The GDR Museum

This happens to be one of the most visited museums of Berlin as it is the only museum that deals exclusively with life in the former German Democratic Republic. The museum holds a permanent exhibition. The exhibition offers exhibits on and about the ‘Wall’ and ‘stasi’ memorials apart from dealing with the former GDR in a purely scientific way. The focus of the exhibition is provided by the SED – the Socialist Unity Party – exploring topics such as the state, economy, NPA, brother states, ideology, opposition and the Stasi.The museum gets its exhibits of everyday life mostly by donations from private households.

Deutsch-Russisches Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

The museum stands on a site where World War II ended on Mai 8th, 1945 with the unconditional surrender of the German forces. The ‘Surrender Hall’ and the office of the Head of the Soviet Military Administration, Marshal Shukow, have been preserved to this day. This museum was officially opened on May 10th, 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the war in Europe. The museum holds an important place in Berlin as it serves as a memorial of the German-Soviet War 1941-1945 and also documents the pre-war history and political relations between the USSR, the GDR and the Federal Republic. The museum offers special exhibitions, presentations and guided tours based on the history of German-Russian relations during the 20th century.

Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum

A refugee camp was created in 1953 to provide shelter to about 1.5 million people who had left the GDR between 1949 and 1990 in the direction of the Federal Republic.  West German and West Berlin politicians visited Marienfelde to officially show their solidarity with the refugees from the East. In the current times, a museum stands here which holds a permanent exhibition which showcases the causes, the history and results of the German-German refugee movement.

It was originally constructed to serve as a summer home to the younger brother of King Friedrich II, Ferdinand of Prussia. Built and finished in1786, this palace features remarkable architecture and comprises of a long main building and two wings- a women’s wing and a Spree wing.

Its façade has a classical style while its interior is more contemporary. Its architect was Michael Philipp Boumann and it was the first neoclassical building in the whole of Germany. About 20 hectares of green lush grass surrounds this palace. You can take a wonderful stroll through this park.

This palace has had a very colourful history. Though built for Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, it later became the residence of residence of his niece Princess Alexandrine. It continued to be occupied by the Hohenzollern dynasty until the German Revolution of 1918. Later on it became a museum for ethnography and during the World War II it suffered great damages. However it was restored later on and made the secondary residence of the West German president. It was again reconstructed in 2004-2005. However this most recent reconstruction did not include living quarters.

It is generally believed that if the presidential standard is flown on top of the palace then the President is in Berlin. However this is not completely true. If the President leaves for a vacation the standard is not taken down. It is taken down only if the President happens to go to some other official residence of his.

The building was damaged even more at the end of the war, when the Soviets entered Berlin. The picture of a Red Army Soldier raising the Soviet flag on the Reichstag is one of the most famous 20th century images and symbolized Germany’s defeat. Reichstag building became totally useless after the Second World War when the parliament of the German Democratic Republic met in the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin and the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany met in the Bundeshaus in Bonn.

The building was made safe against the elements and partially refurbished in the 1960s. When Germany reunified on October 3, 1990, the attempt to restore and reconstruct the building was made under the directions of the world famous architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it became the meeting place of the modern German parliament, the Bundestag.

The major draw of this building is the large glass dome at the very top of the building. The dome has a 360-degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. The main hall of the parliament below can also be seen from the cupola, and natural light from above radiates down to the parliament floor. A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically and blocks direct sunlight which would not only cause large solar gain, but bedazzle those below. However, the dome is not open for anyone now-a-days without prior registration.

This gate became a symbol of Germany’s violent past and also its present peaceful conditions. It has played an important role throughout the major events in Germany’s history. Though it has a colourful history the gate is important not only from that aspect but also from an architectural aspect. It was designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1791. This entrance to the boulevard “Unter den Linden”, leading to the palace of the Prussian monarchs, is marked with grandeur and stature. Its design was inspired by the Acropolis in Athens.

A remarkable feature of the gate is the sculpture of the Quadriga, a four-horsed chariot driven by Victoria, the winged goddess of victory. This statue was taken by Napoleon’s troops in the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, as a war trophy. It was however reclaimed when the Prussians defeated France in 1814.

The gate’s history doesn’t end here. About a hundred years later the gate was used by the Nazis for their own objectives. The most important of which is their march in the form of a martial torchlight parade, celebrating Hitler’s rise to power and introducing the darkest chapter of German history.

This gate survived the turmoil of the Second World War and then stood straight throughout the cold war and thus came to symbolize ideological disputes. One of the most visited monuments of Germany, this gate was refurbished in 2000.

