The last Sunday was finally a very sunny one, with a lot of outdoor opportunities, plus the yearly open air free concert by Barenboim, but trying to be original, and curious to try something new, I decided to go to the Berlin Dungeon. Blame maybe the recent interest for documenting some historical posts about Berlin - coming up soon on this blog around you - or just the need to do something completely different...Anyway, maybe I should not excuse myself at all...
Conceived as a live show, with real actors and a lot of happenings, the journey is aimed to introduce the visitor to various scary moments in the history of the city - small kids, pregnant women and weak heart visitors better stay at home. The hosts are mean or better said very rude by purpose, like the jolly joker from the entrance that kept insisting to separate men and women on the way to the first adventure of the journey. At the first stop, you get to know Pater Roderich and his scary tales that are later continued by some in depth inside bloody stories from the time of the pest. Expect to feel worms moving on the benches where you rest listening to the story...
At the Torturer episode, you learn about tricks about using various torture instruments, and I had my modest moment of glory as I refused to enter a cage - at every stop, the guests are invited to be part of the happening, either as indicted victims of trials or like experimental patient in the time of the pest. My refusal to take a place in the cage adorned with a skeleton was reprimanded as an example of boredom, but better boring than ridiculous...
In a small hall, the secret court is judging various indictement, in the Inquisition style with some hysterical noes. The ambiance is more relaxed and everyone is laughing a lot. A blonde lady is accused of being a witch and a Mister originally from Bayern - the tours are available both in English and German, but for linguistic improvement reasons I preferred to go with the German speaking group - is accused of being a fashion killer.
The most interesting experience for me is going through the labyrinth of mirrors, trying to find the way through the catacombes. More blinded by the darkness - the entire experience takes place in the dark- we follow each other or we spend some seconds trying to recognize ourselves in the mirror. We end up in the catacombes of Hohenzollern where we meet a white ghost appearing and disappearing out of the darkness. It is the local famous white lady whose presence is told to bring a lot of bad luck.
My favourite scenery is also the newest introduced to the show, from March this year, presenting the 1848 Revolution, with sounds of canons and the cracking of the falling barricades.
One more scenery and we are done. We are descending the wooden stairs in the front of an improvised shop.
Inside, it is supposed to have a variety of sausages and meat-based products, but there is a pint of scarry story here too. It has to do with the famous criminal Carl Grossmann who turned his victims into the products sold in the shop. As I said before, weak hearts are not welcomed to this show anyway.
The show is over now, and I am just fine with it. Although not exactly my kind of historical setting, I must recognize that it is well made and the actors are playing good. Anyone looking to fill out a relatively uneventful Sunday can chose some entertainment at the Dungeon. And I did it too!
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