>> Welcome to "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope"... >> [Laughter] >> where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

>> Today on "Travelscope," I cross over the borderline into Germany and Poland and follow historic connections to cultural adventures.

>> "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... San Antonio, Texas, where you'll find art, culture, romance, authentic Tex-Mex, 50-plus golf courses, and hundreds of attractions.

San Antonio--deep in the heart.

And No-Jet-Lag, jet lag prevention.

>> First mentioned in 1237, Berlin and the Berliners have suffered through the devastation of war and the pain and shame of being a divided city to once again come together.

Today, Berlin encompasses 540 sare miles and has a population of 3.5 million people.

It's an ever-evolving city on the move, and the starting place for my Germany and Poland adventure.

While Berlin is a modern European capital, a tour of its tree-lined avenues offers a walk through history.

The Victory Column hearkens back to the Prussian Empire, which evolved into the German State, personified by the Reichstag.

The former Parliament's burning in 1933 led to the rise of National Socialism, which ended with Europe in ruins and the annihilation of millions, commemorated at the Holocaust Memorial.

Today, Berlin is a multicultural, multireligious city where new synagogues are being built, thoughts of hot and cold wars are fading, and the past icons of division like the Berlin Wall now symbolize a unified Germany.

A unique way to take in the sights is by Trabi, that venerable relic of the East.

You know, it's common with human beings, when we think of things that have happened in the past, they always seem a little nicer--you know, the good old days.

And there's a movement going on in Berlin now.

It's called, as in nostalgia, this is ostalgi, which, Yves, it means nostalgia for things East?

>> East, yes.

During Eastern German time that you used every day and that you can also enjoy nowadays.

>> A couple of things would be you can buy a piece of the wall.

>> Or you can also experience a ride in a Trabant, or Trabi, as they are called.

>> Which means what?

>> Your companion that follows you everywhere.

>> Ah.

>> These vehicles were built until 1991.

Simple from technical point of view.

You had a two-stroke engine inside.

Uses a mixture of petrol and oil.

>> A little bit like a lawnmower.

>> Yes.

>> Did everyone in the East have one of these then?

>> Well, you could have one, but sometimes you had to wait between 10 and 15 years from the date you ordered the car-- >> 10 and 15 years?

>> Yes.

So sometimes had grandparents ordering the car for their grandchildren.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh.

So anyways, part of this ostalgi, we, as visitors, can have a tour of Berlin with Trabi Safari, and so let's get started.

>> OK. All right.

[Engine revs] >> I'm gonna ride in a glorified lawnmower.

How cool.

>> So now we approach the Gate of Brandenburg.

Looked up to see the statue of the 4 horses, or Quadriga, as it's called, and they added the iron cross and the eagle in 1816.

Since then it's a symbol of victory over France.

>> I follow Yves' running commentary on a Trabi tour of Berlin that takes me past historic landmarks, including the Berliner Mauer East Side Gallery, a colorful piece of the Berlin Wall.

>> In 1990 you had the first and last democratically elected government of Eastern Germany, who invited 180 artists to come to Eastern Berlin, and as a symbol of reunification, these artists painted these pictures you see on the wall.

1.5 kilometers long, so it's really the longest piece that's still in existence in Berlin nowadays.

>> There's our Trabi.

>> Again, yes.

>> Coming through the Wall.

It says "Test the rest."

>> Yeah.

>> You know, this is terrific because it reminds me the real significance of the Trabi is its historic importance here in Berlin.

>> That's right.

>> That when the Wall came down, all of these people broke through the Wall to have their first experience in many, many years to be able to travel freely.

>> That's right.

>> Of course, that means a lot to me.

At the Berliner Mauer East Side Gallery, a wall that once suppressed human freedom has become a canvas for the free expression of artistic creativity, yet it is at the Wall Memorial, along Bernauer Strasse, that the repressive reality of the Wall can still be truly felt.

At the end of the second World War, Berlin and Germany were divided into sectors.

The western half of the country and the city was controlled by the United States, Great Britain, and France, and the eastern half by the Soviet Union.

For the first 15 years after the division, the free flow of people between East and West for the most part was allowed.

During that time, 1/5 of the st German population, from 2.5 million to 3 million people, emigrated from the East to the more prosperous West.

That remained the case until August 13, 1961, when East Germany, with the approval of the Soviet Union, built the Berlin Wall.

Ultimately, the Wall stretched 93 miles, completely enmpassing West Berlin, and during the 28 years that it stood, more than 100,000 people tried to escape from the Easto the West.

More than 200 people died in the attempt.

There are a few places in Berlin today where you can see pieces or stretches of the old Berlin Wall, but this one here, at the Berlin Wall Memorial, is to me the most poignant.

While the Berlin Wall has fallen, its presence is still felt, and if not celebrad, its former existence is commemorated by Berliners in many ways.

