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Citytravelreview and Curso24: journalism and language in Berlin. Internship, work experience, GAP!
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History of BerlinBerlin began as a mere crossing point on the
River Spree in the 13th century, but quickly
rose in importance as a centre of trade.
There would be no such thing as a single
state called Germany until 1871, but Berlin
was the seat of the ‘Elector’ (the ruler) of
Brandenburg, and in 1701 became capital
of the Prussian Empire, so it’s always been
central in the history of the German people.
The city was characterised from an early
stage by its tolerance towards different cultures
and religions, and gave refuge to victims of
persecution during the religious upheavals in
Europe during the Reformation in the 1500s.
Unfortunately however, this wasn’t the case
the for all: Jews were expelled from the city
between 1510 and 1648 when the community
was wrongly accused of stealing a religious
relic. Islam arrived in Berlin in the 18th century,
mainly from the Turkish Ottoman Empire,
which at one point had extended as far north
as Vienna. The city’s Muslim community
now numbers around 200,000 people.
During the Prussian era, many of Berlin’s
What a legend. This guy really knew his onions.
Frederick II was a very learned and intelligent
man; a fluent speaker of Greek, Latin, Hebrew
and Arabic, he was a military man who
supported the Enlightenment and enjoyed
nothing better than to discuss philosophy.
Also keen to promote the arts and sciences,
in his spare time he liked to commission
great new buildings for the city of Berlin.
Frederick the Great was a mighty force
to be reckoned with. Believing that war was
simply a continuation of politics (a view he no
doubt inherited from his father, the “Soldier
King” Frederick I), he is acknowledged for
bringing Prussia into the consort of Europe’s
leading powers of the time. By the end of
his reign, the territory of Prussia had grown
by 64%, state revenues had increased from
7 to 23 million thalers and the ranks of the
Prussian army had swelled from 80,000 to
194,000 men. The lands of Silesia, East
Frisia and West Prussia had been brought
within Prussian boundaries. Job well done!
Word on the street was that Frederick was
a homosexual; he did have a wife but was
never seen in public with her, they did not have
any children together and, oh yes, apparently
he liked to sleep with men. Uniquely, he was
bestowed with the title of “the Great” during his
lifetime, in recognition of his many outstanding
achievements. He died on 17th August
1786. Check out the statue of Frederick the
Great and his horse on Unter den Linden.
- Linda Cooke
7
famous landmarks were built, including some of
those around Unter Den Linden, between the
Brandenburg Gate (1791) and Museum Island.
Massive damage was caused by bombing and
invasion in World War Two, and much historic
architecture was lost or had to be restored. But
Berlin has always had a forward-looking attitude
towards architecture, demonstrated today by the
way buildings of all eras are scattered among
new construction sites and each other. There
has apparently never been the same nostalgic
reverence shown towards buildings as in other
major European cities.
Napoleon’s defeat of Prussia in 1806 was
a major turning point for Berlin. Under French
control rather than the old elites, the populace
began to adopt new kinds of liberal thinking,
and when Napoleon was defeated in 1813,
much of the Prussian army were volunteers
wearing black, red and gold uniforms. The
feeling was that the people themselves had
rescued Berlin, and in 1848 the liberal middle-
classes led a demonstration demanding more
political freedom, using the new black, red and
gold tricolor as their banner. A new constituent
assembly was promised by the King as a
result.
Berlin began to industrialise. New railways and
factories were built. With these developments
came new issues like workers’ rights and trade
unions. Prussia grew in strength, and the French
were defeated in war again in 1870, confirming
Prussia as the dominant German state. Berlin
became the capital of the new unified German
Reich a year later.
Culture blossomed, with Museum Island, the
College of Music, the Philharmonic Orchestra
and artists like Edvard Munch making Berlin
a major centre for the arts in Europe. The
population had reached two million by 1912, due
in part to expansion of the city’s boundaries.
Everything was turned upside down,
however, with the outbreak of The Great War
in 1914. Germany went into it full of confidence,
but ended up defeated and humiliated. A short
period of calm followed: there was a new
democratic administration, new technologies
like cinema and cars arrived in Berlin, and the
thriving cultural scene returned. But underneath
this veil of prosperity lay massive inflation, black
markets and political division between the new
socialist Left and the old establishment Right.
The crash of the American stock markets
in 1929 made Germany bankrupt; Berlin was
hit with massive unemployment and political
violence. A short, angry man with a silly
moustache had been gaining influence in the
south of Germany, using communists and Jews
as scapegoats for the country’s ills. Adolf Hitler’s
National Socialists (Nazis) came to power in
elections in 1933, with a third of the national
vote, though the figure was only 25% in Berlin.
8
Berlin Under Hitler 1933 - 1945It’s difficult to know exactly how to attempt to describe Adolf Hitler’s effect on modern day Berlin. In 1933 he took control of a nation in ruins. He then attempted to turn it into the most powerful superpower on the planet with himself as undisputed, supreme leader (Fuehrer). He nearly succeeded. In his attempt, he won considerable support in Germany, and some admiration abroad.
When the world found out the true extent of the horrors he employed to achieve his ambitions, however, it shook humanity to its core.
Berlin was to be the capital of that superpower, the grand, shining centre of a mighty empire. Instead, Hitler’s mad bid for immortality led to the utter devastation of the city, and many others.
It led to the deaths of countless millions of people: killed in battle and in air raids, or tortured to death by the secret police, or starved to death in ghettos, or worked to death in slave labour camps, or gassed to death in extermination camps. Hitler terrorised the German people into obedience. Then he committed suicide as his dream collapsed around him, leaving them to shoulder the terrible burden of blame.
If anything positive can possibly have come from such an appalling chapter in the world’s history, then Berlin today with its overwhelming disgust and intolerance of any kind of racism or bigoted attitudes might just be it. Berlin has seen first hand how destructive these things can be, and it isn’t about to let them happen again.
To get a good understanding of this subject during your stay in Berlin, you could do a lot worse than visit the Topography of Terror exhibition and the Memorial for the Murdered
Jews of Europe. But there are many other sites across Berlin important to this part of history as well.
Most obvious is the Reichstag. It burned down within a month of Hitler coming to power, allowing him to blame his opponents and immediately clamp down on political freedoms.
The Alte Bibliothek in Bebelplatz was the scene in 1933 of the burning of ‘Un-German’ books by Nazi supporters.
The Olympic Stadium now hosts the city’s highest ranking football team, Hertha Berlin. But in 1936 it was the venue for the Olympic Games, at which Hitler tried to showcase the success of his policies to the world. By that time he had dismantled all remaining democratic institutions and removed Jews from official posts.
The Jewish quarter near Hallesches Tor endured ‘Kristallnacht’ in 1938 when synagogues and businesses were attacked, and 1200 Jews were arrested.
The villa at Wannsee, just outside Berlin, hosted a meeting of high ranking Nazi officials in 1942 in which the ‘Final Solution’ to the fate of Europe’s Jews was decided, and the extermination camps planned. It is now a memorial and visitor centre.
