The Lounge  
Created
 01 Jan 2004 
Copyright © 2004-2018 by owner.
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Modified
 20 Jan 2018 

 


A Photo Tour of
Berlin
American Sector
1966-1968

 

 

PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE IMAGES LOAD
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    Berlin   Landmarks   Photo Tour  American (US)  British (UK)   French (F)   Soviet (SU)    

American Sector

This is the largest and southernmost of Berlin's three western sectors.  It is a mix of business and pleasure where an urban Yank might feel more or less at home.  Its busy commercial districts are set off by leisure and cultural attractions, which, while not as grand and ostentatious as those in the British sector, are well worth a visit.

Kreuzberg

Checkpoint Charlie

There are several checkpoints along the Berlin Wall. Some are for West Berliners, while others are for foreigners.  The American Checkpoint Charlie at Koch Strasse is one of the latter, and perhaps the most famous.

For those curious about the "Checkpoint Charlie" moniker, it is simply part of the military practice of using letters of the alphabet to designate items in a sequence.
Checkpoint A (Alpha) is far to the west at
Helmstedt, where vehicles cross between West and East Germany.
Checkpoint B (Bravo) is Dreilinden, where traffic crosses between East Germany and Berlin's American sector.
Checkpoint C (Charlie) is the military crossing point between the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin.

 

Viktoria Park

Wandering here and there about Berlin, one is not infrequently greeted by a striking scene upon rounding a corner.  The scene might be one of humor or horror, splendor or serenity.  Here in Viktoria Park is one in the serene category.

(Thanks to Glenn Wright for helping me identify the location, which I had forgotten since taking this photo.)

Tempelhof

Tempelhof Zentralflughafen

Largest of three airports in West Berlin, Tempelhof Central is both a commercial terminal and a military (US) air base.  However, the surrounding buildings make its 1930s-vintage landing field inaccessible to large jet aircraft.

Platz der Luftbrücke

The Air-Bridge Monument commemorates the Air Lift of 1948-49, when a Soviet blockade of surface traffic to West Berlin was countered by the US, UK, and France, who supplied the entire city's needs by air, via this airport and Gatow (in the British sector).  Arching toward an identical work at Frankfurt's Rhein-Main Air Base, the sculpture's three curves represent the Western occupying powers.



Schöneberg

Rathaus Schöneberg

Nowadays, the most renowned feature of this district is its City Hall, from whose balcony U.S. President Kennedy delivered his rousing I am a Berliner speech in June 1963.  The plaza where the crowd gathered has been renamed John F. Kennedy Platz.



Steglitz

Botanischer Garten

Steglitz is for the most part a busy, urban district.  However, it also features a splendid Botanical Garden.

The Botanical Garden proudly claims to grow an example of every plant species that can survive in Berlin's climate. In addition, an effort is made to expand that range to plants that are more comfortable in extreme environments, from aquatic to arid, from torrid to frigid.

*Perhaps a jot of skepticism is warranted on this point, for on none of my excursions here have I ever noted any giant sequoias.

Zehlendorf

Glienicke Brücke

Those born before the 1980s are doubtless familiar with "Freedom Bridge," which has appeared in many newsclips and spy films, including Funeral in Berlin.  Located at the Potsdam border, it is a common site for exchange of prisoners (alive and dead) between East and West.

The rows of cars might give the impression that there is much traffic here, but these are the parked vehicles of patrons of a nearby restaurant and golf course.

 

Pfaueninsel

In the middle of the Havel River, Peacock Island enjoys a degree of serene isolation from the bustling city.  For urbanites it is a refreshing spot for a weekend stroll, amid blossoms and birds that compete for regard as the island's most spectacular attraction.

The charms of Peacock Island are by no means limited to flowers and fowl.  One of a couple of small castles residing here thrusts its twin towers into a sapphire sky to greet the afternoon sun.



     
Berlin
Landmarks
Photo Tour
 American
 British
 French
 Soviet