Sunday 28 September 2008

Rache des Papstes

The reflection of the Sun, capricious, appears in the form of a cross on the steel dome of Berlin's Fernsehturm. Considering this building was the crown's jewel for the GDR socialist government, whose principles were profoundly atheist, it is easy to imagine how inopportune this effect was. The legendary Berliner humour quickly referred to the reflection as „Rache des Papstes“ (the Pope's revenge).

Berliner Fernsehturm

It is said that the dreadful Stasi questioned the tower's architect to be sure this was not something he planned and carefully designed on purpose. I read one of the Government officers ended the long discussions about the topic with the words „Das ist kein Kreuz, sondern ein Plus für den Sozialismus!“ ("That's not a cross, but a plus for Socialism!")

The elegant silhouette of the Fernsehturm, with or without cross, is a view that always make me smile, because it means I am in Berlin, one of the cities where I can picture myself living.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Wie heisst es so schoen "Gottes Wege sind unerforscht,und vielseitig"-----
Deine Aufnahmen und Recherchen ueber Deine Reiseziele sind nicht nur schoen, sondern von einer akribischen Genauig.Waerst du Chirurg haette ich keine Bedenken ,meine mueden Knochen Deinen Haenden zu ueberlassen--------LG.Gitta

tonicito said...

gitta, ich habe immer versucht, die Neugierde meiner Kindheit nie zu verlieren. Vielen Dank für Deine schönen Wörter!
Liebe Grüße! T.