Czech, to crawl up the tower. The black color of the fiberglass babies pop against the white of the structure making it look even more modern.

Fiberglass Babies crawling up the Tower

 The white of the structure contrast to the pastel colors of the building that surrounds it. It really makes one wonder, why create something so different in such a traditional environment?

Potentially, the Tower stands as a symbol for a change from traditional Prague. Simply saying that the world is evolving. It speaks to the idea that in the middle of tradition and uniformity is a new culture that is rising towards innovation and technology.  

View of Prague Tower from a distance

Enjoying the view of the city in the Tower's bubble chair! 

Last Day in Berlin

March 13, 2015

Our last day in Berlin was full of unexpected lessons and surprises. After many tours and heavy information about Germany's history, as well as learn about how Berlin has changed in the past 60 years, one of our last activities was one of my favorites. Not only were we able to visit the East Side Gallery but we were also able to visit fragments of the wall that we're sort of hidden in a pocket of old East Berlin.


What is it: The Berlin wall was a division between the Iron Curtain and the idea of democracy that the Western world had successfully adopted. The split was harsh, depressing and tested the minds of Berliners as far as what they believed, adopted and their resilience. The Berlin Wall did not just divide the city and the country, but it represented the fight between communism and democracy.

Where: "West" & "East" Berlin, Germany add a visual

First initial reaction:  "I would never make it over that wall the first time... Never mind twice"


Feeling during and after: When we learn about these historic events that require us to understand the severity of the situation at the time, it is so hard to actually understand without visually seeing elements that are still left over. I could not believe what a person would go through to achieve power and violence. What was left of the wall left two very different impressions on me. The first, understanding the height and thickness of the wall which made it very intimidating. Second, the art along the East Side Gallery and the fragments of the wall that were left had so many messages through art. It described messages of peace, unity, our earth, as well as history and comments on global situations. It was absolutely incredibly and very inspiring. I could directly connect it to some of the messages that the John Lennon wall was trying to portray.




Connection to resiliency: In order to understand the strength of resiliency one must understand Berlin and Germany's history from the past century. Again we see that it is not the state or structures that persevered through but it was the resiliency of the people by the way they lived, their life style and what they would stand for, that would keep the movement of peace and order after so much violence and chaos. It was interesting to see the art on the wall that depicted that idea and movement.

The Dancing House

Current view of exterior 

Although Prague contains primarily historical architecture, there are a few examples of modern architecture throughout the city. The Dancing House, designed by Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic, was designed in 1992 and completed by 1996. The Dancing house is significant because it lies on historical property. The building that used to exist in its place was bombed and destroyed by the United States in 1945. The new non traditional design was extremely controversial during the time of its construction due to the fact that it is surrounded by Art Nouveau, Gothic and Baroque architecture. The building is nicknamed Fred and Ginger, which is named after the famous dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It is named this because the architecture looks like a pair of dancers. The curves and organic shapes of the building were carefully observed and studied while I sketched the Dancing house.

This is a drawing that I did of his building

During our trip to Prague our group met with the co-architect Vlado Milunic, and he shared his story and process of designing the Dancing House. He gave us a wonderful presentation about the history behind the building, the obstacles he had to take while designing it, and he finished the presentation with a walking tour throughout the building.  It was very inspiring to hear the struggles and accomplishments of the beautiful and famous building. This building is a great example of how resilient the city of Prague is and how even after war and bombing it still remains beautiful today.

Vlado showing us some examples
 during our visit to his office

Model of the Dancing House

At the top!

The restaurant at the top of the Dancing House

                                        

Our group standing outside the Dancing House!

The Bridge to Resiliency

Much like any major city around the world, the city of Prague has many historical stories to tell.  What makes Prague stand out from the rest is the resilient nature of the people, community, and architecture. One of the main features of Prague is the infamous Vltava River, which has both supported and destroyed the city on numerous occasions. The Charles Bridge, which lies across the Vltava River, is one of the world’s first and oldest stone bridges. This Gothic style bridge is known for it's statues of saints that line the edge of the bridge. 

Ever since the Charles Bridge was originally constructed in the year 1357, it has experienced dozens of major flooding. The bridge has been renovated numerous times since the beginning of it's existence to fix the flooding damage and new methods of construction have been put into place to help the bridge survive the overflowing Vltava River.  The bridge has felt the effects of the river flooding repeatedly but it still stands today, glorious as ever. What makes this bridge so resilient and how has the city of Prague managed to bounce back after all of damage from natural disasters?

March 9, 2015 Shopping Centers in Prague

Prague has many different forms of shopping centers depending on the area that one chooses to explore. The Charles Bridge area, for example, is a huge tourist area, so the shops can vary anywhere between hole in the wall cafes and souvenir shops, to accessory racks and kiosks. This is perfect for the area because people can experience the beauty and also have the convenience of being able to purchase merchandise quickly and efficiently.

View from the Charles Bridge

Tourists shopping on the Charles Bridge

Tourist Shopping grounds: Charles Bridge

Shopping strip close to the
Charles Bridge

 The second area explored was the shopping center. This was very interesting because Prague is such a historic city with cobble stones, castles, and other historical architecture, so seeing a shopping center built in the middle of all of this created high contrast. This was very similar to our malls that we have have here in the United States.

Large shopping plaza

The third area explored was the high fashion and street market of Prague. These resembled streets of Boston such as Newbury Street, and created an atmosphere of sophistication and wonder. The storefronts were characterized heavily with shadow boxes and large window displays to create a message with the merchandise. These, in my opinion, were the businesses that had to remain the most resilient because some of them are family owned or new designers that must compete with larger and more established brands. The following photos were taken next to Municipal House, which used to be the site of the Royal Court Palace until the year 1484 when it was abandoned. Municipal house is now the home of Smetana Hall (concert venue) and also art and museum exhibits.

High end accessory shop
showcased in shadowboxes

High end fashion boutique

Blanka Matragi: Local Prague Designer
Bridalwear

March 9, 2015 Technical Library

Monday, March 9, Technical Library

Construction of the current building began in 2006 and was completed in January 2009.

The Technical Library does not look like a regular library. Ondrej Hofmeister was one of the architects of this building. He was chosen to be the architect because he participated in a contest and ended up winning. The whole library is rounded. When you walk in you see how all of the wires are exposed. Ondřej  explained it was designed to be a teaching and learning tool. 

This images shows the unique pattern and colors on the floor. The only color added in the structure is on the floor.

It has this warehouse feel. As you continue to look around you see the seats are red and white and in the shape of the molecules. Ondrej said he liked how you could move the seats around. Walking up you see the floor which is a rainbow of colors. This changes the mood of the library. With these colors it radiates around to brighten up the grey walls and ceilings. Also it has these drawings on the walls.  These were put here by a Romanian artist. 

 

I thought it was unique how the words were not in Czech but in English. These drawings were almost cartoon-like. Ondrej wanted a warm and quite feel to this library. His design allowed the air to circulate throughout the building so the building would be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. He also had these films put around the building which would block some of the light coming in so it was not as bright. This also helped with heating in cooling since the entire building was just windows it would be extremely hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

He was able to be resilient by raising all of the generators just in case of flooding. He also created a system just in case of a fire. He put walls that would drop to block of areas so the fire would not spread and also vents in the ceiling that would pull out the smoke to allow people to evacuate.  Ondrej  took many factors into creating this structure. He was able to create not only a unique design but a resilient building.