European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Berlin by bos the Limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti in the egyptian museum which was sculpted around 1350  eight hour continued from Page 5 original dating from six centuries before Christ. King Nebuchadnezzar ii ordered built a Gate Quot upon which Humankind in its entirety will gaze with  this is it and the King was not wrong. From the museum the bus winds through the former East Berlin about which Michael dispenses trivia. For example apartment buildings Are mostly no higher than 14 floors because any building higher required an elevator there was one car Wash in East Berlin he said and the waiting list stretched for six months. There Are currently 170,000 apartments in the former East Berlin that have been ruled uninhabitable until repairs Are made. The soviet War museum the name of this museum according to the pamphlet available is Quot the museum of the unconditional surrender of fascist Germany in the great patriotic War of 1941 -1945.&Quot it is located in the building where the unconditional surrender was signed late on the night of May 8,1945. To reach it the bus passes the Homes a Many now empty a where the soviet military Hierarchy lived during their Tours Here. They Are finer Homes than those in nearby neighbourhoods but far from grand. To tour this museum dedicated to the War Effort of the soviet Union is to suspend reality for the Brief 20-minute guided tour. Or at least suspend what americans have been taught is the reality. The pamphlet reads in part Quot the Victory won by the soviet Union and its glorious red army As the main. Sets Ronje not in a visitor examines an exhibit inside checkpoint Charlie museum. Thrust of the wartime coalition. Perhaps the loss of nearly 20 million lives in the War gives them the right to grasp the lion s share of the credit. But consider one of the 14 rooms of the museum. In it Are photos of smiling russian soldiers passing out soup and sharing Friendship with grateful berliners. The tour guide says that the russian soldiers worked quickly to save the citizens from starvation. No mention is made of the thousands of rapes and the Many murders that followed the russian Victory and have been documented elsewhere. But one of the spoils captured by a War s Victor is the Opportunity to write the history of the War in a suitable manner. History tells us that the surrender occurred May 7, 1945, in reims France not one Day later in Berlin. And one has to search hard to find mention in american history books of the abuses committed by . Soldiers. Soviet War memorial the next Stop after the museum is the War memorial where 5,000 fallen red army soldiers Are buried in Berlin s treptow Park. Greeting visitors is a statue of Mother Russia dropping her head in grief. When it Rains Michael tells us raindrops slide like tears Down the statue s Cheek but it in t known if this was by design or an eerie coincidence. This is a marvelous Park but the Stop is Only for about 10 minutes not enough time to View it closely. The memorial s main statue is of a 100-foot tall soviet Soldier smashing a Swastika with a sword while holding in his other Arm a Small child. Smaller statues Are of two soldiers a a father and a son a bowing their Heads in Honor of their fallen comrades. It is a reverential and solemn place Worth More than the 10 minutes this tour can offer. It can be reached by a Bahn. Get off at treptow Park Stop. Egyptian museum the final Stop is a Quick one at the egyptian museum which has an Entrance fee of 4 Marks. But it is Worth it. The Central piece in the museum a and the Only one there is time to visit a is the Limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti which was sculpted around 1350 . The bust is Beautiful. It could depict a modern woman As easily As one who lived More than 3,000 years ago. Her makeup appears modern. The features of her face Are like those we expect to see on a fashion Model today. The bust was apparently the master portrait in a studio at Amana from which All other portraits of the Queen were copied. The super Berlin tour ends where it began and covers much More than mentioned in this article. There is a Brief Coffee Stop at the Reich Stag a travelling look at the Kurfurst Tendam Berlin s busiest Street a Quick glance at the Charlottenburg Palace and More. There is no break for lunch but a Quick bratwurst can be grabbed on the run quite easily so you won t return hungry the tour however will whet your appetite to explore Germany s largest City at a slower Pace. In that regard it really is a super tour. The Telephone number of the it office is Berlin military 332-6523 or 7189. See related Story on Page 8 6 stripes Magazine december 31, 1992