My time in an asylum

My friend Alice and I visited the Lier sykehuset in Norway. It was a mental hospital built in 1926 and operated until 1985.

Between 1945 and 1974, staff at Lier sykehuset conducted experiments with LSD, performed lobotomi’s and tested new drugs which the pharmaceutical industry were not allowed to test. They also performed experimental research with radioactive isotopes on patients. Patients were known to have been placed in isolation and inflicted with prolonged use of belts and straitjackets.

Most of the buildings now sit abandoned and are due to be knocked down. Two of the buildings were fenced off and had warning signs, but two of them had an entrance way through their surrounding fences and an open door for entering the building through.

Alice looking around the outside of the building

Alice looking around the outside of the building

The exterior of block B of Lier mentalsykehuset

The exterior of block B of Lier mentalsykehuset

Alice looking for interesting things in an old kitchen

Alice looking for interesting things in an old kitchen

Me, standing outside block B

Me, standing outside block B. Thanks to Alice for taking the photo 🙂

The past 22 years of decay has left the paint in a sorry of state of disrepair

The past 22 years of decay has left the paint in a sorry of state of disrepair

Alice standing in the hallway

Alice standing in the hallway

After walking around the exterior of the building, we found this warning about stuff potentially falling off the roof

After walking around the exterior of the building, we found this warning about stuff potentially falling off the roof

Reichstag

The Reichstag is a spectacular looking building in Berlin, which was used by the German parliament from 1894 to 1933, then was gutted by fire. The German parliament moved to Bonn until reunification with East Germany in 1990, then they moved back to the Reichstag in 1999 where they are still based today.

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Berlin Siegessäule

I climbed to the top of the Berlin Siegessäule (Victory Monument) with my new friend Annette. The monument was originally built to commemorate the Danish-Prussian War, but by the time it was erected in 1873, it was also used to commemorate the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars. It was smaller and located closer to the German parliament, but the Nazi’s moved it further away and lengthened it by 7.5 m in 1939. The French wanted to dynamite the monument in 1945, but thankfully they were prevented from doing that and we were still able to enjoy the (windy) view of Berlin from the top.

Berlin moniment

Berlin moniment

Berlin moniment

Berlin moniment

Berlin moniment

Annette

Brandenburg gate

I visited the Brandenburg gate in Berlin. This is a huge concrete monolith built in 1791. It is has been used for political statements by Napoleon and Hitler and was made off-limits during much of the communist reign in East Germany to avoid it being used for political purposes. This situation changed after reunification in 1990, and now anyone can wander underneath it’s huge arches.

Brandenburg gate

Brandenburg gate

Berlin wall

The history of the Berlin wall is fascinating. The wall itself … not so much. It’s just a concrete/wire mesh fence really. Not much to see.

What has surprised me the most about the Berlin wall, is how many people I know who don’t know anything about it. They know that it existed, but not why or how it came to be. If you are in that camp, then I recommend doing some reading up on the subject. I’m not going to attempt to explain it here myself, as there are others who are far more knowledgeable about such things than I and can explain it much better.

Berlin wall line

Berlin wall