The Berlin Flak Tower

In this Vlog we start our day at the beautiful Brandenburg Gate before moving onto the Reichstag, the Tiergarten Soviet War Memorial and the enormous Flak Tower at Humboldthain. We eat dinner in what was Hitler's Reich Chancellery courtyard and finish off the day with a night time stroll around the city.
This video is in partnership with Battlefield Design, Creative Services for Military Historians, Publishers, Authors and Museums - www.battlefield-design.co.uk
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We are not Historians. We are two ordinary chaps who are learning about WW2 history and documenting our journey. We are exploring this period of history from the sides of both the Allies and Axis. Those with sympathetic views towards the Nazi regime or hold any type of extreme views are not welcome here on WW2 Nation.

[@comsubpac]

My Grandfather worked in the towers during WW2. He was responsible for keeping the radars running.

[@ww2nation]

+comsubpac That is fascinating.

[@lesliecowie4038]

@@marycharter6661 get a life you commie spunk trumpet

[@hesh_a_day9326]

@@ww2nation„there were „only“ 3 build“ speaking about a massive 5 floors, bunker with partial 2,5meters thick walls.

[@julietdallaire8444]

Almost six years old but as appreciated now as on Jan. 31, 2016. 🙏👏

[@WW2HistoryHunter]

Thank You for very good material. Greetings from WW2HistoryHunter

[@bryans6229]

I love Berlin - have been there many times and there's still so much more to see! Great vlog, looking forward to the rest of the series!

[@ww2nation]

Thanks Bryan. Glad you enjoyed it. Ross

[@christbdx]

I also love Berlin. Also been there often, in West and East Berlin during the time of the Wall. Fantastic city.

[@super20dan]

its great that you appreciate ww2 history so much

[@ww2nation]

+super20dan It's a fascinating subject!

[@Steeley67520]

I visited the Flak tower last month, great city, great memories👌

[@kevgoeswandering8488]

LOVE THE CHANNEL !!!! just discovered it fantastic....subbed

[@mario1997281]

Awesome! Can't wait for more :)

[@ww2nation]

+mario1997281 Thank you! :)

[@fudge2536]

Thank you for the great content.

[@MrShobar]

I believe that the marble cladding on the Soviet Memorial was removed from the Reich Chancellery Building before it was razed by the Soviet occupiers. New subscriber. Keep up the good work, gents.

[@apurvakmr]

the content is genuinely good. keep doing good work.

[@ww2nation]

+Apurva Kumar Joshi Thanks

[@Edward-ko9pn]

I just got back from Paris, France. What a beautiful city. But the fact is it wasn't bombed like Berlin was during WW2 so everything remains as it was before WW2. Berlin really took a pounding destroying many of the beautiful architectural and historical sites. Its a shame it couldn't have been spared. I know they have rebuilt a lot of the old buildings to look like their original but many they could not. Still though a beautiful city to visit, I plan on doing that next year :)

[@ww2nation]

+Edward jh It did indeed take a pounding but thankfully there are still some things that have survived. Have a great time next year!

[@daviddoran3972]

try to visit Zossen and the Seelow heights.

[@praeceptor]

Not to forget the rage against historic remains throughout the sixties and early seventies. The Stadtplanung (urban planning) of that era lead to restructuring of entire quarters meaning demolition for the construction of runway-like arterial roads and lots and lots of concrete buildings. This was fact both for West- and for East-Berlin. Though it was a global trend it's worth to mention that Berlin always has been under the spell of leaders who wanted to leave a mark by turning the place inside out.

[@cbm2156]

I imagine that the Russian troops buried in Berlin are treated a lot better than the German Troops that are buried in Russia from the stand point of taking care of their grave sites?

[@1joshjosh1]

I am 42 years old and I remember telling myself when I was 16 I cannot wait until graffiti goes out of style. I cannot wait until spray painting or marking up stuff that isn't yours goes the way of the dodo bird. Looks like I'm still waiting.

[@BELCAN57]

Nothing says WW2 like a good Chinese dinner! Great series, guys....keep it up!

[@christbdx]

In a way amazing to think that Hitler's new Reichkanzlei in Wihlemstrasse became a standard Chinese restaurant...

[@daviddoran3972]

I'm going to follow you guys.....because you are doing what I sooo would love to do!

[@ww2nation]

+David Doran That's great! Thank you David.

