10/10/2002:
Berlin, city of the future
Imagine a city emerging from war, a city whose inhabitants cannot travel freely from one side to another because of a huge wall, a city once carved into slices by four occupying countries. It is difficult to do. However, this is precisely the Berlin of some ten years ago. On maps of the city, you can still see a red line marking the former location of the Berlin Wall. Nowadays, Berlin is one of the largest cities in Europe,
with a population of 3.4 million inhabitants. The city has seen the rise of
Hitler, has witnessed the defeat of Nazi Germany, and has been split into two
parts by a wall, each one with a different type of government: capitalism in the
western part and communism in the eastern sector, the latter overseen by the
Soviet Union. After World War II, the winners split Berlin into four
parts: the American sector, the French sector, the British sector and the Soviet
sector. The Berlin Wall was built as a means to separate the socialist eastern
sector from the others. Access to West Berlin was prohibited. In 1989, the Wall
was demolished, but it was not until one year later that reunification took
place. Then, it was possible to see two different social and economical
situations, and the differences can still be noticed. Walking
across the Eastern part of the city makes one realise the impact historical
facts have had upon the city. The more you walk towards the east, the fewer
shops and the more plain buildings you see, a sign of the communist era. The
Alexanderplatz used to be the centre of East Berlin. There lie the City Hall and
the Senate, a very beautiful red building. The capital of Germany and the most important city in
the country, Berlin calls one's attention because of its buildings. The
Parliament, called Reichstag, was built in 1894. During the Nazi years, this
grand building was set on fire, to be rebuilt only in the late 90's. Rather close to the Parliament building, there lies the
famous Brandenburg Gate. The most famous landmark in the city, this gate was
built between 1788 and 1791. Among the 14 gates formerly used as ways in and out
of the city, it is the only one that still exists. Unfortunately, the gate was
being restored when I visited Berlin... There are other historical buildings worth a look.
Among them, the Opera, a rococo-style building, and the University, whose
students have included Marx, Planck, Einstein and the Grimm brothers. Both
buildings are located on Berlin's most famous street, Unter den Linden, which is
more than 250 years old. Berlin is also a contemporary city of modern
architecture. Amongst the skyscrapers and buildings at the Potsdamer Platz, Sony
Centre is a place that stands out. A mirrored and aluminium-roofed building, it
has shops, cinemas and restaurants. It is a great place to rest after a long
walk through the city. Nearby, two colourful pieces of stone, which used to be
part of the wall, take us to a recent past. The Potsdamer Platz used to be known
as No Man's Land, because it used not to belong to any country. The wall was destroyed, but its remains can be seen
across the city. Some of them show expressions, signs and drawings of that time.
The history of the Wall, as well as the history of escapes from one side to the
other, can be learnt at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. The name refers to the
most famous passageway through the wall. It is said 5075 people managed to
escape from the East Berlin to the capitalist side, and 239 people were killed. In order to know a little more about the latest history,
it is important to see the Topography of Terror exhibition. Located where
Gestapo used to have its headquarters, it features pictures and documents about
genocide plans, religious persecution against the Jewish and the actions of
terror against the population. Major strategies included boycotts to shops owned
by Jewish people, and the punishment to women who had got involved with Jewish
or Polish men – having their head shaved in public. Besides that, the
humiliation of the politicians of Communist Party, obligated to carry mocking
signs when walking. Remains of the war can still be seen. The
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche church is the best example. Built in 1895, and
later adopted as the symbol of West Berlin, it was bombed in 1943. It has lost
part of its tower, but it is still fairly conserved. There, it is possible to
see pre- and post-war photographs and some relics that outlived the attacks.
Among them, there is a sculpture of Jesus that remained almost intact, even
after the war. Berlin is a city of various facets, combining its
historical origin and contemporary facts. It is also a place of cultural
effervescence, where underground trends come out. Every year, Berlin hosts the
famous Love Parade, a street party to the sound of techno, attracting millions
of people from all over Europe. The tolerance toward homosexuals and the
“naturism at the parks" is visible. Berlin is a city of the future, and
it deserves to be visited with time to be spent. It is necessary to hear all the
stories Berlin can tell and all the messages it can transmit. Pictures: - Obelisco: 1 - Federal Parliament: 1 - Cathedral and TV tower: 1 - University of Berlin: 1 - City hall: 1 - Berlin Museum: 1 - Church destroyed during World War II: 1 Translated by Traduzca |
