Gonzaga in Berlin: Intro to Info Warfare

Brandenberg Gate
Brandenburg Gate has been a symbol of both division and reunification of Berlin.
May 22, 2023
Jonathan Smoley | Computer Science

Guten Tag! It is a wonderful time to be in Berlin. This morning many of us were still getting acclimated to the time change. Luckily, the first event of the day was a simple introduction to our lodging area. With this came a breakfast of assorted pastries and a tour around the neighborhood.

Emblem
The East Germany emblem still appears on a wall near Checkpoint Charlie.
After this, we faced the U-Bahn system for the first time, riding all the way to the Brandenburg Gate. It was here that we met up with a tour guide that took us around to a few historical sites in the heart of Berlin. The tour provided a chance to get some background information on much of what the trip will cover: Information Warfare. Among these were locations such as what remains of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and even the Führerbunker.

It came as quite a shock that the last place Hitler stepped foot in was destroyed and replaced with a parking lot. However, it was noted by our tour guide that Berlin wants to memorialize the victims rather than the oppressors in the historical atrocities of the 20th Century.

Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie was a heavily-guarded registration point for non-Germans crossing between East and West Germany. The replica of the checkpoint building is in the lower right of this picture. Today, it is 'guarded' by an image of one of the last Allied soldiers serving here in Berlin. A Russian soldier's image is on the opposite side.

Berlin wall still standing
Although the Berlin Wall opened in 1989, a section remains standing at the Martin Gropius Bau museum.

To end the day, our group made their way over to Museum Island to get our passes for all sorts of different museums that will be available to check out during our time in Berlin. Though no exhibits were visited, it was great to spend more time using the U-Bahn and interacting with people who may or may not speak the same language we do. Further, the language barrier is not as large as I had thought!


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