At Rosenstrasse near Alexanderplatz is a tribute to the “Block der Frauen”, comemorating an act of defiance to Nazi rule in 1943. Hundreds of non-Jewish women protested over the arrests of their Jewish husbands, and the men were later released. Finally, the Soviet memorial in Treptower Park is a vast and hugely powerful monument to Russia’s war dead. It was used as a military parade ground during the divided post-war years.
9
Divided Berlin: 1945 - 1989Germany surrendered on 8th May 1945. Hitler was gone but Berlin was reduced to rubble. A third of its pre-war population of 4.2 million had left or been killed. The enormous clear up and reconstruction job was started immediately by the joint French, British, American and Soviet administration, but the diametrically opposed ideologies of Communism and Capitalism could not work together for long. Friction grew, and in 1948, the Soviets put an end to the co-operation. In what is known as the Berlin Blockade, the army surrounded West Berlin, isolating it from West Germany and the outside world. The Allies responded with an ‘Air Bridge’, sending hundreds of planes to maintain their part of the city with supplies. The situation was extremely tense: any sign of aggression from either side could have triggered a new war, with the added threat of nuclear weapons. That catastrophic possibility never occurred, but the uneasy relationship and competition between East and West throughout the Cold War period was played out here in Berlin. The bizarre situation of the separated city after construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 symbolised this conflict, and if people were nervous over the nuclear threat throughout the world, Berliners knew that their city would be the front line of any outright warfare between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. Communism was abandoned by much of the world after 1989 (though left-wing politics remain prominent in Berlin today). The opening of the Berlin Wall was arguably the greatest moment in German, if not European or world, history. The emotions were as huge as the implications: the pain was over; Berlin had suffered for 60 years since World War One. Now, finally, it could shape its own future and look forward with confidence. It was reinstated as Germany’s capital in January 1991.
Two Worlds In One City.
Western observers tend to view the West/East divide as one of good and bad, happiness and hardship, freedom and oppression. But that wouldn’t really be fair on the Communist administration of East Germany’s SED party. Unemployment in the GDR was very low, adequate housing was provided by the state, as were schools and hospitals. Organised community groups for the youth or for workers encouraged social cohesion, holidays were common, and nearly everyone had a garden. What people really craved, though, was the variety and individuality they saw in the West. Eastern media was censored, but it was impos-sible to prevent people tuning radios or TVs into Western frequencies. Contradictorily, the stifling monotony of equal, standardised living encouraged creativity. Punk music and fashion became popular in the 1970s, and people
personalised and decorated their homes, cars and clothes wherever possible. For those living in the West, the situation was hard, surrounded on all sides by a hostile regime. They had access to more choices of products on the free market, and better technology. They could participate in their own government, and say and read what they wanted. They were free to criticise, and many did. Not everyone was a capitalist, just as not everyone in the East was a Communist. The closeness of the two competing ideologies led to demonstrations and rioting, even terrorism.Fundamentally, though, the biggest hurt was the division: Berlin was home, and suddenly people were denied access to half of their home, to their families, and the graves of loved ones. And it was through no fault of their own, but because of the failure of powerful govern-ments to compromise with each other.
- Matthew Lovegrove
10
MitteIn formal dining, we learn to work our way from the outside in, in Berlin we like to say start in
the ‘Mitte’ and work your way out. Most people will have their first experience of Berlin
in central Mitte as this is where the greatest concentration of sights are that people come
to see, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the museums and the Berliner
Dom. Its interesting to note here that most of the grand buildings and beautiful pieces of
architecture in Mitte were part of East Berlin once the Wall was erected in 1961...no fair!
First thing’s first, get yourself acquainted with Alexanderplatz or ‘Alex’ as it is affectionately
known here in Berlin; this is sure to become the focal point of your stay, despite its Weimar
Republic ugliness! You can orientate yourself by the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) which looms
high in the sky and use it to calculate your whereabouts. Central avenue Unter den Linden is
littered with interesting things to see such as the stunning Museuminsel (Museum Island) and
makes for a super walk. However, tourist attractions alone do not define the borough of Mitte.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a sobering tribute and has to be seen to be
believed. It is a poignant and haunting piece of work which seeks to engage our emptions
in a novel yet ultimately stark way. Its size alone will leave a lasting mark on your mind.
Veering off to the north of Unter den Linden is Friedrichstrasse, which leads on to Oranienburger
Strasse and is a very lively area especially after dark and at weekends. The area is home to
a vibrant restaurant quarter, the Kunsthaus Tacheles and plenty of watering holes. If you head
slightly east of Oranienburger Strasse you will find yourself in the Scheunenviertel or ‘Barn District’
which is home to the historical Jewish quarter and a number of one-off shops, galleries, cafes,
restaurants and bars. This district fans out a little further north eastwards up into Rosenthaler Platz
where you can experience some Fair Trade dining (more details later) and looping back round
and heading south again, you will find yourself in the Hackescher Markt area. This too is a lively
neighbourhood; during the day you can go shopping on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, Rosenthaler
Strasse and Neue Schoenhauser Strasse, perhaps also taking in the Hackesche Hoefe, a
collection of various different shops and galleries all inter-linked by a series of courtyards which
makes for a pleasant, if pricey, detour off the main street. There are lots of options for lunch
nearby and as the sun starts to set and thoughts turn to dinner, drinks and dancing, the area’s
many restaurants and bars will no doubt keep you entertained for hours. So, there is much more
to explore here than perhaps you first thought? Our advice: tick the must see boxes as early
on as possible and then set about getting to grips with the real Mitte. It’s worth it; you’ll see.
13
Fernsehturm
Karl-Liebknecht-StrasseMar – Oct 9–0Nov – Feb 10-0Admission: €6.50www.berlinerfernsehturm.de
The TV Tower is 365m tall and its ball and
spike are one of the most famous symbols of
Berlin. It is a striking example of the Weimar
Republic’s attempts to demonstrate its power to
the world and an ever present reminder of those
days gone by when the East of Berlin, where it
stands, was inaccessible because of the Wall.
You can take a lift up to the top of the TV
Tower and enjoy hands down the best view
of Berlin. You will be dumbfounded by the
sheer size of this metropolis from the vista up
here; all you can see for 40km is Berlin. The
Tele Cafe, the revolving restaurant, serves up
averagely rated grub for pretty exaggerated
prices, eg. Currywurst with a baked potato for
€9.50. Considering the entrance fee, this is a
bit steep for most people unless you plan to
propose to your beloved here in which case I’m
sure you won’t even notice what you’re paying.
- Linda Cooke
Museum Island
Mo-Su 10-18
Entry (adult/concession): €8/€4 for individual
exhibitions, €12/€6 for all of Museum Island.
Free entry Thu 18-22
www.smb.museum
If you’re looking to get some High Culture through
those high-minded eye-holes of yours, the most
obvious place to point them is here. Berlin is fast
becoming the residence of choice for the world’s
artistic and historical treasures, and the flagship
of that campaign is anchored in the Spree River.
The Museuminsel is home to Berlin’s
most prestigious cultural venues: The Altes
Musem, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie,
Bode Museum and Pergamon Museum,
all built between 1830 and 1920 to support
the city’s last great cultural heyday, they
now form the nucleus of the current revival
that’s again bringing great collections from
around the world to Germany’s capital.
