deutsche Hauptstadt | Fotoeins Fotografie

25T49 Berlin Weißensee: Margot Friedländer

E48, B43.

The Jewish Cemetery in Berlin Weißensee is one of the largest in Europe. Opened in 1880, the cemetery remains active as the resting grounds for over 100-thousand people in an area covering about 40-hectares (99 acres).

But I’m here also to look for Margot Friedländer. Both survivors of the Holocaust, she and her husband emigrated to the United States in 1946. In 2010, she returned to her birth city of Berlin, where she spoke about her experiences to children at schools and at talks for the general public. She became a respected teacher and educator.

*Cemetery entrance: Holocaust memorial in the foreground, mourning hall in the background.*

*The final spot for Anni Margot Friedländer.*

*She passed away on the day I arrived in Europe and Germany. Finding the location of her grave and learning the date of her passing struck me hard.*

*Grave of honour from the city-state of Berlin. The little pin at lower left: “nie wieder” (never again).*

*“Just a moment: the boss is on their way to greet you personally.”*

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 25 June 2025. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

25T48 Potsdam: from Bridge of Spies to Old Market

E47, B42.

As my time in Berlin winds down, there’s still a lot on my list, much of which I knew intuitively I couldn’t complete in 7 weeks. But it’s not for the lack of trying.

I spent an afternoon in Potsdam: the capital city for the German federal state of Brandenburg. Potsdam is reachable by train, about an hour southwest from Berlin.

Glienicke Bridge, from the Potsdam (former DDR-) side facing east towards Berlin on the other side. The post-war reconstruction was called “The Bridge of Spies”, for the exchange of captured and incarcerated agents from both sides of the Cold War.

*Before the bridge on the Potsdam side: “here Germany and Europe were divided until 6pm on 10 November 1989.”*

*Nauener Tor (Nauen Gate): 1 of 3 remaining city gates, dated 1755 (by J.G. Büring); considered Central Europe’s 1st neo-Gothic structure and 1st example of Gothic Revival outside of England.*

*Red brick buildings (all renovated) within Potsdam’s Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter), initially constructed 1733 to 1740.*

*Café Cecilie, in the Dutch Quarter. They have coffee, cake, Flammkuchen, ice cream*.

*What I needed: a steaming latté and a slice of Oma’s (Grandma‘s) cheesecake.*

*Französische Kirche (French Church), 1752-1753 by Huguenot refugees from France.*

Alter Markt (Old Market Square). Foreground: Obelisk, by G.W. von Knobelsdorff, 1753-55. Background: St. Nikolaikirche, first by K.F. Schinkel then L. Persius, 1830-37; dome added F.A. Stüler, 1843-1849.

*Fortunaportal: original north entrance for the town palace, constructed in 1662 for Great Elector Frederick William.*

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 24 June 2025. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

25T47 Berlin’s Bocho: Women of Prenzl’ Berg

E46, B41.

Based in Berlin since the late-1990s, Spanish-born artist El Bocho is well-known for his many colourful displays of street art throughout the city. I met with a friend M. in Prenzlauer Berg: first, at Maria Bonita for their grilled burrito; followed by a walk through the Kiez in easy pursuit of ice cream and coffee at Süßfein on a warm summer afternoon. What’s shown are examples of Bocho’s work we found within an area smaller than 10 city-blocks.

*“Maikäfer flieg …” (May beetle in flight)*

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 23 June 2025. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

25T46 It’s a memorial, not a playground

E45, B40.

In Berlin, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe is located between Brandenburger Tor and Potsdamer Platz. Completed in 2005 with a design by architect Peter Eisenman, the memorial site is in the former “death strip” and “no-man’s land” of the Berlin Wall, spread across 20-thousand square metres (about 5 acres) with over 2700 concrete stelae of varying heights, on ground that isn’t flat and rolls under your feet across the site.

An early summer morning, particularly on a Sunday, is good to have the entire site on my own. I don’t have to deal with questionables who treat the site as a personal playground. The millions who were targeted and killed deserve better memories, and frankly, a better choice of people.

*Not only are the blocks set into the ground with different heights, the ground underneath rolls up and down, for a slow growing sense of unease. Even on a bright summer morning.*

*2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the memorial site.*

*I can’t help myself, but I’ll slip and spare a thought or two about “monoliths”.*

*The “hard” morning shadows seem to better illuminate any cracks in the concrete.*

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 22 June 2025. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

25T45 At the halfway stage

E44, B39.

Totals so far after 45 travel days: 356 km walked, and just a touch under one-half million steps; daily average 7.9 km and 11000 steps. The

Summer solstice occurred earlier today on 21 June 2025 at 0242h UTC for the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. In Berlin, the day length is 16 hours 50 minutes, with sunrise at 0443h and sunset at 2133h. In other words, at this latitude of 52.5°N, the night sky doesn’t become truly dark for a period of time around summer solstice.

But what a great warm sunny day, the 1st day of summer was in Berlin.

*The top of the heavy load-bearing body, called Schwerbelastungskörper, near Südkreuz.*

*The north-south rail line (Nord-Süd Bahn), facing north towards the area between Potsdamer Platz and Anholter Bahnhof.*

*Litfaßsäule (Litfass advertising column), ubiquitous and still very much in use around Berlin.*

*Friedenau cemetery: Helmut & June Newton.*

*Berlin Schöneberg S-Bahn station. “Doppelt spart besser” (a double saves more).* 🍕

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 21 June 2025. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

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