Shrouded memories & moving moments

My view of the Reichstag in Berlin

Exactly 30 years ago, in June 1995, the Reichstag in Berlin became a global symbol of freedom, change and artistic courage for a fortnight.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude completely covered the building with 100,000 square metres of shiny silver fabric and 15 kilometres of blue rope. A political building became a global work of art: for a fortnight, the place of power became a symbol of freedom, transience and the beauty of the moment. Millions of people flocked to the site and were mesmerised by the shimmering silver fabric and fluttering ropes. It was not just a covering, it was a collective sigh of relief, a celebration of art in the heart of a reunited Germany.

Today, exactly 30 years later, we at Music Travel Hideaways not only commemorate this extraordinary art project, but also celebrate the Reichstag as a place of great emotions, especially in the history of music.

I was at the Reichstag almost every day during the wrapping - like so many others - and felt that this was not just about art. It was about emotions, about amazement, about the power of the unusual and about courage for a better world. I carry this memory with me to this day.

And it connects with another very special Reichstag moment that has become deeply engraved in the history of this place and my life: David Bowie's concert in 1987, just a stone's throw from the Reichstag, on a specially erected stage in West Berlin, so close to the Wall that he could be heard in East Berlin. In addition to David Bowie, the Eurythmics and Genesis also performed at this festival.

Bowie sang ‘Heroes’, among others, and young people on the other side of the Wall listened in secret, with tears in their eyes. It was not just a concert. It was a musical act of hope. The stage stood symbolically between the worlds, between the now and the not-yet, between separation and the longing for freedom and connection. Bowie himself later said: "I've never experienced anything like this concert. It was as if we had really made a connection."

Today, in June 2025, the Reichstag is once again a place of remembrance. To mark the anniversary of the wrapping, one side of the façade will be symbolically ‘wrapped’ for a fortnight with a projection. It is a silent work of art that invites you to pause for a moment. I was already there, letting the projection work its magic on me and it was as if the past and present were talking to each other. Emotional, enchanting, powerful. It touched me deeply, the 24 high-performance projectors simulate the veiling and ‘set’ the virtual fabric in motion.

We honour Christo and Jeanne-Claude for their courage in bringing beauty into the political arena. And we remember David Bowie, who moved many generations with his music and continues to do so today - literally overcoming walls.

I love to fill such places with life and to absorb these moments and carry them with me. Music tours don't just take us to concerts - they take us to moments, to experiences, to emotions that transform us. The Reichstag, this place between history and art, between power and humanity, is a very special place for me.

In a world that is turning so fast, we need places of remembrance like this. And we need music that connects us, across all walls:

we can be heroes.