Unfortunately for us, that
revival isn’t quite ready yet.
The Neues Museum was bombed to bits
in World War Two and won’t be opening
up again until the end of 2009; the Bode
Museum was also closed for refurbishment
while this guide was being written, so we
couldn’t get a first hand review of it. However,
what is available is still hugely impressive:
there’s ancient artefacts galore, all lovingly
plundered from their homelands by nineteenth
century Berlin’s very own Indiana Joneses.
The Altes Museum houses pieces from
ancient Egypt and Classical Antiquity (Greece
and Rome), including the truly stunning, 3,500
14
year old bust of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt.
Pergamon’s main draws are the Museum
for Islamic Art from the Eighth to Nineteenth
Centuries, and the Museum of the Ancient
Near East covering the Babylonian and
Assyrian Empires. There’s also more of the
Classical Antiquity collection, and a lovely
3D model of The Grand Plan for Museum
Island’s future completed magnificence.
The Bode Museum headlines with
Byzantine Art, and support acts include
the Sculpture Collection and Numismatic
Collection (coins and medallions).
The Altes Nationalgalerie contains
three floors of paintings and sculptures
from the nineteenth century.
As Museum experiences go, these exhibitions
are firmly of the traditional, reverent and sombre
variety: you won’t find any flashy interactive
gizmos here. The displays are fantastically well
presented and accessible, but because the
descriptions and explanations in English are
fairly limited, you might want to go for a guided or
audio tour if you really want to know what you’re
looking at and don’t read German very well.
The buildings themselves are well worth a
look architecturally, and carry a lot of history
themselves. For example, Hitler used to make
speeches from a stage erected on the steps
of the Altes Museum, to masses gathered in
the Lustgarten in front (it was paved over at
the time). When Berlin was divided after the
war, Museumsinsel fell into the Soviet zone of
control, and the exhibits were scattered: some
remained where they were and some were
allowed into the care of the Western powers, but
others were taken away to Russia or even lost
altogether. The current programme of restoration
includes recovery, reunion and reorganisation
of the collections, and therefore the museums’
contents are constantly subject to change.
It’s highly recommended that you
check the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s
website (provided) or up-to-date literature
before planning your visit too thoroughly.
The attraction of free entry on Thursday
evenings should also carry a note of caution:
some of the exhibitions still charge, and
you’ll need to choose your preferred subjects
carefully as it’s impossible to see all of Museum
Island in one evening. The Bode Museum, for
example, is massive and reliable sources of
ours claim that even if you ran the whole way,
it would take at least an hour to get round it all!
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin comprises
17 museums and galleries in the
city, of which Museum Island is the
centrepiece. See website for information.
- Matthew Lovegrove
Altes Museum
15
If you find yourself in Alexanderplatz Bahnhof,
which is more than likely, given that it is Berlin’s
busiest station, you might be tempted to grab a
bite and a caffeine-hit at one of the many food
outlets. While the lure of lower prices is strong
in such a tourist-heavy spot, it is highly advised
that you pay a bit more for your hot beverege.
Prices at Crepes Bhf. Alex are appealing
to the walk-weary, but it is worth paying a bit
extra at nearby Dunkin’ Donuts if you don’t
want a drink which tastes like it was made
with the contents of a coffee machine’s water
tank boiled with a dash of extra long-life milk.
In other words, avoid this coffee at all
costs. Literally. And don’t even think about
complaining, they don’t speak customer service.
- Kyla Manenti
Perpetrators exposed
Crepes coffee? Crap coffee!
Shopping in Mitte
If you’re looking for a good place to shop till you
drop then you should most definitely travel to
Alexanderplatz and take a look at Berlin’s new-
est shopping mall, Alexa, an indoor shopping
center suitable for shopping anytime of the year.
As well as this mall there are several other
shopping areas offering outdoor shopping. You
can easily spend hours in these shopping ar-
eas, once there you are lured into almost every
shop just to take a peek at what lies within. Al-
exa has four floors of shops where you can buy
just about anything your heart desires. They
also have a very large food court with a wealth
of food selections and on the bottom floor there
is a mini food market and a general store.
If you aren’t up for shopping on such a
large scale then you can go around the platz
where there are many small shops selling
all sorts of unique items. Be careful when
shopping because there are several “tour-
ist” shops that overcharge for most items. The
shirts are usually the most over-priced items
within such outlets so just look around first
if you’re trying to stick to a specific budget.
- Madelyn HillAlexa shopping center
16
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Cora-Berliner-Strasse 1
U2, S1, S2, S26 Potsdam Platz
Information centre: 10–20 daily
Admission: free
www.holocaust-denkmal.de
Created by Peter Eisenmann and unveiled
in May 2005, the ‘fields of stelae’ is a visually
arresting piece of design; 2, 711 concrete
slabs each with its own foundation lie,
in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate,
like huge gravestones as though on a low
undulating hill but this is part of the effect.
What makes this monument stand out from
the rest is that you have to interact with it, you
have to walk through it to begin to understand
the premise. You are also supposed to go
it alone (the space between the stones is not
enough for two people to walk through together)
and this can actually be quite frightening.
As you go deeper into the memorial,
towards the centre, so the concrete seems
to close in on you and you feel as though
someone is after you or at the very least
watching you. In some cases, panic may even
start to set in. Perhaps this is the intention.
One thing is certain - this is an affecting
reminder of one of the worst chapters in human
history which urges us not to forget or live over
again. If you suffer from claustrophobia, you
might prefer to walk around the memorial in
order to appreciate it. Please remember that this
is a place of respect and of sombre reflection.
Do take care not to eat your lunch here,
sit on the slabs or let children play here; the
memorial is not a rest stop and there are often
guards watching out for disrespectful behaviour.
- Linda Cooke
Postfuhramt
This is a delightful piece of architecture
on Oranienburger Strasse which
used to be Berlin’s central post office.
During its history the building has housed
a postal and telegraph school, beneath
the roof there were sleeping quarters and
dressing rooms for the postal staff and the
courtyard was once home to coach houses
for the mail carriages and horse stables. The
Postfuhramt is now a multi purpose space
which is currently running a series of exhibitions.
- Linda Cooke
17
Oranienburger Strasse
Oranienburger Strasse 54-56a
http://www.super.tacheles.de
This glitzy strip with its bright lights is literally
jumping on weekend nights. The restaurants
are full to bursting, tourists look on agog at
the hookers who line the main avenue and
the Bellini lounges and cocktail bars compete
with each other for your custom with happy
hour overkill. Slap bang in the middle of all the
activity and noise is the Kunsthaus Tacheles.
This six storey building was built in 1907 and
started life as the entrance to the Friedrichstadt-
Passage shopping centre. When the mall
went bankrupt in 1928, AEG who founded
Haus der Technik took the building over and
used it as display space for their products.
During the Second World War parts of the
building were used by the Nazis for organisation
and administration, the fifth floor was even used
to detain French prisoners. Kunsthaus was
then bombed by the Allies during World War
II and was partly destroyed but not flattened.
After the war, part of the building was left to
rack and ruin due to East Berlin government’s
cash flow problems while the other half
was still being used for different things. Its
demolition was scheduled to take place in
April 1990 until a bunch of artists discovered
it in February of the same year and moved in.
