I began my Berlin photographic odyssey in 1985 when the city was divided in two–the western part was surrounded by the Wall–and I’ve returned numerous times over the years. Like most visitors to Berlin I still look for remnants of the Wall and the DDR (East German) past. At Potsdamer Platz there is an exhibition comprised of grafittied slabs of the Wall with photos and text information on panels in between. The slabs follows the line of the border, which is marked by bricks set in the pavement. Behind is the Sony Center designed by architect Helmut Jahn.

Wall exhibition at Potsdamer Platz (4×5 film)

Everything in Berlin, it seems, is a potential memorial. Overlooked by most tourists is a nondescript building adjacent to the Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof called the Traenenpalast (Palace of Tears). This was the border crossing for train passengers and subway riders. Western day visitors passed through here routinely after undergoing an extremely officious passport control. In my case, on at least a couple of occasions, it meant being ushered with my camera gear into a tiny room to be interrogated about my plans for the day. For East Germans it was the hall where friends and family from the West said their good byes before crossing back to the other side of the world. Hence the “palace of tears.” Today, it is a scruffy-looking performance venue and cultural center.

Traenenpalast (4×5 film)

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