Berlin is a bicycle-loving town.

There are more than 80 miles of trails and 400,000 cyclists.

A very nice bike excursion you can take from Berlin is to follow the Mauerweg to Potsdam.

Now, the Mauerweg, the Wall Trail, follows the path of the old Berlin Wall.

Now, when I make this right turn and go on here to Glienicker Bridge, I will be leaving what was former West Berlin and heading over into East Berlin.

And in fact, the Glienicker Bridge was called the "Spy Bridge" because they would have spy exchanges mid-bridge during the Cold War era.

As Versailles is to Paris, so is Potsdam to Berlin--the historic seat of royal power and residence.

From the 17th-century rule of Frederick Wilhelm I, known as the Father of Prussia, until the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II at the end of the first World War in 1918, the Prussian kings and German kaisers ruled from afar, surrounded by nature and ensconced in a luxury that can still be appreciated by visitors on a day trip from Berlin.

[Man playing flute] Michael, the palace is called Sans Souci, which in French means "without worries," and I guess if you're Frederick the Great, you have no worries.

>> The king had a lot of worries, of course.

When he became the king, he started immediately the first war... >> Oh.

>> which was continued by two other wars.

He also liked music, philosophy, and literature.

>> And he liked luxury, obviously.

>> Yes, but he pretended to be a modest man to the public, so he'd wear, when he went out, just a uniform.

When he was in his palace, he weared, you would say nowadays, French designer wear.

>> Ha ha!

When he was king, what was he king of?

>> First of all, he was the king of Prussia, of course, and the Prince Elector of Brandenburg, the Duke of Cleves and the Duke of Silesia.

>> Well, after you do Sans Souci, what's next?

>> Only in Potsdam, 17 palaces and pavilions and 7 gardens.

>> So Frederick the Great really was great.

Overlooking the Jungfernsee, the Schloss Cecilienhof, completed in 1917, was the last royal palace built in Potsdam.

Its completion marked the end of an era in Germany, while the events that took place there in 1945 shaped the future of Europe for the next 44 years.

>> That was where the wall was, the same way you came by bike, so the whole view to the riverside was blocked during the division of Germany.

>> Now, this is noted for the Potsdam Conference.

>> From the 17th of July in 1945 until the 2nd of August, the big 3 greats met here.

>> Now, when you're talking about the big 3, we're talking about Harry Truman, President of the United States... >> Yes.

>> Winston Churchill from Great Britain?

>> At first, and then Attlee later because Churchill lost the election in England.

>> And of course the biggest of the 3... >> Stalin.

And we are standing directly in front of the statue of Stalin.

And the main decisions they made were the so-called 4 Ds: the Democratization of German, the Denazification of Germany, the Demilitarization, and the Decentralization.

And of course a fifth thing, which was also important for a lot of Germans, as well, was to keep the Oder-Neisse river line as the border between German and Poland.

>> Practically since the days of Poland's first ruler, Duke Mieszko, the boundary between what is now Poland and Germany has been in flux.

During the 18th century, Poland was partitioned 3 times by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, so that by 1795, the country had vanished from the European map and did not return for 123 years.

In 1945, the Potsdam Conference established the border again.

In order to understand the human impact their decision made, I continue my travels in eastern Germany and western Poland and the border towns of Gorlitz and Zgorzelec.

First recognized as a town in 1071, Gorlitz for hundreds and hundreds of years was a prosperous trade and pilgrim center.

The Way of St. James went through here on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The main part of the town was surrounded by a fortified wall, of which you can still see 3 watchtowers.

And yet by the 14th century, the town had expanded beyond its location on the western banks of the river to its eastern bank.

The Potsdam Conference declared that the new border between Germany and Poland would be the Neisse and Oder rivers.

Gorlitz German families who had lived for generations on the east bank of the Neisse were forced back across the river.

Poles from eastern Poland were forcibly moved into these homes in the new Soviet Polish town of Zgorzelec.

This created a sense of loss, anger, and sadness on the we bank, and confusion and insecurity on the east bank.

For 57 years, the people lived with their backs to each other, facing Germany on the west, and on the east facing Poland, and with a Soviet checkpoint and barrier dividing the two.

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and here, along the boundary between Germany and Poland, the division between the two cities also fell.

2004, a new pedestrian bridge was built, and the free flow of traffic between the cities began.

So even though the boundary between the two countries still remains, the cities have come together again, so much so that the goal now is to create the European city of Gorlitz and Zgorzelec.

Gorlitz, which miraculously escaped the ravages of war, has more than 4,000 buildings of cultural significance, including St. Peter and Paul's Church, with its famous Sun Organ.

Take in a concert or meet the locals in the farmers market, where you get two cultures for the price of one.