The Kunsthaus is a pretty clear example
of the sub-culture of squatting and alternative
lifestyles, which grew up after the fall of the
Wall in November 1989. Now though, it is an
internationally recognised arts centre and
receives subsidies from the government to
finance its varied projects. The hulking shell which
remains has been graffitied within an inch of its
life and it’s now home to several artists’ studios,
a cinema, a couple of bars and gallery space.
Although the original spirit of individualism
and creative abandon is all but gone, there is
still a faint whiff of it in the air and that is what
makes this still worth a visit. When you first enter
the building, you may feel a little uncomfortable
in such alien surroundings but you have nothing
to fear here. Have a good look around, get
absorbed by the inspired atmosphere of this
loved institution and perhaps buy some artwork.
The experience doesn’t stop there
as the installations extend out into the
back yard and you can often catch
impromptu musical performances here too.
- Linda Cooke
Becker’s Fritten
Oranienburger Strasse
Berlin’s cheap and easy on the go fast food culture
is typified by Becker’s Fritten, a locally renowned
outlet selling home-made chips as well as the
ubiquitous Currywurst. A parked trailer opposite
Kunsthaus Tacheles, Becker’s offers a refreshing
approach to chips-in-a-tray based cuisine.
Choose from over 30 sauces ranging from
the exotic to the downright absurd. Some of the
popular choices include Indian curry, apple sauce,
salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, Hollandaise
and garlic mayo as well as your usual favourites.
- Anthony Pearce
18
Schwarzwaldstuben
Tucholskystrasse 48, Mitte
You enter the front door of this corner establishment
and are met at once with a black curtain around
the doorway, presumably used to keep the
heat in during the often freezing Berlin winter.
Once you have twirled through the
fabric, you find yourself in relaxed
and tremendously inviting environs.
The feel of this place is alt traditional and you
will find a good mix of people frequenting the
loungy ornate sofas, the small window tables
and perched on stools at the bar. Trendy young
people often sit alongside forty-somethings
and families and the atmosphere is friendly.
It won’t take long before the delicious
comforting scents of traditional south German
cooking emanating from the kitchen begin
to make your tummy rumble and you may
have to capitulate early on and order a
little something from the excellent menu.
The Flammkuchen are tasty, hearty and
definitely recommended. The bar is also
attractive, there are some stuffed animal heads
on the wall and coloured candles in yellow, green
and red flicker among the bottles of spirits and
crockery in cabinets to create a romantic mood.
Service is quick but could do with a smile every
now and then. They make their own Gluehwein
here which is cloudy and orange as opposed to
the more traditional red and costs €3.50. A cup of
coffee will cost you around €1.60 and a warming
hot lemon with honey will set you back €2.20.
- Linda Cooke
AmritIndian cuisine
Oranienburger Strasse 45
www.amrit.de
Amrit is situated directly opposite the Kunsthaus
Tacheles and boy is it an eye-catching sight in
itself. Brightly coloured fabric awnings and large
statues of Indian gods invite you into what feels
like a sumptuous cave fitted out with stylish leather
chairs and what must be at least fifty tables.
You can stop by at bustling Amrit just
for the happy hour cocktails which start at
€4.00 to begin your night or you can settle
in for a feast of very generous proportions.
The staff and the service are incredibly quick,
maybe a little worryingly so, but nevertheless
you will be well looked after and if it’s a speedy
meal you require, you will not be disappointed.
That said, it is also fine to linger on after your
meal and as this is a busy restaurant, you will be
left to your conversation while the staff attend
to the constant flow of customers who will fill
all the tables before you can say Rogan Jhosh.
The food here is typical Indian dishes
ostensibly cooked on a big scale and as
already mentioned the portion sizes are
rather large. Beware the starter platter for
two, it is served on a mountain of salad and
comes with enough food to fill two people.
A meal for two based on a shared
starter and two main courses with
no alcohol will cost you around €36.
- Linda Cooke
19
Hackesche Hoefe
S-Bahn Hackescher Markt
www.hackesche-hoefe.com
If you are travelling on a budget avert your
eyes now. It’s so easy to spend money at the
Hackesche Hoefe, it’s almost criminal. This is
essentially a shopping centre based around
eight prettily restored courtyards with some
cafes, galleries and entertainment venues within.
If you do happen to have a little spare money,
you can indulge in a little retail therapy here.
Hof one is lovely, take care to check out the
Art Nouveau tiles, designed by August Endell,
which adorn the facades. This is also home to
the Chamaeleon Variete, a venue which now
hosts comedians and singers but which used
to be a glamorous ballroom in the twenties.
Berliner Klamotten is shop space which
allows new designers to showcase their work
and there are some really nice pieces here, the
clothes are made to an excellent standard using
great fabric and although some of the items
are pricey, the workmanship is indisputable.
There are also some really unusual items like
one-off coats, shirts and skirts so if you’re into
your clothes, this is definitely worth a look.
Hof seven is the more romantic Rosenhoefe,
a cute warren of shops set amid a sunken rose
garden. For bath lovers, try 1000 & 1 Seife
www.1001seife.de for all manner of speciality
soaps and gorgeous bathroom accessories.
If you are looking for some good quality
clothing try Brandy & Melville, they are experts
in classic cotton pieces, or Stones for good
quality men’s clothing. MAC Cosmetics have a
little boutique here, as do Brille 54 for glasses
and sunglasses and there is also an H&M.
Just outside the Hoefe, on Sophienstrasse,
Johanna Graf-Petzoldt’s shop, Erzgebirgskunst
Original is very pretty and crammed full
of wonderfully crafted wooden figurines
which are timeless in their appeal.
- Linda Cooke
Eating Out Fair Trade Style
You go out for dinner, you enjoy your meal
and linger over coffee and good conversation
until the end of the evening when you ask for
the bill, right? Nope. Apart from €2 which
you put down to pay for your glass (which
you can then fill with any of the drinks on
offer – normally red/white wine or sparkling
alternatives) there is nothing to pay here.
The idea is that what you pay is up to you
so you are free to contribute exactly what
you thought the meal was worth. Each of the
fair trade restaurants is different and in some
places you will need to reserve a table. This
is upmarket food, the clientèle are well heeled,
the restaurants themselves each have a unique
vibe and this system really works. Please
don’t take advantage of the good spirit of this
enterprise and stand at the bar refilling your
wine glass until you keel over. Enjoy the
experience for what it is and spread the word.
Try Weinerei, Zionkirchplatz, Mitte
- Linda Cooke
Inside Weinerei
20
Prenzlauer BergPrenzlauer Berg was the Kreuzberg of the GDR, where intellectuals, artists and musicians
congregated to spice up the grey surroundings of East Berlin where any semblance of freedom,
whether it was a three minute punk song or a poem scrawled in a notepad, meant the whole
world. A wealth of artistic output was produced here during the 1980s as the subculture was
closely linked with the social reform movement teetering on the edge of legality. It goes without
saying that the Stasi were also prevalent here and sometimes they were all one and the same.
