My grief journey has taken me all the way to Berlin, Germany. It was a wonderful trip. To say I enjoyed myself would be a woeful understatement. It was exciting, happy and bittersweet all at the same time.
There are a few people that already know why I went. Others will find out eventually (topic of another blog). I will say I have been emotionally fulfilled and spiritually lifted. During the whole trip, I definitely felt Kandi’s spirit. If Kandi were physically present, she would have had a complete blast!! So many places of musical significance (her love) and history (my love). All within walking distance of the hotel where I stayed. Speaking of, she would have been like a kid in a candy store staying at that hotel and using every amenity offered. And flying business/first class would have completely spoiled her (as it has done me).
Berlin is a city built on diversity and culture. My whole way of thinking about Berlin had a major paradigm shift. I guess I only knew the Hitler/Holocaust history that we learned in school. However, there is so much more and the history is so much deeper.
In making preparations for my trip, people suggested I make sure my Google translate app was handy, and that I needed to get some cash (Euros). I needed neither for my brief trip. English is almost the primary language in Berlin – spoken and written. And everywhere I went, I was able to use my debit card without issue. I did alert my bank ahead of time that I would be traveling to the UK and Germany. If I stayed longer and interacted with more people, I probably would have needed both the App and the Euros.
The Walking Tour
For my trip, I was provided a few suggested sites that I should visit. These sites were catered to Kandi’s love of music, my love of history and OUR love of things spiritual and Christian centered.
As I walked outside of my hotel on my tour, I may have only taken about fifty steps before I began to fight back the tears. I felt Kandi’s presence as I neared the French Cathedral which sits adjacent to the Konzert Haus, one of Germany’s main concert halls. On the opposite end facing the two is the German Cathedral. These three buildings surround the Gendarmenmarkt square. This place symbolizes the blending of the diversity of religion and music within German culture.
(More details on this later. And I will share what I received as descriptions, historical background and scriptural references to these and all the places I visited shortly.) It may not make much sense right now. However, take note of what you are reading now and more will be revealed later.
A New Way To Travel
Since I did have a specific agenda and reason for traveling to Berlin (again, the topic of a followup blog), I was able to travel at a higher “status” than what I am accustomed to traveling. Flying business class. Being chauffeured to and from the airport and a five star luxury hotel is sure to spoil this small town country boy. All of this really made things so much easier to navigate a strange land.
Being a Black man from a small Texas town, I have always been very “aware” of my surroundings and usually when I find myself in the minority numerically, I tend to be a little more vigilant. However, while in Berlin, where I may have only seen about eight Black people, my “Spidey senses” did not tingle as much. I felt very comfortable. It was explained to me by my “business associate” that in his opinion, due to the fact there are so few Black people in Berlin, that Racism is minimal and much more subtle. So I didn’t really feel “scared” or “outnumbered” as we as Black people feel sometimes when we are in unfamiliar surroundings.
Anyway, here is a list of places I saw and/or visited all within a matter of a couple of hours. I’ve also included what was given to me by the “organizer” of this trip, brief descriptions of each landmark along with what the spiritual relevance is for me.
The Tour
Hotel de Rome – Your Hotel
Originally built as the headquarters of Dresdner Bank in the late nineteenth century, Hotel de Rome sits at the heart of Berlin’s historic center. From here, many of the city’s most significant landmarks are just a short walk away, making it an ideal starting point for exploring Berlin’s rich history.
Humboldt University
Just across from your hotel stands Humboldt University. Founded in 1810, it revolutionized higher education by uniting teaching with original research, a model that influenced universities around the world. Some of history’s most influential thinkers and scientists, including Albert Einstein and Max Planck, studied or taught here.
As someone who has spent much of your own life teaching and studying Scripture, we thought this would be a fitting place to begin your walk.
קְנֵה חׇכְמָה קְנֵה בִינָה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֖ט מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
Acquire wisdom, acquire discernment; do not forget and do not swerve from my words.
PROVERBS 4:5
The State Opera Staatsoper Unter den Linden
One of Germany’s oldest opera houses, the Staatsoper has welcomed some of Europe’s greatest composers, conductors, and performers for nearly three centuries. Damaged during World War II and later rebuilt, it stands as a symbol of Berlin’s enduring commitment to music and the arts.
Given how central music has been throughout your life and in Kandi’s, we thought this would be a natural stop to include on your walk through the city.
הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֵ֣קַע שׁוֹפָ֑ר הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּנֵ֣בֶל וְכִנּֽוֹר׃
Praise Him with blasts of the horn; praise Him with harp and lyre.
PSALM 150:3
Bebelplatz
Just steps from Humboldt University lies one of Berlin’s most historically significant squares. On May 10, 1933, Nazi students gathered here to burn around 20,000 books by Jewish, liberal, socialist, and other “undesirable” authors.
Today, the square serves as a place of remembrance, inviting visitors to reflect on the consequences of intolerance and the importance of protecting ideas, memory, and the written word.
עֲצַ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה לְעֹולָ֣ם תַּעֲמֹ֑ד מַחְשְׁבֹ֥ות לִ֝בֹּ֗ו לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃
What God plans endures forever, what God designs, for ages on end.
PSALM 33:11
Micha Ullman’s Book Burning Memorial
One of the most remarkable aspects of this memorial is that, at first, you may not notice it at all. There is no towering monument or large sculpture rising from the square. Instead, the memorial is hidden beneath your feet. If you suddenly notice a small group of people quietly gathered and looking at the ground, you’ve probably found it.