Some of the popular hotels near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin are:

The Ritz Carlton, Berlin
Potsdamer Platz 3
Berlin
030 337777

The Mandala Hotel
Potsdamer Straße 3
Berlin
030 590050000

Berlin Marriott Hotel
Inge-Beisheim-Platz 1
Berlin

The Westin Grand Hotel Berlin
Friedrichstrasse 158-164
Berlin

The Westin Grand Berlin 5 Star Hotel in Berlin

•    Overview of the Hotel: The hotel is located at the Berlin’s historic Friedrichstrasse and provides a large spa, pretty grounds, and a unique lobby having the big staircase. The Brandenburg Gate is about 10-minutes walk away from there. The Westin Grand Berlin is the winner of the World Travel Award 2010. The hotel’s Relish Restaurant & Bar provides the modern food with French and Asian influences. A rich breakfast buffet is too provided there in the Coelln restaurant every day. The lobby bar provides the panoramic views from the windows. The hotel has total 400 rooms and it is the chain of the Westin.

•    Amenities at the Hotel: With reference to general facilities in the hotel there are included as restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, grounds, terrace, non-smoking rooms, elevator, express check-in/check-out, safe, heating, baggage storage, stores in hotel. In services in the hotel it involves as Room service, meeting/banquet facilities, business center, babysitting/child services, laundry, dry cleaning, hair/beauty salon, breakfast in the room, ironing service, currency exchange, shoe shine, car rental, fax/photocopying, ticket service and concierge service

•    Hotel Rules: With respect to hotel policies there remains a common and same criterion at the common rooms in the hotel.   However, this hotel polices change and varies according to the type of room where a person stays in. The check in point into the hotel is 15:00 hours and the checkout point is until 12:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policies there vary according to the room type. Pets are allowed in the hotel for certain applicable charges. Hotel accepts cards as American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard and Diners Club.

•    Hotel Room Types and Rates:

Deluxe Double Room: € 129 (Per Night)
Garden Deluxe Double Room: € 179 (Per Night)
Linden Superior Double Room: € 219 (Per Night)
Junior Suite: € 309 (Per Night)
Wallpecker Offer – Deluxe Double Room: € 190 (Per Night)

There a number of planner and real estate companies are involved in this project yet they are working under a banner name Mediaspree. The project site extends from about a 3.7 km long and has a 180 hectare space on both sides of the Spree riverfront, on the borders of the four districts comprising as Mitte, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg und Alt-Treptow. It is bordered to the west by Jannowitzbrücke (de), to the north by the railway tracks of the Berlin S-Bahn (rapid transit trains), to the east by Elsenbrücke (de), and to the south by two streets (Schlesischen Straße and Köpenicker Straße). The Spree is about 150 m wide along this stretch and along here riverfront run comparatively straight. The river is cross-cut by about three bridges within the Mediaspree zone: Michaelbrücke (de), Schillingbrücke (de) and Oberbaumbrücke. There one can also see a good number of numerous industrial and trade buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Around 19th and early 20th centuries, this entire region was primarily was hold by the industry and trade.  Many of the buildings still standing there at the site from the ancient period and are in too much need and characteristic of the architecture of that era. Some of those buildings are shelved under the name Denkmalschutz (de) designation as of the historical importance monuments. Before the World War II the East Harbor opened in 1913 with along the massive storage facilities for grains and other goods as well as the
Eierkühlhaus (egg cold-storage warehouse) and the Eisfabrik (ice factory). In between 1939 and 1945 these premises were used for the German Armed forces. One of the major projects there started in the region after the fall of Berlin Wall was the Mediaspree-region after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Kempinski hotel Bristol Berlin 5 star hotel in Berlin

•  Overview of the Hotel: This exclusive five star hotel there is located at    Kurfürstendamm shopping street in Berlin. The world famous Gedächtniskirche church is situated about 655 yards away from there. The Kempinski Bristol’s stylish restaurant in the hotel serves international dishes, and the brasserie offers light and simple cuisine. The Bristol Bar also provided a wider range of drinks, from wine to beer. The Recreational facilities at the Kempinski involve an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room and a gym. Massages are also available here. The Uhlandstraße subway station is located about a few steps away from the Kempinski. There are total 301 rooms in Kempinski and it is the chain of Kempinski.

•    Amenities at the Hotel: For facilities in the hotel it includes as the general facilities like restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, newspapers, non-smoking rooms, elevator, safe, baggage storage, stores in hotel. While in services in the hotel this involves as room service, meeting/banquet facilities,  business center, laundry, hair/beauty salon, breakfast in the room, ironing service,         shoe shine and ticket service.

•    Hotel Rules: As for the general rules in the hotel they are common and universal at the common areas of the hotel whereas they remain different from hotel rooms to hotel rooms. The check in time into the hotel is 15:00 hours and the check out time is until 12:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policy there vary according to the room type. Pets there are allowed on request in the hotel. The hotel accepts credit cards like as American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard, Diners Club and JCB.