[@TheYizuman]

The fences around it looks brand new. I imagine to keep idiots from falling off. LOL

[@daveargue1908]

Very cool to see ,and on such a nice sunny day !i was there in 1986 on a very gloomy and depressing cloudy week with the wall up and running at full steam what a shocking difference !

[@ww2nation]

+dave argue Wow what an incredible time to visit though Dave. Were you on holiday? Work?

[@JPM6691]

I was there in 86 also. See my video " East West Berlin Revisited 1986-2015"

[@KorgKapperi]

been in berlin in 1984 and it was very decadent

[@rosscityofliverpool.983]

A good mix of old Berlin and new.

[@ww2nation]

+Terry Bowles Thank you Terry.

[@rosscityofliverpool.983]

+WW2 Nation ........Your welcome. Keep up the good work.

[@eriknieuwenhuijzen4072]

yeah Berlin is and stays always a damn nice wonderful city😉👍

[@simonk1307]

Superb

[@simonvirus6417]

Great channel

[@AVMamfortas]

You could fight an entire friggin' war in the time it took for you to get to the tower point.

[@ww2nation]

+A.M. Fortas Most probably right :)

[@thomasmorehouse4699]

Very cool !

[@ww2nation]

+Thomas Morehouse Thanks Thomas :)

[@banksroadmodernimage7358]

Impressive places here

[@ww2nation]

+n moughton Certainly is. Berlin is one of our favourite cities.

[@Budbee1974]

It would've been awesome to see more .The vids are really good but not long enough but i enjoyed them thanks f or sharing

[@ww2nation]

+lindsey bateman Thanks Lindsey

[@frankpineda1832]

Amazing 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@1982asd]

There is no beauty in Berlin, it has been very raw and mechanically built since the end of World War II It would not hurt to build a few beautiful Renaissance or or classicist style buildings in the center of the town The Reich Chancellery was beautiful, it was a pity to demolish it

[@ArrowSmith95]

i wish i saw this when i was in berlin

[@MT-tu8qd]

another nice video. just curious did you guys go to the eagles nest or Berchtesgaden.

[@ww2nation]

+MT Not yet but it's on the list. Hopefully next year.

[@gingermegs138]

Those flak towers did enormous damage indeed and the Russians had to actually bypass the towers .They could not put them out of action no matter by aircraft bombing or Artillery.Great Video Thanks.I always wondered if they still existed.

[@ww2nation]

+Ginger Megs Thanks for the awesome comment. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@englishmaninengland1451]

Ross, you look like Chris Martin from Coldplay wearing your hat.

[@eriknieuwenhuijzen8470]

yeah nice there where three flaktowers in ww2 in berlin 1 was totally destroyed 2 there Are some parts left in a park and That one in humbolthein uber nice flaktower!😛..sorry for the bad englisch..very nice👍

[@ww2nation]

Thanks Eric! Very pleased you enjoyed the video :)

[@jannegrey593]

+WW3 Nation There is Flak Tower, and Radar Tower on a square in Vienna I believe.

[@FuckGoogle2]

None of the flaktowers were destroyed in the war, all of them held till the end, the Zoo flaktower was demolished after the war.

[@groppermilk]

Hi guys, thanks a lot for your nice little coverage. Just a short side note regarding the proper pronunciation of the site where the flak bunker is located. It's the Humboldthain or Humboldt-Hain. The obsolete German word "Hain" simply means little wood (like archaic English "holt" or "hurst"). It's a public park and hence it's officially called "Volkspark Humboldthain". The start of construction was on September 14, 1869, the centenary of Alexander von Humboldt's birth (he was a well-known geographer and explorer), therefore "Humboldt". So it may be easier for you to pronounce the word if you think of two words, i.e. the personal name (Humboldt) and the old German word for litte wood (Hain). Greetings from an "ex-Berliner".

[@ww2nation]

+candleglass Thank you for that. We keep learning! :) I hope you had a great Christmas and enjoy the New Year.

[@stevendecuir4850]

I always did wonder where did Sledgehammer get the Call of Duty maps from

[@RagingWhoremoans]

I dont get why you put that red bar at the bottom of your thumbnails. Makes me believe I already watched this video, so why watch it again.

[@juanmanuelhernandez7396]

Tuvieron que dejarla ahí no? No pudieron con la estructura?

[@davidolien2828]

There were horrendous numbers of suicides in the flak Tower as the war came to an end.

[@tommyienhansen1448]

Respekt

[@proenglishgamer5947]

I was told by a Normandy tour guide that the last troops that defended the reichstag were Infact soldiers if the French SS

[@TechLiberator]

Can someone quote what he said at 4:44. "they used to fire ??? and did nothing", can someone clarify what he's saying? I'm confused.