Elke, so the market here in Gorlitz is multinational.

>> Yes.

You will find Poles and Germans here.

>> Dzien dobry.

>> Dzien dobry.

>> And wre are you from?

>> Zgorzelec.

>> Right across the way.

>> Yeah, right across.

>> So we have tomatoes and berries and plums.

What kind of mushrooms?

>> [Speaking foreign language] >> Ah, chanterelles.

>> Chanterelles.

They're beautiful, and the beans are great, and--ah.

Are these for vodka, maybe?

>> Nein.

>> OK, yeah.

Potatoes.

Vodka is made from potatoes.

>> [Speaks foreign language] >> [Speaks foreign language] >> Nice to meet you.

I'm Astrid.

>> Astrid, so, what are you looking for, Astrid?

>> Actually I'm looking for the blueberries.

>> Blueberries.

>> To make some muffins.

>> Are there any real strange, unusual things that we wouldn't know about in the United States, that we wouldn't find anywhere?

>> Here's one thing that is so typical for this area.

It's called streusselkuchen.

>> Oh, my gosh.

>> It is still warm.

>> Oh, it is warm.

>> Would you like to try?

>> I would.

>> It is fantastic.

It is with flouand water and sugar and cinnamon.

>> Oh, my gosh.

>> That's why I come here every Saturday morning.

>> But it's just a nice place, also, to come out and meet your friends.

>> Yes.

You're always meeting... >> She told me she didn't know anybody here.

Well, obviously everybody we've met so far, she knows.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

That's the way it is.

>> It's a small town.

>> Yes.

>> Danke.

Thank you so much.

>> You're welcome.

>> Thank you so much for the--what is it again?

>> Streusselkuchen.

>> Streusselkuchen.

One of the special things about traveling in western Poland are all the influences here, even in the food.

For instance, there's dramatic influences.

There's a Silesian western Polish influence, and then there's an eastern Polish influence because of all the eastern Poles who were moved to this part of Poland after the second World War by the millions.

For instance, you can get Zurek, which is a soup that you can get all over Poland.

It's made with zakwas, which is rye flour and water that's been allowed to ferment for a couple of days, and you can get it made eastern-Polish-style with white sausage in it.

Smacznego.

This is the 15th-century-old town here in Boleslawiec.

It suffered 60% damage during the second World War and has now been beautifully renovated and reconstructed.

You know, when you travel in western Poland, it's a bit confusing because some of the towns have both Polish names and German names.

For instance, Boleslawiec is also known as Boleslaw, the German name, and in fact the famous pottery and ceramic from the area is called Boleslawer Pottery.

Ceramics have been created in the Boleslawiec's region since the 7th century.

Just as a fine bottle of wine begins in the field, the same is true with a fine piece of ceramics.

The clay that is found within 50 kilometers of the town is noted for its high resistance to heat and its strength.

They bring clay from different areas into the factory, where they blend it and mix it from 8 to 9 hours, until it gets to be the right consistency.

Then the piece is created on a mold, and it's fired at 850 degrees centigrade.

Then it's painted, it's glazed, and then it's fired again at 1,250 degrees centigrade.

Now, there are many designs.

This is a traditional design that dates back to the very beginning--the peacock design--but each factory has its own new design that you can see.

When you visit in the town or the region, you'll have an opportunity to experience and to take home a fine piece of Polish craftsmanship.

After Boleslawiec, I meet up with the Oder River and follow it into Wroclaw, the capital of lower Silesia.

Best seen by boat, bike, and electric car, Wroclaw's 16th-century-old town, numerous riverside parks, 12 islands, and 130 bridges, including Lovers Bridge, are sure to please.

Wow.

That was really nice.

What a great tradition.

Congratulations.

Did you just get married?

>> No, no, no, no.

>> You're thinking maybe?

>> Yes.

>> Maybe.

>> So which one is yours here?

Right here.

You have the two together--Kata and Flo.

And you threw the keys in the thing, so now you can't open them again.

>> Yes.

>> That's a wonderful tradition.

>> Thank you.

>> That's really wonderful.

Thank you so much.

[Speaks foreign language] >> [Speaks foreign language] >> What has it been like here since the Soviet time has ended?

>> Now it's completely different from that time.

So now if somebody comes after the 20 years not being in Poland, they can notice a big difference in our attitude, changing of the buildings of the town.

>> Renovation.

>> We became more open to other people.

Now we are enjoying the European Union, so they say that it's better here than in the places that they live because they have been missing Poland all the time, so now they can come back.

>> Well, I'm enjoying it here an awful lot.

Thanks.

[Train whistle blows] Wolsztyn has been a railroad town since 1907.

That's when they built the turntable here, and the town became a railroad hub to towns in the surrounding area.

Now, at that time there was 30 locomotives.