•    Hotel Room Types and Rates:

Classic Double or Twin Room: € 145 (Per Night)
Superior Double or Twin Room: € 170 (Per Night)
Deluxe Double or Twin Room: € 205 (Per Night)
Junior Suite: € 255 (Per Night)

The Institute’s scientific advisory council is formed of about 25 noted scientists with a credible reputation in filed of media and communication policy publications.  Lutz Hachmeister, a journalist and media scientist, is the founding director of the Institute. The head office as already discussed is situated at in Berlin-Charlottenburg, however, it’s another branch has been formed in Cologne. The current ownership on the registration wise is as a non-profit, limited liability company (gGmbH) that runs independently.

It has stated in its mission statement that the IfM is “a forum for the media industry, research into communication and current politics”.  It aims to offer “concrete models and options for the solution of mediapolitical challenges” as well as provide structure to various and different representatives even from the political sphere. There ambition is to get recognition for the economic and public relevance as well as the strategic importance of medial policies into the day today modern politics. The primary task of the Institute is to carry out the continuous maintenance under an online media industry database including divisions like print, radio, tv and online-media. Compiling, it has an annul ranking of the world’s most powerful and impressive media companies with a success rate of about 101% and more. More of its research work includes as the theoretical and empirical foundation for making a basic knowledge of media political ideas and positions, as well as it relate to specific terminologies like research into the shifting correlation of print and an online media. The IfM was also rated as one of the most prestigious non university institutes into the media as into the framework of the programme “Germany thinks”.

andels-hotel-berlin-5-star-hotel

•    Overview of the Hotel: This is the hotel with modern accommodations, spa facilities and a café and bar with a panoramic view all around.  The hotel is located at a short tram ride about from Alexanderplatz square. andel’s Berlin has specialties in serving the restaurant, breakfast in Delight, a buffet-style restaurant, and daytime snacks in Oscar’s Brasserie. The hotel has about 557 rooms.

•    Amenities at the Hotel: With respect to the amenities in the hotel one can enjoy the general facilities as restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, newspapers,       terrace, non-smoking rooms, rooms/facilities for disabled guests,       elevator, express check-in/check-out, safe, soundproofed rooms, heating,         design hotel, baggage storage, stores in hotel, gay friendly, allergy-free room available, all public and private spaces non-smoking, air conditioning,         designated smoking area, restaurant, sun terrace. For services available in the hotel for convenience of a person it includes as room service, meeting/banquet facilities, business center, babysitting/child services, laundry, dry cleaning, vip room facilities,             breakfast in the room, ironing service, honeymoon suite, currency exchange,             souvenirs/gift shop, bicycle rental, shoe shine, packed lunches and car rental.

•    Hotel Rules: With reference to hotel policies for andel’s hotel Berlin, they remain unanimous at the common areas of the hotel but vary as according to the different hotel rooms. The check in time into hotel is 15:00 hours and the check out time is Until 12:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policy vary into the hotel according to the room types. Pets are allowed into the hotel on certain charges. Hotel accepts cards as American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard, Diners Club, JCB and Maestro.

•    Hotel Room Types and Rates:

Standard Double or Twin Room:  € 98.10 (Per Night)
Deluxe Double or Twin Room: € 129 (Per Night)
Executive Double or Twin Room: € 139 (Per Night)
Junior Suite: € 189 (Per Night)
Berlin City Special Offer – Standard Room: € 109 (Per Night)

Historically, in Germany, around 12th and 13th centuries a good number of cities were found and thus the cities felt the need for the official seals and later on the personal coat of arms as to seal official documents like as covenants and orders. A seal or coat of arms was there used to be provided by then and a sovereign. At the time Berlin and Cologne as well other surrounding cities of Margraviate of Brandenburg were ruled by the Brandenburg Margraves that reined using red eagle as a symbol in official seals. Before, the appearance of Berlin’s coat of arms in the heraldic and sigillographic world, the red eagle was noticeable presented in the seals and coats of arms of towns along the rivers Spree and Havel as well as in Berlin and Cologne. The oldest kept on and preserved seal of Berlin is dated to year 1253. It shows, the Brandenburg Eagle spreading its wings in and about clover shaped archway. The text, there on the seal is sigillvm de berlin bvrgensivm (seal of Berlin’s citizens). It is assumed as the seal of Berlin’s first mayor Marsilius.

The customary coat of arms was employed in varying styles in different range till the year 1920 and displayed the Prussian eagle in the first field, the eagle of Brandenburg in the second field and the bear in the third field. However, the citizen of Berlin was much pressed up for their own symbol and coat of arms. The reason for selecting out the bear as symbol still remains the mystery till the date.  The most possibilities that lies with assuming the Albrecht I, alias the “bear” that is resembled as the conqueror and founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.