Ich bin ein Berliner
by: Ritesh Chaturvedi , (RKMV 1995)
The Beginning
In the past 30 years, Berlin has evolved from a city divided between East and West; Communism and Capitalism to a unified melting pot of art, culture, cuisine and vibrant nightlife.
A city without a fixed-single downtown, but diverse neighborhoods make Berlin an exciting place. One can relish the beautiful Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Museum Island, the Humboldt Forum and the KaDeWe department store in the center. And, then again, discover the spirit of Berlin in Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Hackescher Markt to discover food, art, cafes, jazz clubs and much more.
This is Berlin for you – and yes, this was chosen as the place for our continental Europe’s fourth reunion on the weekend of 17 – 18 Sep 2022. The reunion was well-planned and organized by Parag Saurabh – a Berliner, and 2002 high school graduate of Vidyapith.
The Berlin-idea started in July 2022, and a total of 11 alumni and 7 family members attended the weekend fun. The alumni who joined are:
1. Ritesh Chaturvedi, X, 1995, Luxembourg
2. Gaurav Parashar, X, 2001, Frankfurt
3. Parag Saurabh, X, 2002, Berlin
4. Debanjan Basu, X, 2005, Berlin
5. Ritwick Mukherjee, X, 2007, Berlin
6. Dipan Ghosh, X, 2009, Dortmund
7. Subham Mishra, X, 2011, Munich
8. Satyam Dixit, XII, 2011, Berlin
9. Paritosh Sinha, XII, 2011, Munich
10. Mayukh Singh, XII, 2014, Freiberg
11. Sagnik Das, XII, 2014, Kassel
From Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie
The re-union kicked-off at 10 am on 17 Sep 2022 with the two hours of Sandeman’s Free Walking tour from the Brandenburg Gate. Well, the meeting point was the good old Starbucks. The guide was a well-informed history student from the USA pursuing her academics in Berlin.
The itinerary included Brandenburg Gate, the site of Hitler’s bunker, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, parts of the Berlin Wall and ended in Checkpoint Charlie in the former American sector.
The Brandenburg Gate is an important landmark of Berlin and Germany. It has witnessed nearly three centuries of tumultuous German and world history. This classical sandstone gate is situated in Pariser Platz – a beautiful city square. The gate was built commissioned by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II between 1788-1791 to commemorate peace. In 1793, the Quadriga was placed on the Brandenburg Gate. It depicted Eirene, the goddess of peace, in a chariot. After World War II, the division of Germany and the construction of the Wall in 1961, the Brandenburg Gate in East Berlin became a restricted area, and the Berlin Wall ran in an arc around the gate. After the fall of GDR or East Germany in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate became a symbol of national unity.
Site of Hitler’s former bunker. Now a carpark. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi
After the Brandenburg Gate, we walked to the former site of Hitler’s bunker – now a car park in the middle of 1980s style concrete slab residential buildings. The bunker site is located between Potsdamer Platz and Brandenburg Gate. The Führerbunker was the last of the Führer Headquarters used by Adolf Hitler during World War II. Basically, it was a pair of underground concrete air raid shelters. Hitler moved to the Führerbunker in January 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, and it became the centre of the Nazi regime until the last week of World War II in Europe. He also married Eva Braun here in 29 April 1945, and they both committed suicide in less than 40 hours after their marriage. The bunker was finally captured by the Red Army on 2 May 1945. Hitler had spent his last 105 days here.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi
Thereafter, we walked to witness the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - a place of contemplation, remembrance and warning. Inaugurated in May 2005, and designed by Peter Eisenman - the memorial has 2,711 concrete pillars or stelae covering an area of the 19,000 m² arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. According to Eisenman's project text, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. The memorial also includes a “Place of Information" which impressively documents the persecution and extermination of Jews in Europe. Witnessing this memorial was a very somber moment for us.
Berlin Wall. Courtesy: Paritosh Sinha.
After the memorial, the guide took us to one of the remaining sites of the Berlin Wall in Niederkirchnerstraße. The 200 m wall runs between Berlin-Mitte (formerly East Berlin) and Kreuzberg (formerly West Berlin). Behind the Wall, there is an outdoor and indoor history museum called Topography of Terror. The museum is on the site of buildings, which during the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 was the SS Reich Security Main Office, the headquarters of the Sicherheitspolizei, SD, Einsatzgruppen and Gestapo. The permanent exhibition tells us about these institutions and the crimes that were organized there.
