Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Today I lacked inspiration for a photo, but did spend some time planning for an upcoming trip to Germany. So, I opted for a back-dated photo taken in Berlin several years ago.

Brandenburg Gate is the only remaining town gate of Berlin, Germany, standing at the western end of the avenue Unter den Linden. It has served as a symbol of both the division of Germany and the country’s reunification and is one of Berlin’s most-visited landmarks.

I was struck by how the atrocities of the past are acknowledged, but now people have moved on to better times. On the day when the wall came down, children in schools were asked to draw what they felt on that day. The art is posted in a museum I went through. Key themes were rainbows, hearts, joy, holding hands, and so on - very inspirational!

I am starting to get very excited about another trip to Germany, in part because we hope to visit descendants of my grandmother. She was the only one in her family who emigrated to Canada. Her remaining family in Germany has arranged for a short stay with them.