Since the fall of the Wall, Prenzlauer Berg has lost its gritty edge somewhat but is nonetheless
an attractive place to visit, full of trendy boutiques and bars, students, young families and the newly
renovated buildings offer a pleasant surrounding for bars and cafes which veer between hip, trendy
and experimental. The neighbourhood has a history ranging from squalid tenement blocks in the
19th century, wartime Germany when artist Käthe Kollwitz lived and worked here through to the
days of uncertainty and hope in 1989 and new beginnings in the 1990s/2000s.
To reach Prenzlauer Berg from Alexanderplatz you need to take the U-Bahn line U2
towards Pankow. It was at Alexanderplatz on 4th November 1989 that the East German
author Christa Wolff and others spoke here in front of 500,000 (some say it was as
many as a million) fellow demonstrators appealing for reform and travel restrictions to be
lifted with the slogan ‘We are the people.’ Less than a month later the Wall was down.
Jump off the U-Bahn at Senefelderplatz and wander up Kollwitzstrasse (there’s an interesting
children’s playground along here which encourages the kids to construct their own play
items from various materials) to see the gentrified bar and cafe scene on Kollwitzplatz with its
statue of Kathe Kollwitz. Turn down Knaackstrasse to go past the impressive Kulturbrauerei
which now serves as a nightlife and cultural venue after its former life as a brewery.
For a look around the quirky backstreets of Prenzlauer Berg you can go round the ‘LSD’
(nothing to do with drugs, don’t worry!) district of Lychener Strasse, Schliemannstrasse
and Dunckerstrasse up to Helmholtzplatz which has an undeveloped natural tone with a
mix of the old East Berlin grey and an airy residential feel. Back at Eberswalder Strasse
grab a portion of the ubiquitous Currywurst at Konnopke’s Imbiss under the arches.
21
Nip down Kastanienallee to go hipster-
spotting in the funky little shops and cafes.
Turn right down Oderberger Strasse to find
some hidden gems. When the weather is
pleasant small second hand boutiques flaunt
their wares out on the streets and there’s a
special waffle house, Kauf dich glücklich.
If you’re wandering around on a Sunday then
the Flohmarkt am Mauerpark can be found
at the end of the street behind the Friedrich-
Ludwig Jahn Sportpark. You can pick up
all sorts of knickknacks here; old bicycles,
obscure vinyl, the contents of a shed. You may
even spot a portrait of Erich Honecker resting
against one of the stalls. In winter, the cheap
Glühwein is a must to keep out the cold as you
root through junk to find some real treasures.
Kastanienallee
VOPO RECORDS
Danziger Strasse 31 (U-Bahnhof Eberswalder
Strasse)
Mo-Fr 12-20, Sa 12-16
Music fans of the world unite, there is still
hope. This legendary record shop, which
celebrates its 15th birthday this year, is a life
saver if you’ve been hoping to pick up some
quality German rock and punk as a souvenir.
Throw away all of your preconceptions about
the Germans (especially any that feature a
certain gentleman with ‘Hoff’ in his name)
and realise that they’ve made some cracking
rock songs, especially bands from the former
East Germany who did a hell of a lot more
to bring the wall down than the Hoffmeister
ever did. You can buy an album from here
that was originally conceived, recorded
and played around this area in the 1980s.
There is a mix of punk and rock bands from
East Germany, West Germany and the present
day either on CD or vinyl and if you don’t feel
like experimenting with German music history
there are more conventional rock, pop and hip-
hop sections. Or just go for it and get a com-
pilation album- you won’t be disappointed. The
owner is always willing to help with any ques-
tions or offer recommendations and there’s
a selection of band t-shirts, badges, patches
and music DVDs displayed as well. Prices
aren’t dirt cheap but if you’re after something in
particular that you can’t get in Saturn then it’s
worth every penny and let’s face it, this place
has ten times more character than a soulless
CD megastore back at Alexanderplatz.
- Katie ThompsonLook out for the logo
22
KONNOPKE’S IMBISS
Schönhauser Allee 44a- under the U-Bahn
arches (U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Strasse)
Mo-Fr 6-20, Sa 12-19
The Currywurst is a Berlin institution and
although threatened by the equally chomp-
worthy Döner kebab it is something you find all
over Berlin and you cannot possibly leave until
you’ve had one. They check at customs, you
know. The term ‘curry’ is, at first, misleading and
all you curry fiends will be rather perturbed when
a sliced sausage covered in tomato ketchup and
curry powder is plonked in front of you. Never
fear, after one mouthful you’ll soon want more.
Konnopke’s Imbiss is as legendary as Currywurst
itself and is regarded as offering the best one in
the city. You can’t go wrong at €1.70 a portion
and feel free to add chips and bread or even a
beer as extras. Please don’t try to take the bread
basket with you; it’s connected to the counter
by a piece of string and it will be embarrassing.
At peak times it feels like most of Berlin
and their dogs have descended on the place
but there is space to stand at high tables and
if you’re lucky you can get a seat in a small
covered area. Berliners tend to eat on the
go so there are no home comforts here but
you are at a good vantage point to watch the
world go by and for them to watch you get
tomato sauce all over your face. Guten Appetit.
- Katie Thompson
Flohmarkt am Mauerpark
Bernauer Strasse 63-64, 13355 Berlin
U2 Eberswalder Strasse – the market is just a
short walk from here.
Winter 08.00 – sunset
Summer 08.00 - 18.00
For all you bargain hunters out there, the Sunday
Fleamarket at Mauerpark is a pretty fun place to
spend an afternoon and quite possibly a few of
your hard earned euros. Established in 2004,
there’s at least a mile’s worth of stalls for you to
rummage your way through and arguably you
won’t find a more diverse or bizarre collection
of second hand stuff anywhere else in the city.
Flohmarkt am Mauerpark has it all: crockery
sets, furniture, old records, books, clothes,
shoes, accessories, posters and artwork, food
and drink and much more. Half the fun is in
imagining where the discarded pieces have
come from and what stories are attached to
them and in this case the stories could very well
be set in East Berlin before the fall of the Wall.
The market seems to draw a fairly young
and artistic crowd and this could be down to
the sheer inspiration of the variety in the mar-
ket itself. Ribbons, buttons, fabrics and sewing
machines are everywhere, there are quite a few
people selling record players and the books
range from Bertolt Brecht to Goethe and from
children’s annuals to German cookery recipes.
This is the place to come if you want to get
yourself decked out for less than a tenner;
23
especially pertinent if you have just arrived in
Berlin to discover just how cold it is outside -
you can pick yourself up a hat, scarf, gloves and
even a pair of furry boots for next to nothing if
you look hard enough and barter with confidence
where appropriate. Alternatively, for those of
you who are looking forward you will be able to
find some unusual t-shirts and extraordinarily
cool sunglasses to carry you into spring.
There are lots of quirky and interesting
things to look at, plenty of boxes to sift through
and of course lots of engaging characters
to meet en route. You can warm up with
Gluehwein and there are stalls offering cakes
and biscuits. If you haven’t already done your
grocery shopping, you may be able to pick
up some fresh fruit and vegetables here.
