Today is the true test to see if I can get around Berlin by myself. We are splitting up until 3pm when we meet for a tour of the Boros Collection, located in the center of Berlin inside a former air-raid shelter. I plan to do a little second-hand shopping then visit the Jewish Museum of Berlin. Later tonight, we will see a show at the Berliner Theatertreffen, a Festival of plays here. The play is entitled All Genius All Idiot. (Sounds like something everyone can relate to...haha!)
But let me back up a little bit since I haven't written in this blog since I arrived...
On the first day, we got in a little late after a flight delay from Munich to Berlin, but naturally, we still made it to the theater! (Thank you Janet for planning everything out so efficiently.) We saw One Day I Went to IDL at Ballhaus Naunynstrasse, a theatre and music project featuring a very diverse cast from a number of countries, speaking a number of different languages. In Germany, postmigrant theatre, which is the "house specialty" at Ballhaus, is meant to disrupt the narrative that often dominates discussions of the "migrant experience." The well-known MC, Afrikan Boy, invited everyone onto the stage to dance with the cast. I was one of the first to join! That won't be a surprise to those who know me.
The next day was a tour with UM alum and historian Carol Scherer through the Bavarian Quarter. Starting in the park, we There were several signs indicating moments in history when Jews in Germany experienced more and more severe restrictions starting in 1933 when the Nazi Party took power. (Hitler was appointed the chancellor of Germany by the President of the Weimar Republic, Paul Von Hindenburg. In 1934, when the president died, Hitler declared himself Fuehrer.) In March of 1933, an ordinance declared that Jewish people couldn't get reimbursed for medical costs. By 1937, if state employees had Jewish spouses, they could declare themselves divorced. In 1938, Aryan and non-Aryan children were no longer allowed to play together. By 1939, if a synagogue was destroyed, rebuilding was prohibited. Also on our route, we came across the site of a synagogue that had survived until 1956 only to be demolished. The justification was that it no longer had a congregation to care for it, it A sculpture now commemorates the site. What a lack of foresight.
All Genius All Idiot turned out to be a circus act of sorts, featuring aerial dance, contact improvisation, and music. The performers were very talented, although the direction, especially in terms of pacing, wasn't stellar. A lot of potential though...
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