After visiting the wall, we took a 15-minute break to have light snacks and drinks at Typisch Berlin café in Wilhelmstraße 42. We also took this opportunity to pay the tips to our knowledgeable and passionate guide from Sandeman’s.
Checkpoint Charlie. L to R: Ms Neha Shah Chaturvedi, Parag Saurabh (2002), Paritosh Sinha (2015), Ritwick Mukherjee (2009), Ritesh Chaturvedi (1995), Sagnik Das (2014), Subham Mishra (2013), Ms Nehal, Satyam Dixit (2011), Gaurav Parashar (2001), Mayukh Singh (2014), Miss Mihika Parashar, Dipan Ghosh (2011), Ms Vertika Pankaj, Ms Priyanka Parashar, Master Ashmantak Saurabh.
After the break, we proceeded to the Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie was the best-known border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. It is located on the corner of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße, and is a reminder of the former border crossing, the Cold War and the partition of Berlin. The name Checkpoint Charlie comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie). After the border crossings at Helmstedt-Marienborn (Alpha) and Dreilinden-Drewitz (Bravo), Checkpoint Charlie was the third checkpoint opened by the Allies in and around Berlin. It is also the setting for many thrillers and spy novels, from James Bond in Octopussy to The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.
Oh boy, let me tell you about our adventure at Checkpoint Charlie! We stumbled upon some street shell game scammers who were so mesmerizing that people couldn't wait to join in. And of course, our pal Dixit had to get in on the action. Those gamers had him wrapped around their fingers in no time, and before we knew it, he was part of the show. It was his first time experiencing such a thing, and he was so curious about it all. Little did he know, it was a total scam! I mean, come on, this is Berlin, guys. You gotta watch out for these sneaky scammers who not only trick you but also steal from you. The game they played was a classic guessing game, where they hid a ball or dice in one of several boxes and shuffled them around. Participants had to pick the right box, but not before the performers demanded money upfront. You guessed it, the box was empty, and poor Dixit lost a few bucks. What a perfect way to con unsuspecting tourists, am I right? But at least he came back to us with a story that had us laughing our heads off!
By the time our tour completed at 1200 hours, we had a better sense of the history of Germany and the geography of Berlin. Well, and of course we were looking forward to a well-deserved Indian lunch and doing Vidyapith-style adda. Therefore, we started our 15 minutes’ walk to the restaurant Amrit in Ebertstraße 14 located in the Potsdamer Platz. One the way, we made sure to catch-up with other dadas, brothers and their families.
Amrit - The Lunch
Amrit is a stylish restaurant in the heart of Berlin serving authentic Indian cuisine. Started by a Sikh-family, the name refers to the holy nectar, and also the Indian city Amritsar in the state of Punjab. The Golden Temple – the holy site for the Sikhs is located in this city.
Lunch at Amrit Starting from Left (Clockwise): Priyanka Parashar, Mihika Parashar, Satyam Dixit, Paritosh Sinha, Ritwik Mukherjee, Sagnik Das, Mayukh Singh, Subham Mishra, Nehal, Parag Saurabh, Vertika Pankaj, Aashmantak, Dipan Ghosh, Gaurav Parashar. Courtesy : Ritesh Chaturvedi.
We were courteously welcomed by the staff of Amrit, and seated at the pre-reserved table. Debanjan Basu joined our group during lunch. And, sadly, Dipan Ghosh had to return to Dortmund due to personal reasons. We thanked him for joining us, and bid him adieu.
The two hours of culinary journey started with drinks including mango lassi, carbonated beverages and beer. The starters included murg tikka, tandoor murgh and chicken pakora. The mains had Chicken Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Chicken Madrasi, Amrit Tawa with Chicken, Palak Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala and Paneer Jalfrezi. The mains were accompanied by aromatic rice, garlic naan, batura and roti. The food was delicious and served in a good time. Now, this is what we call soul food for the Indian hearts.
Voyage on The Spree
Berliner Dom. L to R: Ritwick Mukherjee, Debanjan Basu, Nehal, Subham Mishra, Ritesh Chaturvedi, Sagnik Das, Satyam Dixit, Mayukh Singh, Paritosh Sinha, Parag Saurabh, Gaurav Parashar, Priyanka Parashar, Neha Shah Chaturvedi, Mihika Parashar, Vertika Pankaj, Aashmantak. Courtesy: Gaurav Parashar.
