The Jetpacker

Berliners have always had an affinity for bears.  The flag of Berlin bears (pun intended) a bear.  A guy named Albert the Bear once controlled the land where Berlin was founded.  The Berlin Zoo’s resident polar bear, Knut, is world famous.  Even the name of the city is pronounced Bear-leen.

And over the last decade, the bear has become the internationally recognized mascot of Berlin… thanks to the Buddy Bear.

A Buddy Bear is a two-meter (6.5 feet) tall fiberglass bear sculpture that first appeared in Berlin in 2001 thanks to German businesspeople Klaus and Eva Herlitz and sculptors Anne and Roman Strobel.

The first exhibit was so successful that companies and artists started purchasing Buddy Bear sculptures to be individually painted and placed around the city.  Today you can’t walk a few blocks in Berlin without being greeted by a cheerful Buddy Bear.

Here are the ones we found…

Two Buddy Bears at Olympiastadion

International Buddy Bear on Niederkirchnestrasse across from Berlin Wall

Buddy Bear near Alexanderplatz

Another Buddy Bear near Alexanderplatz

Buddy Bear inside the lobby of the Berlin Fernsehturm

Buddy Bear in front of HEat restaurant near Berliner Dom

The Buddy Bears evolved into a symbol for world unity at the United Buddy Bears exhibition in 2002.  More than 140 countries were represented by uniquely designed bears holding hands in a circle to promote peace and harmony.

Many of those bears were sold at auctions to raise money for UNICEF and other organizations that assist needy children.  Since then, Buddy Bears have emigrated from Berlin to the far corners of the world to spread the message of unity.  We even saw this guy in Buenos Aires…