Through a glass panel set into the pavement, you can look into an underground room lined with empty white bookshelves. Artist Micha Ullman deliberately chose to create an absence rather than a monument. The empty library reminds us not only of the books that were burned, but also of the ideas, voices, and lives that would later be destroyed.
Nearby, a bronze plaque bears Heinrich Heine’s prophetic words, written in 1821, more than a century before the Nazi book burnings:
“Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people.”
HEINRICH HEINE, 1821
St. Hedwig’s Cathedral
Standing beside Bebelplatz is Berlin’s oldest Catholic cathedral. Built in the eighteenth century, it reflects Frederick the Great’s vision of greater religious tolerance in Protestant Prussia.
If the cathedral is open, we think it is well worth stepping inside for a few quiet moments of reflection.
(I couldn’t go in as services were already going on.)
כִּי בֵיתִי, בֵּית-תְּפִלָּה יִקָּרֵא לְכָל-הָעַמִּים.
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
ISAIAH 56:7
Neue Wache (I didn’t get to see this one).
If you cross Unter den Linden from the State Opera, you’ll arrive at the Neue Wache, Germany’s central memorial to the victims of war and dictatorship. Inside is Käthe Kollwitz’s moving sculpture Mother with Her Dead Son, illuminated by natural light through an opening in the roof.
It is one of Berlin’s most powerful places of remembrance, made even more moving by its remarkable simplicity.
וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבוֹתָ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַֽחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֨א ג֚וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹֽא־יִלְמְד֥וּ ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
ISAIAH 2:4
Museum Island (I missed this one also)
Just beyond the Neue Wache, crossing the River Spree, lies Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to five of Berlin’s most important museums.
Even if you do not visit the museums themselves, we think it is well worth walking through the island. Its beautiful architecture, peaceful courtyards, and views across the river make it one of the most enjoyable places in central Berlin.
Given everything we’ve spoken about regarding memory and legacy, we thought this would be a fitting place to include.
זְכֹר֙ יְמֹ֣ות עֹולָ֔ם בִּ֖ינוּ שְׁנֹ֣ות דֹּור־וָדֹ֑ור שְׁאַ֤ל אָבִ֙יךָ֙ וְיַגֵּ֔דְךָ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְיֹ֥אמְרוּ לָֽךְ׃
Remember the days of old; consider the years of ages past. Ask your parent, who will inform you; your elders, who will tell you.
DEUTERONOMY 32:7
The River Spree
The River Spree flows through the heart of Berlin and has shaped the city’s history for centuries. After all of our conversations about the Hebrew word Yuval, meaning a flowing stream, we thought this would be a particularly meaningful place for you to visit.
If you have a little time, it is a wonderful place to pause for a few moments before continuing your walk.
וְנָחֲךָ ה’ תָּמִיד, וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ, וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ; וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה, וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְבוּ מֵימָיו.
The Lord will guide you always, satisfying your soul in dry places and giving strength to your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail.
ISAIAH 58:11
Gendarmenmarkt
Often considered Berlin’s most beautiful square, Gendarmenmarkt is surrounded by elegant architecture, including the French Cathedral, the German Cathedral, and the Konzerthaus. It has long been a gathering place for culture, music, and public life, and remains one of the city’s most graceful spaces.
The Konzerthaus
Designed by the renowned architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the Konzerthaus is one of Europe’s finest concert halls.
The steps outside are a wonderful place to pause and take in the atmosphere of the square. Given the role music has played throughout your life and your memories of Kandi, we thought this might be a particularly meaningful stop.
The French Cathedral was built for Huguenot refugees who fled religious persecution in France during the late seventeenth century. It stands as a reminder that Berlin has long been shaped by people seeking freedom, refuge, and the opportunity to build a new life.
וַאֲהַבְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַגֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
DEUTERONOMY 10:19
The German Cathedral
Facing the French Cathedral across Gendarmenmarkt, the German Cathedral completes the remarkable symmetry of the square. Together, the two churches reflect Berlin’s religious diversity and the city’s growing spirit of tolerance during the Enlightenment.
Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Many of the elegant buildings you have seen on this walk were designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Prussia’s most influential architect. His work helped define the appearance of nineteenth-century Berlin, combining beauty and civic purpose in a way that continues to shape the city today.
A Final Thought
Together, these places tell the story of Berlin as a city of learning, music, faith, remembrance, and renewal. Within just a few blocks, you encounter centuries of intellectual achievement, artistic ambition, religious diversity, the tragedy of dictatorship, and the remarkable resilience of a city that continues to rebuild while remembering its past.
We hope you enjoy exploring them. More than anything, we hope that, as you walk through these streets, you find moments that resonate with your own journey and with the conversations we’ve shared over the past weeks.
כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה עִמְדוּ עַל־דְּרָכִים וּרְאוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ לִנְתִיבוֹת עוֹלָם אֵי־זֶה דֶרֶךְ הַטּוֹב וּלְכוּ־בָהּ וּמִצְאוּ מַרְגּוֹעַ לְנַפְשְׁכֶם
Thus said the Lord: Stand by the roads and consider. Inquire about ancient paths: Which is the road to happiness? Travel it, and find tranquility for yourselves.
JEREMIAH 6:16
To be continued . . .