Post-lunch we walked to the bus station at Potsdamer Platz and embarked on a short 15-minute bus ride to the magnificent Berliner Dom in the heart of the city stands on Museum Island near Lustgarten Park.
Water taxi Ride on the Spree. Ritwik Mukherjee, Parag Saurabh, Mayukh singh, Sagnik Das, Paritosh Sinha, Nehal (in cap), Subham Mishra, Debanjan Basu. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi.
After admiring the neo-classical beauty from Domaquareé side, and then boarded the boat Captain Morgan - our much awaited 1-hour water taxi tour of Berlin on river Spree. The stewards were nice, they made sure the students amongst us got the discounted tickets (and yes there were quite a few).
The relaxed tour included the sights of the TV tower, the Red City Hall, the Nikolai Quarter, the Mühlendamm, the Marstall, the Domaquareé, the Berlin Cathedral, the Museum Island, the Weidendammer Bridge, the Friedrichstrasse train station, the Reichstag, the government district, the Kronprinzenbrücke, the main train station, the Swiss Embassy, the Federal Chancellery, the Tiergarten, the Victory Column and the House of World Cultures.
The sights were explained both in German and English. During the trip Vertika (Parag’s wife) and Asmantak (Parag’s son) shared scrumptious Läderach chocolates with us. It was a great way to enjoy Berlin whilst taking the weights off our feet. By the time we returned back to Domaquareé, it was 16:30 hours.
Bistro Lebenswelten. L to R : Subham Mishra, Nehal. Mayukh Singh, Paritosh Sinha. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi.
We disembarked from Captain Morgan and walked to Lustgarten to sit together on the greens, admire the beautiful Berliner Dome opposite us in the east, and share Vidyapith memories. It was a nostalgic moment for us – 9,000 km away from Deoghar, here we are in the heart of Berlin – with Vidyapith in our heart. Slowly, we gathered ourselves, and walked to the Humboldt Forum opposite us for a cup of good coffee at Bistro Lebenswelten. The bistro serves burgers, schnitzels, meatball, salads, vegan dishes from the wok and delicious cakes, pastries and tartelettes to name a few. The good milchkaffee, espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato and cakes fired up our neurons again, and we enjoyed the warm atmosphere buzzing with families, students and couples on dates. The clock was already at 18:00 hours, and the beautiful and nippy Berlin was lightning up.
The Erdinger Supper
The Walk before Supper. L to R: Mihika Parashar, Priyanka Parashar, Gaurav Parashar, Neha Shah Chaturvedi, Satyam Dixit, Debanjan Basu, Paritosh Sinha, Mayukh Singh, Nehal, Sagnik Das, Parag Saurabh, Subham Mishra, Ritwik Mukherjee. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi.
Parag had booked a fantastic place called Erdinger at Gendarmenmarkt in Jagerstrasse 56, for a light supper at 20:00 hours. We all decided to work around Museum Island for 1 hour, and then take a bus to the Erdinger.
Erdinger is a popular wheat beer that has been brewed in Bavaria for more than 130 years. This inn serves Bavarian cuisine. Its wood-paneled walls as well as wooden tables, chairs and beer benches creates a cozy Bavarian ambience. Our table was reserved in advance and we took our seats, and were assigned a patient and efficient steward to help us choose drinks and food. Two of Subham Mishra’s university friends joined us too.
Bavarian beer was consumed not in moderation – Erdinger Weibber (fine yeast traditionally matured in the bottle and the keg. Cloudy golden color with sweet and citrusy aroma with a hint of clove), Erdinger Dunkel (dark wheat beer where dark roasted malt creates full-bodied taste with creamy head) accompanied with brezn, butter, pomme frites, schnitzels and grillhähnchen.
Erdinger at Gendarmenmarkt. L to R: Satyam Dixit, Debanjan Basu, Parag Saurabh. Courtesy: Ritesh Chaturvedi.
Now that we had known other alumni a bit, and a pint of beer – the discussions moved to the shenanigans during the Vidyapith days, the excitement of the platoon competition, the peacefulness of the evening aarti. Our conversation continued till mid-night, and we were politely requested by the steward to leave the inn. By that time Subham da had already left. We continued our conversation outside the inn. We knew that unless we leave for our homes / hotels, this will continue till dawn. Therefore, we decided to take the good old U-Bahn (metro) and taxis to our destinations with a promise to meet over lunch on 18 Sep at 12:00 hours.
