Guardian Angel

The “Siegessäule” – Berlin’s Victory Column topped with Victoria, the Goddess of Victory – in the middleof the Tiergarten, is one of Berlin's most famous monuments. It has reinvented itself through the agesfrom a symbol of Prussian military victories (1864-1871) to a favorite tourist spot today. The 67m high symbol of victory originally stood in front of the Reichstag at the former Königsplatz, today‘s Platz der Republik. In 1938 Hitler, with his plans to transform Berlin into the world capital “Germania”, had it relocated just 1.5 km to the West to its present location. It now stands at the center of a roundabout called “Grosser Stern”, a central intersection from which five avenues stretch out to different directions in the city. The house I grew up in is not far from the Sieges-säule, and whenever I sat on the roof of our build-ing, I marveled at the impressive bronze sculpture of Victoria, 8.3 meters high, changing its colors depending on the weather. Especially in the morning and evening sun, Victoria – who is called “Goldelse (Golden Elsie)” by the locals – has a mythic, graceful and elegant appearance. My parents grew up in quite religious Christian families; they went to authoritarian Catholic schools and had to attend Sunday school every week, where they had to confess their sins. In those days, the nunsin their school still punished the children physically. Especially my father got beaten a lot. No wonder that when they left their hometown they also left church and religion behind. In full agreement with the statement of German philosopher and economist Karl Marx that "religion is the opium of the people", our parents made it a point that my brother and I were not baptized. They left us the choice of what to believe in. The full quote in which Marx criticizes religion translates as: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people".So as a child I made up my own god and imagined the angel Victoria to be a guardian angel watching over my family and me, protecting us from any evil. I felt the need for a guardian angel especially when I had to take the subway. One of the five avenues lead-ing off from “Grosser Stern” goes by the Hansaplatz subway station | upper center with headline Berlin |, from where I had to take the train every morning when I was in secondary school. Hansaplatz has always been a meeting point for homeless people, drug addicts, dealers and prostitutes. Entering the station, I always looked over my shoulder at my angel and somehow knew that she would protect me. Criminality in Berlin’s public commuter railway systems has been increasing year by year. The rate of sexual assaults is higher than ever before. It almost tripled in only three years. People are pushed down stairways and even in front of trains. Drugs are soldand consumed. People steal from others, beat each other up, insult others, sexually abuse others. And what do the bystanders do? They look in the opposite direction! It is almost like a mathematical formula. The increase in criminal offences is equal to the decrease in courage to stand up for one's beliefs and values. People are scared. Too often people who try to help get hurt themselves. This situation must change. We need much stricter laws in Germany. I have seen several corners of this world and got to know cultures, like the Japanese, in which people treat each other very respectfully. They look out for each other and they believe in structures and following rules. The need for change is symbolized by the girl blowing the dandelion into the picture. Most people consider the flower as a symbol of fighting through the challenges of life and emerging victorious on the other side. So let’s stand up. All together. Because we are the people who can make a difference.

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