Dresden & Berlin - April 2025
(continued)
We are given highly technical 'HistoPads' for a self-guided tour of Oflag IV-C prisoner-of-war camp.
"FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE"
The castle's chapel; and two examples of escape methods visible on our tour: abseiling down a chute and crawling through a tunnel.
Tins received by prisoners through Red Cross parcels.
Information on the escape attempts, the prisoners' lives, and the castles history is displayed over several floors. In an attic on
the top floor of the castle is a reproduction of the 'Colditz Cock' - a glider built by the prisoners towards the end of the war.
The story of the 'Colditz Cock' is one of the most fascinating tales from the history of the castle when it was a prisoner-of-war
camp. A story that is enhance by a film that includes footage of the full-sized replica built in 2012 that was successfully launched
(unmanned) from the castle's roof.
After thoroughly exploring the castle, we walk down to the town's square (right) where
we obtain snacks before boarding the coach for the long drive (143-miles) to Berlin. A comfort stop on the autobahn is educational
in that we are able to exchange our 'toilet use receipt' towards the purchase of drinks and confectionary.
As it is quite late
when we reach the Park Inn Hotel in Berlin, we have our evening meal in the hotel. We then retire to our cramped rooms on Floor 31
(of 37 floors). The rooms compare unfavourably with the accommodation in Dresden - particularly the strange arrangement of the bathroom
facilities - but there are extraordinary views across Berlin.
Wednesday, April 23rd: this morning's schedule is for the tour
group to be taken on a coach tour of Berlin. The highlights listed in the tour programme are the Tiergarten, the Cathedral, the Brandenburg
Gate, the Berlin Wall, and the Reichstag. The tour last 2½-hours (including a coffee break) with just a few 'photo-stops'
at the Berlin Wall (two different sections); the Gendarmenmarkt (a prominent square with two matching Baroque-style churches); Checkpoint
Charlie; and finishes at the Brandenburg Gate. Other sights in the city are glimpsed from the coach.