[@seanellis8491]

all he said was, "they used to fire stuff at it, and it did nothing"

[@cIimber314]

"Peking Ente" it is not just an ordinary chinese restaurant it ist the most authentic chinese restaurant in greater Berlin

[@Collateralcoffee]

Alexander von Humboldt. He was a researcher. And Hain is a German word for wood or forest. So what you would pronounce it like is you would take something like the middle sound from school or cool, but shorter. Like a really short oo :) The rest is just like the word: hmbolt (without the d) and then something like wine, just with an h instead of the w. So: Hmbolt Hine :)

[@ww2nation]

+Collateralcoffee Got it! :) I will remember this for my next visit to Berlin. Thank you :)

[@blobby273]

just over 2 minutes of the actual tower

[@mrraspoetin]

the titel is flak tower and from the 7:13 minuts there is just 2 minuts of flak tower on film

[@jasbindersingh2441]

saw the brandenburg gate last year - impressive and would be even more so if you hadn't seen the pictures of it before the wall came down. surrounded as it is now by all sorts of crap buildings including banks and embassies and being as accessible as it is I think it's lost that sense of special Ness. before the wall came down it was effectively no man's land , none of the buildings which surround it now would have been about - isolated as it was I think the 80s was the time to see it... nów it's just another selfie opp

[@rsv_k7928]

In the 100th sub KEEP IT UP GUYS

[@ww2nation]

+Modelbouw Reviews Thank you very much for subscribing. We really appreciate it :)

[@rsv_k7928]

+WW2 Nation i love ww2 in the summer vacation im going to Berlin to.You got Some advices for me

[@ww2nation]

I would suggest buying a book called Berlin Pastfinder. Awesome book which will help you find lots of great places around the city. Plus I would watch our Vlog every Monday ;)

[@rsv_k7928]

+WW2 Nation thanks i sure Will do that

[@daviddoran3972]

in April 1989 I approached the Tiergarten Soviet war memorial which had a Soviet changing of the guard in progress at that moment.....a West German police man turned me back while putting his hand on his pistol...true.

[@ww2nation]

+David Doran Historic year!

[@mrcynical9368]

pity there was no video of the inside

[@ww2nation]

+David Bostondunn Hi David. There are tours that will take you inside, unfortunately they were not running whilst we were there as they start again in April.

[@chiznoids]

Where next gents?

[@ww2nation]

+Stephen Johnson Wartime Britain for the next few months Stephen. Not sure where next in Europe.

[@CarbonatedLithium]

I find the music too loud compared to the speaking....always having to adjust the sound

[@ww2nation]

+Carbonated Lithium Thank you for you feedback. Will certainly take note of this when editing future videos.

[@sixtiesmods]

I love WW2 the German side I have more of an interest, My Great Grandad was a POW in WW1 Germany,

[@steveh5005]

Modern life Graffiti just like Rome

[@fredch3802]

impresionante estas flak tower de los nazis..😐 la arquitectura búnker nazi es increíble cientos de diseños de hormigón..😨😨

[@wayneandrews9298]

guys , as if the superlatives weren't bad enough you had to milk them too .....

[@jordanjones3814]

I fucking hated this map so many deaths on this 😂

[@ProthSteriel]

its not "last" flak tower, c'mon there are few still standing

[@ww2nation]

+ProthSteriel That's great! Can you tell us which others are still standing in Berlin then?

[@kevinaustin5342]

Only 2 minutes are actually about title subject, Do yourself a favor and skip to 3:01 and shut off at 5:00

[@bradleylowden558]

Less talk

[@loditx7706]

Well, that was fucking boring. Why did you not go into the flak tower? There are ways. I have seen documentaries of internal exploration. Obviously you lack connections. For what you showed I could look in a tour guide.

[@davidlynch9049]

So, these are interesting videos, but not clear why you keep mentioning what you are eating and drinking? Not relevant to the subject.

[@josephstevens9888]

What is it with all of the graffiti? It seems so "un-German" to have public works marred with ugly graffiti in Berlin.

[@alisdairwatts9923]

Poor quality description of an historic site of great importance. Amateurish assessment. Not worth paying any attention to at all.

[@kukuruzgtxpravi8279]

bla,bla,bla.................bla,bla,bla....................bla................

[@steveh5005]

Very basic blogg, so much more information fantastic Chinese, fantastic Berlin, fantastic fantastic yawn