Checkpoint Charlie was the best-known and most famous crossing point of the Berlin Wall, separating East from West Berlin during the tense years of the Cold War. It was the sole crossing point for Allied forces and foreigners. The original guardhouse is now gone, but a replica stands here today, a powerful and somber reminder of the city's divided past.

The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), with work beginning abruptly on August 13, 1961. Its purpose was to completely cut off democratic West Berlin from both surrounding East Germany and communist East Berlin, effectively imprisoning its own population. The wall running through the city center was over 43 kilometers long and stood 3.6 meters high, part of a massive border fortification system that stretched for more than 100 kilometers.

The Wall was a brutal reality with a tragic human cost. Between 1961 and its fall in 1989, well over 100,000 citizens of the GDR tried to escape to the West. More than 600 of them died in the attempt, either shot and killed by GDR border guards or losing their lives in other ways while trying to cross.

Visually, the Wall was a tale of two starkly different sides. The eastern side, facing into East Berlin, was kept a sterile white and was part of a heavily guarded "death strip" that was impossible for ordinary citizens to approach. The western side, however, became a massive canvas for freedom and protest. Starting in the early 1980s, artists from all over the world began to cover it in colorful murals, political statements, and graffiti, transforming a symbol of oppression into a world-famous monument to defiance.

Here's a photo of me, my girlfriend Betina, and our daughter Sofia during our trip to Berlin. We were enjoying a walk through the beautiful Tiergarten park when we stopped for this picture. The statue you can see in the background is a dynamic hunting scene designed by the sculptor Fritz Schaper (1841-1919). For anyone visiting the park, you can find it on the 'Fasanerieallee' (Pheasant House Avenue), not far from the famous Victory Column (Siegessäule).

This is the classic, best-selling model of the Trabant, the most common vehicle in the former GDR (East Germany). For decades, it was the iconic car of the communist bloc, exported to many countries and designed to be East Germany's answer to the VW Beetle—a simple, durable "people's car." Its main selling points were that it had room for four adults and their luggage in a compact, lightweight shell. Over three million of them were produced.

Despite its popularity and cult status, the Trabant has a mixed legacy. Time Magazine famously rated it as one of the 50 worst cars ever made. Today, however, it's a beloved symbol of a bygone era. For a unique experience, you can even get behind the wheel yourself. Visitors to Berlin can rent a Trabant for a guided "Trabi Safari" through the city's streets. You can find more information at http://www.trabi-safari.de 

This powerful war memorial, located in Berlin's Tiergarten park, was built to honor the Soviet soldiers who fell in the final battles against the German army in World War II. It was constructed on the orders of the Red Army shortly after the war's end and was the first Soviet memorial in Berlin. Its location is highly significant, placed in the heart of the city not far from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building, and it was officially dedicated on November 11, 1945.

The main approach from the grand avenue, Strasse des 17. Juni, is flanked by two Soviet T-34 tanks, which were the first to reach the city in 1945 with the advancing army. Behind them stand two large artillery guns; volleys fired from these very cannons proclaimed the end of the "Battle of Berlin."

The heart of the memorial is a curved colonnade, fronted by two stone sarcophagi engraved with the names of officers who fell in battle and were honored as "Heroes of the Soviet Union." The central pillar, taller than the others, supports an 8-meter bronze sculpture of a Red Army soldier. His rifle hangs from his shoulder, symbolizing the end of the war, while his left hand is held out protectively over the fallen comrades buried at the foot of the memorial.

Behind the columns, two fountains represent the tears and grief of the people of the former Soviet Union for the soldiers who had died. More than 2,000 of these fallen soldiers are buried in the landscaped grounds behind the memorial, though their individual graves cannot be identified. Today, information boards tell visitors about the history of this and other Soviet memorials in Berlin, recalling the war and its legacy of destruction.