Welcome to the former German Democratic Republic

I woke up this morning to a dull grey sky and that horrible drizzly rain that doesn't look like it's raining but soaks you nonetheless. I decided that a day of photography wasn't going to particularly work so I ventured out to some of the many museums around Berlin-Mitte.

The first of these was a stunning photography museum called C/O Berlin (www.co-berlin.com) where there was a fabulous exhibition of the work of Peter Lindbergh (look him up if you don't know of him). He particularly works in black and white and I got a little inspiration from his work, especially where he is using space in his work, to hunt out subjects that may work in monochrome. I thought it was particularly fitting to try and portray this street scene as if it were taken in the 80's prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The second museum of the day was the German Museum of History where there is a new exhibition which studies Hitler and the relationship wih the German people. As an outsider looking in, it still feels like there are many Germans finding it difficult to reconcile the atrocities of the Second World War with their nation. It is clear to me that one of the reasons for the rise of the dictator was the lack of will of people to fight against obvious tyranny, these should be words that all countries where the is an attitude of persecution to incomers so that something similar can't happen again. I did find a deep sense of irony to the museum, which I am sure was just caused by Teutonic efficiency than any other reason. On entry to the museum, you are given a small green circle that you must display on your clothes at all time and you are encouraged to leave all your personal belongings at the reception area when you go in. Surely this tagging and removal of possessions can't just be something that I have noticed, I know the Germans are not renowned for their sense of humour but surely this must be someones cruel joke?