If you have recently moved into a new home
and want to find a few essential bits and pieces,
you might like to try the fleamarket as there is
a wealth of furniture, hardware and household
items on offer. Prenzlauer Berg’s ever changing
residents keep turning out their cupboards,
closets and drawers and consequently, there
are some real gems to be had here. You will find
what you are looking for and more. If you arrive
towards the end of the day you will be more
likely to convince the stall owner to give you
that pair of shoes for the price you had in mind!
Have fun digging!- Linda Cooke
24
Kauf dich gluecklich
45, Oderberger Strasse
Mo-Fri 12-1, Sat/Sun 10-1
This quirky waffle and coffee house is just a
short walk from Eberswalder Strasse tube
station and sits amongst some of the most
trendy and offbeat clothes outlets in the area.
Bullet holes pepper the building above the
manufactured scruffiness of the wafflehouse
fascia, a sinister reminder of the city’s
tortured history. Yet in this area the carefully
styled wear-and-tear look seems to almost
compliment the ravaged remains of old Berlin.
Step inside to a candybox interior where an
assortment of ice creams are encased in a
counter covered with jars of toys. Here is an eatery
where you can buy a novelty elephant waterpistol
with your cappuccino. Indeed, the name itself
literally translates to “buy to make yourself
happy”, and as it happens there is plenty on
sale. Even the furniture is available to purchase.
The waffles come with an assortment of
toppings including chocolate, cream, caramel,
and the house favourite – hot cherries.
Prices start at around €2.50 and if you fancy
something different there are several other food
choices such as soup, crepes and ice creams.
There are two rooms of mis-matched tables,
chairs and sofas where you can relax to the
sounds of glitchy electro or more tuneful numbers
from the likes of Bowie. Several shelves display
further purchasable novelties from jewellery to
strange miniature animals. Framed pictures of
flowers and rural landscapes hang on the walls in
a sort of casual stab at detourned kitsch style. A
second room sits to the right of the main seating
area offering additional seating and lounging
space, with access to the fittingly eccentric
bathrooms (complete with carpet and sofas).
If you are particularly taken with the style of
Kauf dich gluecklich, there is a sister fashion
store at 56 Kastanienallee, just around the corner.
- Kyla Manenti
25
Eberswalder Strasse and the surrounding
area is a hub of retro chic, with furniture,
clothing and knickknack boutiques galore.
While second-hand style can often be
thrifty and cheap, don’t get too comfortable.
Sadly, here it has been sufficiently tapped into
and exploited for prices to be unnecessarily
high. However, this is not to say that a
bargain can’t be found, and there are many
treasures to be had in these coves of kitsch.
Hours can be wiled away flicking through
rails of bat-wing jumpers, faux-fur coats and
geeky tanks-tops, or rummaging through
piles of woolly hats and vintage sunnies.
Expect to pay around €20 for a pair of
technicolour leggings and €85 for a bomber jacket.
- Kyla Manenti
Shop Vintage
26
FriedrichshainOnce a workers’ district after its formation in 1920, Friedrichshain is now an alternative culture
stronghold in the city after the gentrification of Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. It does not have the
sights that other prettier districts have but this run-down Kiez boasts a gritty charm, experimentation
and solid Stalinist architecture. It is also a chance to veer off the usual tourist tracks to see a bit
of the ‘wild East.’ Amongst the usual stream of new up-and-coming bars and restaurants, Berlin’s
artistic and cultural troupe have also made the move to Friedrichshain, together with the students
and the slackers, creating a vibrant scene around Boxhagener Platz and Simon-Dach-Strasse and
little pockets of subculture crop up in this area just waiting to be found by the inquisitive tourist.
Take the U5 from Alexanderplatz (towards Hönow) and get off at Frankfurter Tor to be confronted
by the imposing architecture of the former Stalinallee housing project. This monstrosity was built
during the 1950s to showcase the grandeur of the GDR (which, let’s face it, needed everything it
could get) but it was not without its malcontents as the 1953 workers’ uprising started here. It is now
a listed building, protected from graffiti and its mainly elderly residents are proud of their address.
Turn down Warschauer Strasse and note the irony of a McDonald’s nestling amidst Stalin’s
building blocks, firmly establishing that capitalism has taken over. Why not grab a beer from
the shop next door and join the Friedrichshain ethos as you explore the neighbourhood. It is
also around Frankfurter Tor that many scenes from the film ‘The Lives of Others’ were filmed,
particularly the unprotected graffiti covered facade around the other side of McDonald’s.
Go left down Boxhagener Strasse and explore little shops and snack outlets. The sidestreets
themselves have their own little stories to tell as Mainzer Strasse, further down on the left, was where the
police cleared out some of the last squats and alternative Wohngemeinschaften in Berlin in 1990 much
to the indignance of Friedrichshain residents and the riot that followed between 4,000 members of the
police and 500 protestors on 14th November 1990 has reached mythical status in the squatter scene.
Turn right down Gärtnerstrasse until you reach Boxhagener Platz. Punks
and bottle-collectors congregate around Boxi (don’t worry, they’re completely
harmless) and there’s a Trödelmarkt (flea market) here on Sundays.
The surrounding streets of Gabriel-Max-Strasse, Wühlischstrasse, Krossener
Strasse Kopernikussstrasse are worth exploring, particularly the Sticker Museum
at Dirschauer Strasse 16 for a bit of an off-the-wall (or should we say, on the wall)
exhibition and there is a mix of new business, shops and galleries in the area.
Back on Warschauer Strasse you can go and see the East Side Gallery or
you can rejoin the public transport network on the S-Bahn or the U-Bahn.
27
Abgedreht
Karl-Marx-Allee 140 - U-Bahnhof Frankfurter Tor
Mo-Sun 16-4
This is a rock and film orientated bar which
can get busy later on so it’s best to get there
in good time. There are film posters on the
walls and the furniture is an odd mix of old
sewing machines and cinema seats. The
atmosphere’s good for a chat with friends
before moving on to other bars or clubs.
Al Gasali
Krossener Strasse 21/Boxhagener Platz
Try this Syrian snack outlet as an alternative
to kebabs and currywurst where you can
get a tasty falafel im Brot for just €2. The
menu is vast and you can try halloumi and
chicken as well as the falafel, and add
salad and sesame yoghurt for extra flavour.
There’s room to sit inside and a selection of
drinks (no alcohol for obvious reasons) on offer,
try Bionade, a popular health-orientated soft drink
made from different varieties of fruits and berries.
Pizza Dach
Simon-Dach-Strasse 12
For a quick bite to eat to soak up the alcohol
that will surely follow, check out this little snack
place. With limited seating outside it is often
full but it offers good quality pizza at ridiculous
prices (around €2.50). Grab yourself a place
on the bench and wash your pizza down with
a quick beer. If you want to sit down properly,
try the other one on Wühlischstrasse 32.
Astro Bar
Simon-Dach-Strasse 40
OK, so it’s not as space-themed as we’d like
but it’s still got science fiction figures in glass
cases and red lamps which add to a chilled out
atmosphere where everyone piles into the back
room to chat. There are different DJs nightly
(Tuesdays are impressive). One tip: don’t go too
mad on the cocktails, the Zombies here are lethal!
