BULLET HOLES of BERLIN // The SCARS of WORLD WAR II

When I moved to Berlin I was amazed to still discover bullet holes, schrapnel scars and bomb craters leftover from World War II on buildings throughout the city. Tourists and visitors sightseeing in Berlin also find the scars fascinating. As one of my favorite jokes from a Berlin comedian goes: You can love a lot about Berlin, just not its history. Though the visceral connection with the Berlin's centuries-old history is part of what makes the city so breathtaking. The bulletholes, some left as-as, some repaired, can be found on Berlin memorials, hotels, sights and just random buildings (no -- for those with an American education like me -- not on The Wall). While filming this video I bumped into many historical and non-historical sites with the bullet holes I hadn't even known about. Berlin history!
Where I filmed:
Brandenburg Gate (Mitte)
Romanian Embassy (Mitte)
Neues Museum (Mitte)
The Saint Mary and Saint Nikolai Cemetery I (Mitte)
AEG Turbine Factory / Deutsche Welle (Wedding)
Administrative Court (Amtsgericht) (Mitte)
Residential Building (Prenzlauer Berg)
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Charlottenburg)
Robert Koch Forum (Mitte)
Kulturbrauerei (Prenzlauer Berg)
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SOCIAL NETWORKS
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FACEBOOK: / drew.portnoy
INSTAGRAM: / andrewbulkeley
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TIKTOK: @fatandysindustries
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Shot on a Sony HDR CX405 Edited with Corel VideoSuite
SMOOCHA!

[@imjason96]

I guess there are hundreds of them around Berlin which are still unnoticed. In my opinion, all these bullet holes should be preserved to let the current and future generations understand about the horrific war we've been through. Great video dude !!!

[@garymitchell5899]

It was 80 years ago they've been preserved

[@martondamokos8190]

It's the same in Budapest. Here was also a siege in 1944-1945. The bullet holes are slowly dissapiring as renovations goes by, but you can see many of them. Once I entered a building and I saw some bullet holes in the entrace. Then a few more in the stairways, then more and more as I moved forward in the stairways. And there was a corner maybe at the second or third floor, where was a lot of bullet holes. I imagined that there was a chase, and that corner they trapped and killed someone. It was so devastating to see that.

[@u.s.militia7682]

I’m glad the damage is protected. It’ll always remind mankind of what happened. It’s also history.

[@Jojo.255]

Hmm interesting

[@strapazin]

For years after 2000 there was a beautiful grenade hole high up on a wall at the Pergamonmuseum, but when I visited Berlin three years ago it was gone and I can't even find a photo of it.

[@ColinH1973]

They completely renovated the rear wall of the museum which faces the S-Bahn. It was very badly marked and knocked about, and was a very visible reminder of the struggles of the battle. Shame it's gone, really. Thanks for this.

[@OrnumCR]

When vehicles travelled through the Brandenburger Tor, then that part west up to where the Siegessaule and the Grosser Stern is, would have been the Charlottenburger Chausee up until 17 July 1953. Post that date, it became Strasse des 17 Juli after the East German uprising. You are correct though, heaps of evidence of the carnage in those last weeks of the war in April/May 1945. I was rather shocked when I saw all those bullet holes in the city streetscapes…

[@DMUSA536]

I was an MP at Check Point Charlie 1975. Where the Apotheke is now was where our OP was on the 3rd floor. Where McDonalds is was an empty lot. We would walk through there and into a courtyard. It was riddled with bullet holes. Also the Victory Angel has many bullet holes.

[@happynowfarms]

Many trips to the Brandenburg Gate and never noticed all the bullet holes. I remember a ton of them in the eastern sector. This was 92-94

[@garymitchell5899]

If you haven't seen the damage then you haven't been there. Why lie dude

[@edwardsp1916]

Fascinating video, thank you.

[@573998]

I used to live in Gdansk Poland and like Berlin the bullet holes leave the history of what happened

[@lapplandsjagare]

🙋🏻‍♂️ hello from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@surak1841]

You can still see bomb and shrapnel damage in Birmingham city center UK.

[@valiantredneck]

1:26 Yes you do.

[@justpassingby3175]

Great video!

[@Berlinerisch]

Thanks!

[@lordvader3538]

Cool video

[@bh1567]

Awesome

[@Takaba95]

PPsh-41 really something

[@68air]

Very reliable sub

[@tjdowling5324]

Thanks.

[@Saghaley]

this video rocks

[@Berlinerisch]

Thanks!

[@hebneh]

The remnant of the train station looks that way not because the entire building was destroyed by war, but because the huge structure was intentionally demolished by dynamite, many years after the war had ended. This fragment is all that wasn't removed.

[@RandomRetr0]

Ever been to east London, or Manchester, or Swansea? Still visible shrapnel damage and craters

[@hebneh]

It's incorrect to describe all these holes as coming from bullets, because - as he acknowledges - a lot of them were created by shrapnel from exploding bombs. In fact the bombing of Berlin went on far longer than the ground battles in 1945 did.

[@Leehensman]

Grew up there and in Germany Mum used to tell me off for sticking my finger in them.🙈😂

[@hassnainshah9112]

Horrible. May God protect everyone from such terrible wars.

[@stevengraham3138]

Still looks like damage and sad that this was 70 years ago ans still damage every block

[@Joe_Peroni]

Just imagine if those "timeslip" occurences which appear on KZbin videos were REAL (which, they say, ARE), & you suddenly found yourself in the middle of the Berlin WAR ZONE! What wouldn't you do? What COULD you do? Just wave, & say "Hi guys!" ?

[@Berlinerisch]

I thought about adding exactly that in this video. Like it's weird to think what would happen if I suddenly ended up in Berlin 1945.

[@68air]

@@Berlinerisch Look for my Dad. A very handsome American GI from New York City. Explain to him his future son (named after his Dad) told you to look him up. Tell him about the time he got punched in the abdomen during a golden gloves fight and upchucked his Mom's spaghetti in the ring and he will know you are for real.

[@svsv9]

I've always wanted to go to Berlin, but videos show me a boring side on how it would be a boring tour. What can you tell me.

[@garymitchell5899]

It is fairly boring TBH.

[@Berlinerisch]

It's not boring. What do you like? What would you want to see?

[@68air]

My Dad probably is respnsible for a few of those.

[@Russell9241]

Where in Berlin is the bomb hole in the pavement, I would like to see that myself next time I visit Berlin.

[@Berlinerisch]

It's on Sredzkistrasse near the corner of Knaack in Prenzlauer Berg. Let me know what you think!

[@Russell9241]

@@Berlinerisch Oh wow thanks ever so much, I love Berlin its such a fascinating city and I have 10 days there from June 1st, will be my 3rd visit if my flight is not cancelled as quite a few are just now due to covid and staff shortages, anyway fingers crossed all will be ok, and thanks again much appreciated.

[@miltonparadise6001]

No, what you see right. at the beginning are clearly the marks of an explosion.

[@jayveebloggs9057]

Yep plenty at the zoo too!

[@Hitman-ds1ei]

Slowly rewriting history as though it never happened, not that everyone sees it that way

[@garymitchell5899]

What happened in the war are facts and filling a hole doesn't really change that. Silly comment.