Treptower Park, Berlin

2 more images

The mausoleum in Treptower Park is located in a pavillion at the end of the Grove of Honour. This pavillion is sitting on a burial hill, and on the mausoleum stands the statue of the soldier with the child. You can walk up there on a wide staircase.

You can have a look inside through the iron bars that protect the wonderful dome of the mausoleum and in its centre the book of honour which holds the names of the soldiers who are buried here.

The dome is covered in great mosaics. At the bottom you see representatives of all Soviet republics mourning their deaths, the top is adorned by the five-pointed star of communism. In between are mosaic ribbons with inscriptions in Russian and German. The German translation obviously contains some mistakes - but as I can only read the Cyrillic letters but do not understand their meaning I cannot judge this.

BTW Such hills on which the pavillion was erected are called “Kurgan”. They are the medieval burial sites of the wide plains of the river Don.

Photo 2 and 3 show the entire mausoleum and the statue of the soldier with the child.

Location:
Between the streets Puschkinallee and Am Treptower Park, 12435 Berlin-Treptow

Directions:
S-Bahn S41, S42, S8, S85, S9, station Treptower Park
Buses 166, 265, 365, stations Sowjetisches Ehrenmal and Herkomer Straße, also N 65 Klingerstraße and Rethelstraße

1 more image

There are several Soviet War Memorials in Berlin, the most visited surely the OTHER one on Straße des 17. Juni, as it is located along the boulevard which links Brandenburger Tor and Siegessäule, and the people just walk past. It requires a little effort to get to THIS memorial, as there are no other famous attractions around it, and you have to walk quite a bit from the S-Bahn station.

The memorial in the centre of Treptower Park is the biggest one of its kind in Germany, and although rather kitschy it did not deter me at all. Its magnitude took me by surprise, and the workmanship impressed me. Sure, if you know how history went on after World War II and how the theory of real socialism in the eastern part of Germany and Europe ended, you cannot take the message seriously. But separated from its content and the execution of the work, it is well worth a visit.

The memorial is not just a memorial. It is a memorial park within Treptower Park. It was created from 1946 to 1949 at the site of a former huge playground, and is a cemetery for more than 5000 Soviet soldiers as well as a monument for the victory over the Nazis and fascism. They needed 40,000 cubic metres of granite to build the monument. Every year on 8 May, the day of the liberation, a memorial service takes place. But the state does not hold ceremonies there anymore. The last official military act was on 31 August 1994 when the Russian troops retreated from GDR.

In times of separation the monument was the symbol of GDR’s founding myth: East-Germany freed from the claws of suppression, incorporating the everlasting appeal to follow in the footsteps of the heroes who had successfully fought for socialism and freedom.

A collective of architects and artists collaborated to achieve the impressive result. The architect Jakov S. Belopolski, the sculptor Yevgeni Wutshetitch, the painter Alexander A. Gorpenko and the engineer Sarra S. Valerius were the heads of the project.

We went to Treptower Park because I wanted to see the kitschy-bombastic monument of the Soviet soldier with the child, the symbol of the liberation from fascism and the Nazis by the Soviet army, and the glorious start of the not so glorious GDR state.

This Soviet Memorial is the centre-piece of the huge 10 hectare park which is bordered by the river Spree. But the park is really much more. It is a great place of relaxation, has a lot of space for lying down in the grass, have a picnic, and for ball games. You can walk for several kilometres on the promenade along the river, hire a rowing or pedal boat. There are also kiosks along the river where you get a Berliner Weiße mit Schuss.

Be prepared to walk quite a bit from the S-Bahn station Treptower Park. BTW Next to the S-Bahn station you find boats for tours, and the kiosks. If you turn to the left you get to the Molecule Man and the Treptowers, a big swimming pool on the river, and a real bit further down – we took the bus LOL – you reach Oberbaumbrücke and Eastside Gallery.

If you do not walk along the river but cross busy Alt-Treptow street you cross a huge lawn, used for suntanning and playing, and to a big lake which the Berliners call “Karpfenteich” (Carp Pond). From there it is not far to the Soviet Memorial (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal).

Another attraction of the park is Archenhold-Sternwarte (Observatory). They have the world’s longest lens telescope.

Location:
Between the streets Puschkinallee und Am Treptower Park, 12435 Berlin-Treptow

Directions:
S-Bahn S41, S42, S8, S85, S9, station Treptower Park
Buses 166, 265, 365, stations Sowjetisches Ehrenmal and Herkomer Straße

1 more image

This area on the banks of the river Spree close to Treptower park is perhaps new Docklands of Berlin. New offices and residential buildings occupy an area of former industry and although it may not be the liveliest area of Berlin for me it was a pure pleasure to wander around.

