Berlin - GERMANY! Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of our final Berlin adventure!

It was another poignant time in Berlin but something I have wanted to do for many years and that is visit my Uncle Ken's grave at the Berlin War Cemetery and pay my respects. He was my Mum's brother. Uncle Ken had enlisted in the RAAF and was later posted as Flying Officer on a Lancaster Bomber squadron in the UK which was involved in the Battle of Berlin. I remember Mum saying her brother had difficulty with the fact that they would be dropping bombs that would cause terrible destruction and death. Many airmen must have felt the same way. 

They had several missions but on the night of the 21st January, 1944 they went on operations to Magdeburg, a large industrial city. Their plane never returned and their bodies were never found. It was not until nearly five years later that Mum and her parents received news that Ken's plane had crashed near Eickendorf in Germany as a result of enemy action. It was reported that their bodies were recovered from the wreckage and buried by the Germans with full military honours in the Eickendorf Cemetery. They were exhumed in accordance with the British War Graves Commision policy and re-interred in the British War Cemetery in Berlin. 

I am so grateful that my dear Mum had written a book to record all this information in her memoir. She would have been tickled pink knowing that we visited her dear brother's grave all the way on the other side of the world. Visiting this well kept War Cemetery with beautifully kept grounds was a  moving experience for all of us. Lynette, Joshua and I were very touched that our extended German family were there to support us and pay their respects as well. My dear Aunty Renate surprised us with fresh flowers for us to place on the grave. We were very touched by her thoughtfulness.

On our last night with our beautiful German family, they took us to a wonderful art installation called DARK MATTER. It is a parallel cosmos of expansive light installations in which the boundaries between the real and the digital worlds become blurred. Within the pitch-black rooms of a converted factory, the visitor embarks on a journey through seven partly interactive works. Light, movement and sound fuse into emotional choreographies of luminous shapes and colors. It was such amazing experience. 

As it was the festive season we were treated to an extra installation called 'Winterlights' which was in the outside area. Under a glimmering forest of 200 hanging Christmas trees, an upside-down winter wonderland welcomes you. It was quite windy weather that night which breathed life into the illuminated Christmas trees, causing them to sway gracefully. It created a mesmerising and magical sight.

The conclusion of our time spent with our German family was truly wonderful. Saying goodbye was bittersweet, yet we feel immensely thankful for the opportunity to finally meet them all and experience their kindness and incredible hospitality. We depart with cherished memories and eagerly anticipate the day we reunite once more.