Wandering around Germany (Berlin Historical Museum)

After all, although I don’t know much about the history of war, to understand the entire World War II, I believe it would be best to start with Germany. Germany played a very important role in both World War I and World War II. In fact, many wartime supplies were bombed and burned to ashes during Germany's World War II. In addition, Germany was administered by different countries after World War II. It is difficult to find many traces of the history and stories of that time on the buildings. On the contrary, it is perhaps more obvious in the countryside outside Berlin than in the capital. But this Berlin has an indelible historical flavor. After all, although the history of this country is not as long as that of Italy, Greece and other city-states built by superpowers around BC. But it is the place where the most historical events have taken place since the Middle Ages. This land was mostly occupied by Germanic people during the BC and AD periods. They were not good at writing and did not leave many ancient monuments for us to study. Since the AD period, it has been a part of the Roman Empire. However, this place is not an important Roman city. It is more of a place where the Romans and Germanic peoples fought to the death. Later, due to the instability of the Western Roman regime and the invasion of the Germanic peoples, Charlemagne established the Frankish Kingdom. Later, the country was divided into West France, Central France, and East Frankish Kingdoms. Basically the entire European Middle Ages was built on this foundation. Today's Germany was formed by the transformation of Eastern France and Central France, and the Pope announced that it would be renamed the Holy Roman Empire. In fact, during the Middle Ages, all European countries advocated the feudal system. It looked like a big empire, but it was actually divided among different local powers and governed themselves independently. It is against this historical background that Germany is what it is today. Because it was raining, we planned to visit museums. Although Berlin has many famous museums, the ones that interested me the most were the Historical Museum and the Jewish Museum. Because they can clearly explain to me what happened in this land. However, if I were to recommend the best museum to someone who is not a history buff, it would have to be the Pergamon Museum. It has three of the most famous architectural gates in the world. Like the British Museum, during the colonial period, the treasures that Germany moved back from other places were hidden in it. But we just went to the History Museum. Because I am really interested in its history. I suggest you spend a whole day visiting this museum, otherwise you won’t be able to finish it. Because it goes from the Middle Ages to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In other words, it covers the Holy Roman Empire, the medieval warlords, the rise of Prussia, the establishment of the German Confederation, World War I, the period between the two wars, the invasion of communism, the rise of Hitler, World War II, the Cold War between East and West Germany, and the final republican period. The content is wonderful and the collection is very extensive, and can be expressed in both German and English. It's truly breathtaking. First of all, I like history very much, and I have a certain understanding of some of the history of Germany. When you can experience it in person and look at the stories and history that you found in books, you will feel extremely excited inside, just like a primary school student arriving at the Hong Kong Museum of History and seeing the tram. (I wonder if you have ever tried it! I was that excited elementary school student.) There are several parts that impressed me the most and were very exciting. 1. The rise of the Holy Roman Empire. I already had some knowledge of the history of the Germanic invasion of the Western Roman Empire, but the museum, with its topographical maps and numerous texts and paintings that presented the situation at the time, made me understand more about how this period of history developed. 2. Martin Luther's Reformation. Martin Luther is a very important person. He advocated the German Reformation and changed the religious development of the entire world. He advocated that everyone should be able to read the Bible. The closest contact with God. The Protestantism was proposed, which had a significant impact on Christianity as a whole and laid the foundation for many churches today. For me, what excited me most was not only that I could get to know him more deeply, but also that I saw his handwritten German Bible in the library. This Bible keeps appearing in my mind, reminding me more whether I still have the ability to think independently about the system, and not simply follow the herd, but have the consciousness of judgment. 3. The rise of Prussia Prussia was a city-state in the Holy Roman Empire. A small city-state was able to win many battles in the Seven Years' War, defeating the most famous France at that time with a smaller force. After years of fighting, the German Kingdom was established. It also set the stage for the First World War. This was my favorite piece of world history in high school. After regaining a little ground from the Napoleonic Wars, it eventually became a unified German kingdom. What’s even more exaggerated is that he established himself as king in the capital of another country. This left a deep impression on me and also reminded me of many memories of my time in middle school. 4. The rise of Hitler. Everyone is familiar with this character, he is known as a devil. But he was a hero of the German people at that time. At that time, there were various serious problems in Germany in the late stage of World War I. After several years, Germany went from being in a slump to economic recovery, but it was hit by the Great Depression again. This politician, who never wore a military uniform, used his powerful mouth to break out from the many political parties at the time and become the party leader and president. You can't imagine how much the country loved Hitler at that time. The streets were filled with Nazi flags, and all the children's toys were Nazi-themed. There was a picture of him in the girl's home, and a doll of him with his hand raised in the boy's toy car. He revitalized heavy industry, launched World War II, turned the entire world upside down, killed countless lives, and massacred a large number of Jews. That's how he became a demon. Through this museum, I have a deeper understanding of him. We also understand that when a regime is supported by the people, it can infinitely magnify the ambitions of those in power. How fascinating and terrifying power is. 5. Germany during the Cold War. If we talk about the most visible historical building in Germany today, the Berlin Wall in Berlin is the most obvious. At that time, the differences between East and West Germany made the Germans live in different emotions every day. The closedness of East Germany versus the freedom of West Germany. It can be clearly seen from the walls on both sides. Under the totalitarianism of the Red Army at that time, people were afraid to speak out and were willing to flee, not daring to hope for freedom. Countless lives yearning for freedom were shot to death near the wall. Although communism is the most desirable life, when communism and totalitarianism are combined, it becomes like the devil of today, depriving people of their basic freedoms. That's the last thing we want to see. Fortunately, the wall has now fallen and people are now free to decide what kind of social government they want. #Wandering2019 #Berlin #History # #Overseas Travel