#palaceoftears

Ulanara Yixiu: Once again, very compelling antagonist, I loved the contrast between her virtuous exterior and the things that boil deep down.

-Empress Wei: I didn't know much about her before watching this drama. But I loved the struggle between theses ruthless, ambitious women. As with Wu Zetian, they are clearly the cleverest people at court and so much better than the men around them. It's not something the drama does in a performative way. It's just a fact.

🇩🇪 sie ist nicht hier 🇩🇪 📷: @andreacbb #berlin #palaceoftears #tränenpalast #germany #daytwo

The Palace Of Tears The Palace Of Tears (Tränenpalast in German) was the name given to one of the border crossings between East and West Berlin. From 1962 to 1989, it was used by travellers by S-bahn, U-bahn and train who wanted to travel westbound. I've always looked at the building when I've passed by and thought how ironic it is that such a light-filled, architecturally interesting and artistic place could have been used for the purpose of separating those from whom they loved and causing unthinkable hurt for so many years. It's very name is an oxymoron. Despite having always found The Palace Of Tears intriguing, I had never known that it was open to the public. After the fall of the Wall, it was used as a nightclub and stage but only until 2006. Last week, I was walking past when I noticed people going inside it. I followed them out of curiosity and to my delight, I found that it houses a preeminent exhibition about the history of the building called Haus der Geschichte and has done since 2011 when it was opened by Angela Merkel. It is fascinating and presented in such a beautiful way. There are mock border controls, suitcases showing what people brought with them, video clips of people talking about how they managed to escape from the East and, (my favourite part) a documentary feature on a Western Border Guard explaining how he checked the authenticity of the ID of those crossing the border. Something I learnt from my visit which I think is brilliant is that after 1966, elderly people were allowed to cross the border a lot more freely and they became smugglers for their family and friends, bringing yummy treats and quality items back with them from the West under their jackets and in their suitcases. Good old Grannies and Grandpas! The plaques are in both English and German and they have just the right amount of interesting information. I read them all and that's a rarity. And it doesn't cost a single cent to visit! It's definitely worth a look around. Love, Al P.s I hope you had a great weekend!