Berlin

If there is one word to describe Berlin in might be “more”. There is more of just about everything here. More things to pay attention to, more optimism, more development, more contrasts, and even more shopping than you expect.

It's been more than 15 years since the Berlin Wall fell and I was certainly curious as to how Berlin had managed to reconcile the two sides and how the population interacted. I thought the dividing line between East and West would be more stark – and it is in places – but it much more subtle than I would have expected. For much of the city, you really can't tell what was East and West and that is the result of Germany spending an enormous amount of money to put Berlin back together again. The whole country seems to be proud that Berlin is as it was before and I have never seen so much construction in one city. It's brand-spanking new, especially in the middle of the city. Germany will be paying off these expenses for many years, but it means that Berlin is unique among major cities in the world with lots of room to grow and a (largely) first class infrastructure. There are still working farms just a few miles from the main shopping district (the fabulous Kurfunstendamm) and brand new townhouses were for sale inside the “beltway” for less than $200,000. Try finding that in New York, London, Paris, Washington, or San Francisco!

Clearly the Berlin Wall left a scar on the city, but I was stunned at how fast the scar is healing. In most places you can't even recognize that the Wall was there. Berliners pay scant attention to where the Wall used to stand and indeed children born under Stasi domination are now young adults with a view only to the future. But the history of the Wall is still very evident and it is a shock to learn that 230 people were killed trying to cross the Wall and that West Berliners were allowed to travel frequently into East Berlin at some periods. Entire families were sealed off from each other, even as East Berlin could see the lights and sky scrapers in the sealed West. For West Berliners, the subway system went under parts of East Berlin and passengers could see old train stations sealed off as they passed by and couldn't stop. East Berliners could hear and feel the trains beneath their feet.

The Wall is a symbol for many things but one thing I took away from it was “luck”. When Soviet and US tanks stood poised mere feet from each other it isn't an exaggeration to say the world avoided World War III. The Wall was guarded by young kids on both sides and it is lucky that so many showed restraint and didn't let a terrible situation get out of hand. Even the opening of the wall itself was almost blind luck when an East German official accidentally read a draft working paper and mistook it for a formal order. In doing so, he accidentally indicated that the gates were open. It was also lucky that the US stood by the Germans. With time having passed, it was interesting to see that the US was criticized for not doing enough to help, that some thought we should not be involved, and even that Reagan was widely criticized for his speech telling Gorbachav to “pull down this wall.” With all the debate going on over what the US role in the world should be today, it was reassuring to see that keeping our word and out resolve had resulted in freeing people without bloodshed. I was proud to be an American.

One segment of the Berlin Wall is to be preserved and Germans used that spot for their “Topography of Terror” exhibit. As moving as the Wall is, this exhibit about the excess of fascism was extreme. It traces the rise of the Nazis and shows in graphic detail the persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and even immigrants. When over half the US population is less than three generations removed from coming to the country, it is a stark observation. The Nazis were extremely organized and they approached the “Jewish problem” with clinical efficiency as to how to be cost effective in killing people. They documented such conversations in their meetings notes. One exhibit photo was particularly disturbing. It shows a group of SS solidier standing around three men who had obviously just dug their own grave. The soldiers are laughing and one is giddy with glee – just as you see the bullet entering the brain of the main kneeling before him. With this exhibit and others around the city I have to give credit to the Germans: they faced their societal demons head-on and don't flinch no matter how painful.

The wars and policies of the 20^th century turned Berlin into a shell of a city. Virtually everything was destroyed and the fighting had been fierce. In just one 10 day period Berlin lost over 70,000 people. It was comforting to see that Berlin has bounced back.

Everywhere you went there was a sense of optimism and excitement. There are numerous areas with restraunts, beautiful buildings, and great shopping. Thanks to the real downtown area there is an energy that London and other cities wish they had. That isn't to say there aren't weird stuff there too. I went to an art exhibit that opened at 10:30 at night. It was held in the old “People's Palace” that the Soviets had built on the site of the original City Castle. Now being demolished itself, the art exhibit consisted of a bizarre mix of artists ranging from performance artiists and quasi-bands to sculpters, painters, and some who worked in mediums I don't even know how you classify.

Berlin is one of those wonderful cities you are sorry to leave. Whether it be the Charlottenburg Castle, the Russian War Memorial built in West Berlin, or the TV antenna tower that looks a lot like the Eiffel tower, there doesn't seem to be enough time to fully investigate. Ich leibe Berlin and hope that this century treats it better than the last.