There is something about being on the same turf where my father was raised that forces a higher level of ancestral awareness. What were my grandparent's dreams when they had this home in Berlin built? Did they realize then that a copper-sided, basically pre-fabricated home would last a long, long time? The style of house they chose is now a topic for many discussions and and some thesis papers. A web search for "Kupferhaus" will bring up a variety of articles. One of the articles has my grandparent's named as original owners.
The exterior of this home is very close to how it was originally. The current owner has put a lot of effort into bringing it back to the original look. The exterior has been stripped of its white paint. The original embossed steel walls and ceilings on the interior of the house have been uncovered allowing magnets to be used anywhere for putting up art. The inside has some changes as I would expect to happen over time. A different and larger room is now the kitchen and my father's bedroom is now a modern bathroom.
Though the backyard property line has been shortened over time, it wasn't difficult to envision my father and aunt and my grandparents making this a home. The old photos we have help me make the transition between then and now. If there hadn't been political issues, especially against Jews, how long might my grandparents have lived in the home they built?
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