Port cranes and new skyscrapers - wow, what else could I ask for ?

2 more images

Causalties of the Soviet Army in the WWII battle for Berlin were huge, and so is this monument commemorating them that occupies the central area of the Treptower Park. Some 5,000 Soviet soldier are buried here.

The monument is a typical Soviet - Stalinist piece of gigantism and features statue of the Motherland (represented as a grieving woman) and statues of Soviet soldiers flanked by huge triangles (made of red granite Nazis bought from Sweden for their never finished projects in Berlin). From this point there is a broad view of the main monument of the Soviet Soldier saving a child and fighting a Swastika, placed on top of a huge hill. The paths leading there are decorated by some reliefs showing the scenes from the war and many Stalin's words displayed in Russian on the one side and in German on the other side.

The monument is not as crowded as it used to be in the GDR time when it was the must-stop of organized bus tours but it is kept in almost perfect shape and is worth visiting if for nothing else then for its size and monumentality. I stopped here for a while and tried to think about the Soviet army losing so many soldiers here and it made understanding the irrational post-war German and especially Berlin history a little bit easier.

The heart of Berlin is made of the huge Tiergarten, but its residential districts are rather dense. Treptower Park makes a green oasis situated on the river Spree in south-eastern suburbs of Berlin and is very popular among those looking for some nature and escape from the urban environment.

This large park was created in the 19th Century and features huge meadows, natural wooden areas and some restaurants and cafes situated close to the water. There are some boats to rent here as well, and nearby Spreepark is a nostalgic amusement park built during the GDR era. But the main feature of the Treptower park is huge Soviet Memorial commemorating some 300,000 causalties on the Soviet side during the battle for Berlin in WWII.

S-bahn station Treptower Park

A huge sculpture at the "Treptowers" at the Spree.

This substantial sculpture, created by the renowned American artist Jonathan Borofsky thirty meters high, weigthing some forty-five tons, yet transparent and light, has been on display in Berlin since may 1999. The three aluminium figures, which unite to form a whole, are meant by the artist to remind the viewer "that both man and molecules exit in a world of probability and that finding wholness and unity within this world remains the aim of any create and spiritual tradition". Treptow's special location, with the river spree at hand and the metropolis Berlin just beyond was predestined for this purpose.

The three aluminum men symbolize the crossing of three town districts: Kreuzberg, Treptow and Friedrichshain whose borders meet here. From here one can also see very nicely the towers of the "Oberbaumbrücke".

The Soviet Army Memorial in Treptower park towards the sout of Berlin is where 5000 of the troops who fought for Berlin are buried. It is constructed on a very large scale with marble slabs bearing the wise words of Stalin in Russian and English.

Soviet War Memorial, Treptower Park

Although some people do make the trek over to Treptower Park, many people still seem to confuse this memorial with the far less impressive one in the Tiergarten.

The war memorial is a massive exercise in Soviet visual propaganda, and is also a grave for 5,000 Soviet soldiers who helped to liberate Berlin (as a consequence, it's also a solemn place; keep the raucous picnics for other parts of the very large park, closer to the river).

At one end stands a statue representing Mother Russia, at the other a heroic Soviet soldier carrying a child, and trampling on a swastika. Even if you're turned off by the many quotes from Stalin that adorn the friezes on either side of the memorial, in Russian and German, this memorial is a very powerful reminder of the tragedy, suffering and heroism of very ordinary people, in this case young Soviet soldiers, that have so marked Berlin.

Perhaps understandably, the memorial seems at its most impressive in the dead of winter, the trees bare and a sprinkling of snow on the ground. Once, while we were visiting, a fox darted out from one side of the park, leaving tracks in the snow and disappearing through the railings at the other side.

We drove in from Dresden so the first thing I saw was this bizarre bridge in a park. It was gorgeous out but we had left later than we had planned. I would have normally asked to stop for a photo but I knew Doreen was tired and figured we could come back. It turned out to be Treptower Park and not exactly all that close to the city. After exploring town, I asked to go back out there our last day in town. It took a while to get there by mass transit and it was a gloomy day. It was a dirty rundown park but certainly a place for locals. The bridge itself was disappointing and showed me once again how bit a part expectations play in liking something. I hadn't expected anything when I first saw it, and it seemed amazing. After waiting a few days to get back there, it was really nothing special. Still, it offers a weird glimpse into a part of the city I imagine the tourist board would rather you not visit. lol