All copy: Katie Thompson
28
Keep your eyes open for alternative venues
off the main drag, particularly around
Boxhagener Strasse, where it looks like
someone’s living room but is actually a
cultural venue and cafe/bar. Don’t be afraid
to go in and sample the local Szene where
you could be part of a film night or music
performance and if you’re lucky you might
be rewarded with a Volksküche (a community
project offering various types of food to
friends and visitors) or a Soliparty (a night
out with a political conscience) and a chance
to speak to the locals. If you stumble across
one of these you get the feeling that you’re
taking part in what makes Friedrichshain
special. We can’t possibly give anything
away, you’ll just have to have a look around...
- Katie Thompson
RockZ
Simon-Dach-Strasse 37
This cavernous tavern, with its dim lighting
and smokey rock theme is not especially
particular to Berlin. But if you are looking for
a drink in a warm, laid-back environment, set
to a soundtrack of classic, alternative and
new rock music then RockZ is worth a look in.
The name itself is a not-so-subtle nod to the
Roxy clubs which have punctuated various
moments in rock history, and the walls are
plastered with iconic record sleeves from
the likes of Peter Gabriel, Queen, T-Rex and
Zappa. Guitars are suspended from the ceiling
and a slightly dodgy plaster-and-paint topless
woman hangs before the archway to the middle
room. This is a transitory space between the
fuzzy cosiness of the bar area and the cooler,
lighter back room. Here the customary jukebox
sits amongst sofas and tables, the walls are
appropriately deep purple and a giant lizard
clings, guarding the second archway. The back
room offers the opportunity for some fun and
games with a fussball table, electronic darts
board and breezy palm-tree dotted wall-scape.
Drink prices are normal, with the average
beer costing between two and three euros,
and a spirit mixer selling for around five.
Smoking is allowed and there is no
discernable designated area so non-smokers
should take note. Clientelle is a mix of
older, leather and denim clad biker types,
young rockers and general in-betweeners.
This is certainly not a slick, trendy hangout
but the grubby, unashamedly cheesy clichéd
theme gives it a charm and lends itself to the
reliably comfortable and fun atmosphere.
- Kyla Manenti
29
Hatch Sticker Museum
Dirschauer Str 16, (Warschauer Str U/S Bahn)
Open: We-Fri 14-20, Sa-Su 14-18
Entry: Free.
A sticker museum. It’s a museum with stickers. In it.
BUT! Read on, please, because this place
really is worth a look, especially if you’re
interested in the related sub-cultures of street
art and skateboarding with their associated
music and fashion scenes. Stickers and
sticker art are very much a part of it all.
For a start, they’re everywhere in Berlin: on
signposts and posterboards, in pubs and public
transport, they’re impossible to miss yet easy
to ignore. The purpose of the Hatch Sticker
Museum in Friedrichshain is to increase the
appreciation of an overlooked art form, and
it’s the only institution of its kind ON EARTH!
At first glance, the exhibition doesn’t look
terribly impressive. It’s a small-ish room with
picture frames on the walls, each containing a
themed selection of adhesive artwork. Many
are promoting a clothing brand, a skateboard
company or a musical act; some carry funny or
political messages; others are purely for art. At
the time of writing, there were no descriptions
or any explanation of any of the pieces,
but the museum’s curator, an exceptionally
friendly and approachable chap named
Oli, was on hand to answer any questions
and explain the culture behind the stickers.
If you’ve been in Berlin for more than
about two-and-a-half minutes, you’ll probably
have noticed that there’s a lot of graffiti about
the place. Often associated with counter-
cultural politics, squatters, skaters and/or Hip-
Hop, it’s been a part of the city for decades.
Stickers enable artists to reproduce their
work in multiple locations. Hatch also hosts
guest exhibitions of Berlin street art, like that
supporting the Skateistan project in Afghanistan.
It’s not just about Berlin though: Oli receives
donations from across the globe. For example,
American Ed Templeton – pro-skater and street
artist – is a good example of the crossed-
over cultures that lead to sticker art: he now
runs a clothing and skate accessory company
called Toymachine, and uses street art styles
in his sticker advertising. Reef and Carhartt,
both major brands, have also used street
artists to design their logos and ads, and in
turn are involved in funding street art projects.
You may also recognise Shepard Fairey’s
image of Barack Obama (‘Hope’). It’s based on
his earlier street art depicting Lithuanian wrestler,
Andre ‘The Giant’ Roussimoff, which used
the slogan ‘OBEY Giant’. OBEY has also now
become a clothing brand, and the Obama image
made it on to the front page of The Guardian.
Hatch has been open since April 2008, and
when we visited in December it was still very much
a work in progress, with new additions constantly
arriving. Nicely, you can stick your own message
to his guest wall in the foyer before you leave,
hopefully with a deeper understanding of one of
Berlin’s most interesting underground art forms.
- Matthew Lovegrove
30
KreuzbergAlthough the days have passed since Kreuzberg was a shining light of popular protest,
punk rock and subculture, it has somehow managed to retain its charm, its character, and
most importantly its identity since the fall of the Wall. Surrounded by the Wall on three fronts,
Kreuzberg as the the last outpost of the West attracted the young, the disaffected and the
disillusioned – those magnetised to the Wall, the axis from which the West and East hinged.
After suffering substantial damage during the Second World War, the area was was plagued by
cheap housing and poor conditions particularly in the East. It quickly became the final destination of
those emigrating to West Germany. The Turkish community, which descended upon West Germany
en masse in the 1960s and 1970s, remains vividly present in Kreuzberg today - particularly in
Kottbusser Tor, the district in which the Döner Kebab was born in 1971. Indeed a consensus in
2006 suggested that over thirty per cent of Kreuzberg’s population remain non-German citizens.
Although the Berlin Wall played a pivotal part in the development of post-War Kreuzberg, whilst
virtually encircled the area was never actually divided. To travel between the east and west
districts today, however, would give a far different impression - the contrast is quite incredible.
Despite the West being more aesthetically pleasing, even with its own charms, it pales massively
in comparison to the ever vibrant eastern areas of Kreuzberg. The punks and the poets of the
east have long since relocated but their influence remains to be seen in everyday Kreuzberg. The
seminal punk club SO36, (named after the old postal code for east Kreuzberg - still affectionately
used), has survived all this time. A venue once graced by the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, it
remains true to its punk roots and also hosts a series of gay and lesbian nights on a regular basis.
The aforementioned Kottbusser Tor is an area drenched in graffiti, posters and stickers, and is
populated by fast and easy Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese fast food outlets. Second hand
clothes shops that offer a range of cheap vintage Berliner fashion are commonly dispersed
between the said restaurants, bars, markets and general convenience stores. Although Kottbusser
Tor and its surrounding areas are no longer the most lively, or indeed popular, areas of Berlin
today, the relaxed and exceptionally friendly eclectic venues attract local and international visitors.
Schlesisches Tor, another outpost of the West, is a more lively albeit dispersed area of nightlife within
Kreuzberg, which boasts one of Berlin’s most well known and popular late night venues, Watergate.