The South Indian and Schloss Charlottenburg
Lotus at Charlottenburg. L to R: Debanjan Basu, Sagnik Das, Parag Saurabh, Ritesh Chaturvedi, Gaurav Parashar, Paritosh Sinha, Mayukh Singh. Courtesy: Neha Shah Chaturvedi.
Parag’s choice of South Indian lunch on 18 Sep at the Lotus in Charlottenburg was welcomed with great enthusiasm especially among the student alumni. We – the gourmand alumni helped ourselves with idlis, dosas, vadas and uttapams and washed it off with beer in copious volume. Well, this time our conversations were focused on the exquisite cuisines served in Vidyapith ranging from roti-gur, chirotta pani to special treats of rosogollas and paan a day before we left for vacations. By the time we finished this long lunch, it was 14:50 hours, and we bid good bye to Paritosh Sinha – he had to catch the train back to Munich.
Schloss Charlottenburg. L to R: Sagnik das, Parag Saurabh, Gaurav Parashar, Ritesh Chaturvedi, Satyam Dixit, Mayukh Singh, Debanjan Basu. Courtesy: Gaurav Parashar.
Then, we took a bus and disembarked to enjoy the beautiful Schloss Charlottenburg. Built in the 17th century, this Baroque palace is named after Queen Sophie Charlotte, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg, wife of the Prussian King Friedrich I and the first Prussian Queen. With its palace garden and beautiful pond (Karpfenteich) the palace was a perfect place for our post-lunch stroll and adda. The pond is fed with water from the Spree via the Teichgraben. A path leads around the water and over the island over numerous bridges. You always have fantastic views of the castle and the park. We finished the walk around 1700 hours, and took the bus to the Berlin Zoologischer Garten station. Before this, we said adieu to Parag Saurabh and Debanjan Basu.
At Zoologischer station Mayukh Singh and Sagnik Das said goodbye to us – they had to catch their trains back home from the Berlin Central Station (Berlin Hauptbahnhof) after enjoying the neighboring Kurfürstendamm area.
Gaurav Parashar, Satyam Dixit and I took the next S-Bahn to Berlin Central Station as Gaurav had to take the train back to Frankfurt. Time to say sayonara to Gaurav and family.
Then, Satyam showed me around the central station, and gave guidance to me on the trains to Poland. I had to take the train to Krakow, Poland the next day. We travelled together till a few stations, and parted ways with the promise to meet again.
Thanks, Mayukh and Sagnik
The Berlin Reunion story will not be complete without recalling the kindness of Mayukh and Sagnik.
Gaurav and his family (wife Priyanka, and kids Mihika and Oorvij) reached the train platform more than one hour earlier than the departure time. They had some burgers from McDonald’s and waited for their ICE train to Frankfurt. Meanwhile, they saw Sagnik and Mayukh on the same platform who were also waiting for their trains to Kassel and Freiburg (after the brief tour to Kurfürstendamm). They started chatting, and in some time the train arrived.
As it was an ICE train, Gaurav had not reserved the seats - usually there are enough unreserved seats available for the travelers in the Berlin-Frankfurt route. As the train was a bit delayed, the number of travelers gradually increased more than expected.
Gaurav and his daughter Mihika decided to board the train first to get the desired seats, whilst they requested Priyanka and Oorvij (on stroller) to board the train later. Luckily, they got their desired seats.
However, the big crowd started boarding the train, and there was no way Gaurav could have gone back and helped Priyanka to board with the stroller. So, he waited at his seat hoping that Priyanka would somehow manage to board the train. However, the train was so crowded that he was not able to even see if Priyanka and Oorvij had got in.
Then, from the window of his seat, Gaurav saw Sagnik coming and confirmed to him that both Priyanka and Oorvij were able to board the train. He was relieved.
It took Priyanka 15-20 minutes to reach Gaurav even though she boarded the same carriage. She narrated that had it not been for Mayukh and Sagnik, she would not be able to do so. They both helped her lift the stroller, and put it on the train.
Thanks, Mayukh and Sagnik.
Auf Wiedersehen !
