Stop and Think for a Moment

The Persecution of Berlin's Jews

This exhibition documents the persecution of Jews in Berlin from 1938 to 1945. Held at the old Jewish synagogue in the eastern district of Mitte - a place described by the curators as the one of the 'scenes of the crime' - the display focuses on the lives of the tens of thousands of Jews who were unable to flee. Put together by the city's Jewish community, 'Die Verfolging der Berliner Juden' includes hundreds of fascinating documents, photographs and archival film footage.

Christania definitely maybe

One area to avoid - or to visit - depending on your opinions of things, is Christania. Christania was taken over by squatters and is the only place you can purchase items completely tax free. All prices are negotiable on everything while in Christania. There are a wide variety of bars which tend to open at around 10 pm and stay open till about 5 am. Some bars seem pretty lax about age limit, while others have a 300 lb guard watching the door turning away everyone who isn't 25. There didn't seem to be a real personal safety issue there, but still it would be advisable to be wary while in and near Christania.

Coasters

Known to stay open until 8am, this is the ideal place to prove you have the stamina of a genuine party animal. Conveniently located near many of the city's best nightclubs, you can sink a cocktail here to put you in the mood for a night of shimmying on a sweat-soaked dancefloor- or drop in for a night-cap after the clubs have closed. The bar is well-stocked, the bar equipment first class, the music from the sound-system unerringly hip and there's always a queue to play the table-football game in the back room.

Photocopy your documents

When you are travelling it's advisable to photocopy your important documents (e.g passport, flight tickets etc) a couple of times. Leave one set at home, and take another set with you in a separate place to the original documents. Even better, travel with a friend and give another set of copies to them to find. This way if anything happens to your original documents, you can get replacements much faster, and in some circumstances, make do without them for a longer period.