“All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’
– John F. Kennedy
Berlin, devastated by Allied bombs, punished by Soviet artillery and imposed collectivism, is history alive. Today the unified capital deals admirably with communal guilt and distance from “National Socialism; 1933-45.” Monuments to the victims, the Holocaust, the Wall cannot be avoided by indifference or recalcitrance.
Overwhelming contrast between former East and West, blurring in some districts, remains.
Western quarters flower with prosperity, renewal, and a cosmopolitan civility. The monotone Eastern “neighborhoods” struggle to emerge from a crushing grey sameness – families gentrify previously faceless strasses.
Our welcome, Hotel Am Steinplatz, is an unexpected harbor in our journey. It is an exquisitely designed, intimately-staffed jewel in the heart of the film and arts district.
The immaculate sauna and hotel spa soon becomes addictive, albeit with trendy guests comfortable “schvitzing” in birthday suits.
After a cursory tour of the decentralized sprawl, we elect to spend our days in leafy Charlottenburg, the area surrounding our hotel. From here we stroll to cozy coffee shops, terrific restaurants of every persuasion, and fashionable boulevards rivaling Paris.
The efficient AB Bahn train provides access to other areas for ventures to the Mitte (Brandenburg Gate, The Wall, the Reichstag) or other recommended sights. Hauptbahnhof station with 6 levels, glass, tubes, and escalators is “Bladerunner” realized. We quickly realize that leaving the serenity of our ‘hood is not worth checking the required tourism boxes.
One excursion to the Eastern side is noteworthy: we attend the Achtung Berlin film festival’s World premier of “Rabbi Wolff”, an Oscar-quality documentary that brought the new Germany into focus for us. I chat with Rabbi Wolff, wish him well, and feel exhilarated being part of the festival’s SNL-like ensemble.
Clearly this isn’t my father’s Berlin.
All photos taken on iPhone6S+
Click on any pic to ride the photo carousel:
Interested in how it is to be immersed in your new city whilst writing about the last.
Also I want to ask you about your father’s Berlin….?
Digesting the previous, whilst experiencing the present.
Spielberg edits his films, while shooting the next.
My father’s Berlin was a no-go zone.
Hogo,
Nice pics. A better montage than even the best Hollywood movie underdog sports training to throbbing music scene. We were so inspired we went to Der Wolfskopf yesterday for lunch, our newest fave pub here.
Stay groovy and carry on.
Rob
Howard,
I love this post and the photos and the way you describe the contrast. Lucy, thanks for asking the question about his father’s Berlin. What does that mean a no go zone.
Also I think you digest the present while visioning the future….
Love,
Meta
For many Jews, who lived through (or survived) the Holocaust, the images of Germany were not a welcoming destination.