Now there's only two, but they're still traveling 130,000 kilometers a year and carrying regular passengers between Wolsztyn and Poznan.

What do you do in Poznan?

>> I am studying there.

I am just a regular student from Poznan University of Technology.

>> When you make a decision on which train to take, you consciously make the decision to take the steam train?

>> Of course, the first thing at I look is how the time in which I will get to Poznan, but I like to travel this particular train because I know that there is one of the last ones in Europe.

>> So there's a little sense of history.

>> Yes, a little bit.

>> When people talk about the romance of traveling by steam train, what are they talking about?

>> Well, first of all, I've always said the steam engine is the closest any piece of machinery comes to being alive.

It hisses, it spits.

It's cantankerous.

When you push the gas pedal on the car, the car is going to go forward for certain.

>> Right.

>> When you open the throttle on a steam loco, it doesn't necessarily go forward.

It's a bit like a woman.

When it's good, it's good, and when it's bad, it's awful.

>> Ha ha!

But also like a woman, you can fall in love with her.

>> Oh, yeah, without question.

It's been a passion all my life.

>> It's thrilling to ride in the throbbing heart of a 140-ton steam locomotive alongside the fireman and engineer.

It's a celebration of Polish heritage that leaves your hands dirty and your spirits fired up.

All righty!

Boy, that's heavy!

All right!

Whoo hoo!

In this business, your work shows in your hands.

The ultimate thrill: I get to blow the whistle.

[Whistle blows] Ha ha ha!

[Speaks foreign language] During my travels in Poland, I visit the towns and cities of the southwestern state of lower Silesia, and in central Poland, Wielkopokska, often called the cradle of the Polish state.

Several towns in Wielkopolska vie for the honor of being Poland's birthplace.

Gniezno lays claim to the fame, as well as Wielkopolska's lively capital, Poznan.

The first ruler of Poland, Duke Mieszko I, was baptized in Gniezno's cathedral in 966, which Christianized and legitimized Poland as a country.

And then, to seal the deal, in 1025, the duke's son Boleslaw the Brave was crowned in the cathedral.

Nevertheless, Poznan holds fast to its piece of the glory, and one thing's for certain: Poznan is where the Polish kings are buried.

>> This is the church constructed firstly for Jesuits, and it was constructed in the second half of the 17th century in the baroque style.

[Organ music] It's impressive, isn't it?

>> Very.

>> But actually they have used as many cheap materials as was possible.

>> Hmm?

Yes.

Not a single gram of marble.

Everything imitation.

Not a single gram of real gold.

Everything is just goldish.

Looking over us, the ceiling, everything is painted.

That cupola in the central part--neither exist.

>> Why did they do that?

>> So just to show off that there is a strength and power somewhere.

>> If you were a common person, you would certainly want to be a part of all this.

>> Definitely.

[Organ music] >> Paulina, what's more impressive to me in how beautiful the center of Poznan looks is the fact that it was constructed after the war after 65% of this center was destroyed.

>> This is how 16th- and 17th-century would look like, or at least this is what we think that it would look like.

>> More or less.

Thank you for joining me on my Germany and Poland adventure.

It is impossible to travel through the Germany and Poland border region without being inundated by history.

As a young man from a young country, when I first visited Germany and Poland, I was captivated by their past, by their excessively beautiful structures, historic traditions, and respected customs that had been forged through the ages.

I was also keenly aware of what time and events had stolen.

This is a part of Europe that has experienced so much for so long, it's difficult to follow who did what to whom when, and while it's unbearable to imagine the loss, I'm uplifted by how much has been saved, and as I tour through this resurrected and revitalized region which has so much to offer the traveler, I'm amazed how human beings, phoenix-like, rise from their ashes again and again.

Till next time, this is Joseph Rosendo reminding you of the words of Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Happy traveling.

>> "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... San Antonio, Texas, where you'll find art, culture, romance, authentic Tex-Mex, 50-plus golf courses, and hundreds of attractions.

San Antonio--deep in the heart.

And No-Jet-Lag, jet lag prevention.

>> For a DVD of today's show or any of Joseph's "Travelscope" adventures, call 888-876-3399 or order online at Travelscope.net.

You can also email us at TV@Travelscope.net or write us at the address on your screen.

>> Now that we've traveled together in Germany and Poland, learn more at Travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, podcasts, and on Facebook.

Stay in touch.

888-876-3399 or TV@Travelscope.net.

>> Look.

We've got two gnomes over here, but it's 200 of them in Wroclaw.

>> One of the attractions of [indistinct] is its remaining 13th-century fortified walls.

They took 200 years to complete.

As you look at them today in their ivy-covered state, they really add a medieval touch to the town.

The ultimate thrill: I get to blow the whistle.

[Whistle blows] Ha ha ha!

[Speaks foreign language]