Panoramic view of the Spree with Friedrichshain on the left and Kreuzberg to the right
31
Trinkteufel
Adalbertstrasse 18
Located a stone’s throw from Kottbusser
Tor U-Bahn, Trinkteufel is a bar steeped in
SO36 traditions. The exterior is covered in
graffiti and interior is draped in heavy rock
and gothic paraphernalia, as well as punk
and OI! posters stickers that are plastered all
over the walls and toilets. The music switches
between metal and punk seemingly depending
on who is managing the bar at the time. The
beer is cheap at €2,50 for half a litre and the
atmosphere on the right night is electric.
- Anthony Pearce
Cake
Oranienstrasse 31-U1 Kottbusser Tor
Schlesische Strasse 32-U1 Schlesisches Tor
www.cake-bar.de
Squeezed between a shop selling all man-
ner of random tat and funky clothing outlet
Cherry Bomb, on up-and-coming Oranien-
strasse in grungy Kreuzberg, CAKE seems to
take on a life force of its own after dark. You
can’t miss its bold neon sign in glowing red
which beckons you in and you certainly won’t
miss the music which seems to shake (rat-
tle and roll) the whole street on a good night.
The atmosphere inside is jubilant and the dé-
cor is simple yet funky (think 1970’s pysch-
edelic print on the walls in brown and orange
and red and white leather diner banquettes to
perch on). The music is an eclectic mix ranging
from jazz to swing and from latin beats to soul.
The small dancefloor fills up quickly as the night
progresses so you may find you will have to dance
on the spot or in your seat but hey, its worth it.
CAKE is essentially a cocktail bar and you
can sample their specials such as the Long
Island Ice Tea (€7,50) from the Power Cocktail
range or try a house Cake Dream which fea-
tures Absinthe, Macaruja syrup and apple juice
(€6,50) or a Cake Light with Crème de Cassis,
Lemon Juice, Grenadine, Cream and Pineap-
ple Juice. Other quirky numbers include the
Oranienstrasse and the Lebowski. It’s not all
cocktails though, the bar has a wide selection
of tipples including a good vodka list, beers, te-
quilas, sekt and tabu absinthe. This is a small
venue so get there early to bag some seats.
Schlesische Strasse hosts the more laid back par-
ent bar, a traditional, low-lit European cafe with an
eclectic jukebox and DJ sets at weekends. The
CAKE cocktails are of course available here too.
- Linda CookeCake on Oranienstrasse
32
Wendel
Schlesische Strasse 42
Mo-Fri 12-2, Fri-Sat until 4, Su 10.30
www.wendel.nstp.de
This cosy, chilled-out bar is located on a long
traffic island opposite Schlesisches Tor tube sta-
tion. With a range of fruity teas, frothy coffees and
hot chocolates, this is a great place to kick back
in the afternoon. The food selection is rustic, but
not ideal for those looking for something hearty.
A range of organic cheeses and breads are
available, alternatively, there are several pasta
dishes and toasted sandwiches to choose from.
At night the atmosphere becomes more vibrant
and Wendel often hosts arty amateur film-mak-
ers or eclectic Djs to entertain the punters.
On Sundays, according to Berlin tradition,
Fruehstueck (breakfast) is offered. This includes
snacks (croissants, toast) and larger meals with
salami, cheese, olives and sausages. Break-
fast prices start at €2.50 and work up to €13.
The relaxed atmosphere of this joint is indulged
by the plush furnishings and mood lighting. Vel-
vety sofas and comfortable armchairs hug long
low tables which glow in the warmth of tapered
candle light. There is ample seating and socket
availability which means that anyone with a laptop
can take advantage of the free Wifi connectivity.
The white walls are covered with stripes
of black paint in an assortment of shapes
and the speakers play a mix of mellow and
more upbeat tunes from edgy artists includ-
ing Klaxons, Devendra Banhart and Le Tigre.
If you are looking to make a night of it head
on to nearby Lux club where fluorescent lighting
and cool-kids are a-go-go. Alternatively, on the
other side of Wendel to Lux you will find Burger
Meister, where the chilli cheese burger is well
worth a try, and reasonably priced at just €3.40.
- Kyla Manenti
Zur Fetten Ecke
Schlesische Strasse 16
Zur Fetten Ecke is a dingy, burgundy shaded
smoky Berlin bar with bags of life. Choose from
a range of spirits kept neatly above the bar in
what resembles a Victorian pharmaceuticals
cabinet, or pay around €3 for half a litre of good
German beer. The background music is usually
alternative and adventurous - expect a DJ to
kick off a set around 11pm most nights playing
everything from indie alternatives to down
tempo electro. Opens late most nights (and that
is Berlin ‘late’, you probably won’t be turfed out
until around breakfast time some mornings.)
- Anthony Pearce
33
Another Country
Riemannstrasse 7 (U7 Gneisenaustrasse)
Tue-Fri 11-20, Sat-Sun 12-18 (or until the last
customer leaves on event nights.)
Another Country is a charming English lan-
guage book store on Riemannstrasse 7, near-
est to Gneisenaustrasse U-Bahn. Offering a
host of fiction, from sci-fi to the classics, there
is also a wide range of poetry and non fiction.
Notably, the store also operates as a library -
return any book you purchased from there and
you will be refunded with all but €1.50 of your
money. On top of this the store offers late night
book clubs, film nights on Tuesdays and food
on Friday and once a month a ‘fantasy cellar’.
Expect a relaxed, cosy atmosphere and most
likely empty wine bottles from the night before.
The staff are friendly and happy to assist you
with any query you might have. Closed Mon.
Open Tue – Fri. 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 12 – 6, or
until the last customer leaves on event nights.
- Anthony Pearce
Adhering more closely to the paradigm of West Berlin, west Kreuzberg or SW61, with its
high street shops, trendy bars and up market restaurants, is a cleaner, more aesthetically
pleasing alternative to the east. Bergmann Strasse (not far from Gneisenaustrasse U-
Bahn) is the epicentre of west Kreuzbergian nightlife - an upbeat, relatively expensive,
more mainstream alternative to the above – a street flooded with restaurants to suit all
tastes. The Marheinecke Markethalle, is a modern western indoor Market, mainly consisting
of fast food kiosks, is located next to the more authentic feeling outdoor Market. Despite
the overall accessible and trendy vibe prevalent in west Kreuzberg, in typical Berlin
fashion it manages to produce a host of idiosyncratic art shops, bars and book stores.
Whilst Mitte and Museum Island are home to most of Berlin’s packaged treasures, if you
are looking to absorb culture in a more traditional fashion than the SO36 experience, west
Kreuzberg is always a good bet. The area is also home to a few monumentally significant
sites including the Topography of Terrors, the Jewish Museum, and Checkpoint Charlie.
- Anthony Pearce
Checkpoint Charlie
U-Bahn Kochstrasse
One of eight gateways between East and
West Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie remains by
far the most famous. Used for Allies and non-
Germans passing between the two Berlins,
the Checkpoint was immortalised in October
1961 when Soviet and U.S tanks squared
up against each other at this very site with
the world on red alert fearful of all out war.
Given its monumental significance, there-
fore, Checkpoint Charlie is one of the most
popular tourist destinations in central Berlin
- and it shows. Sadly falling into the realm of
the tacky, replicas of the U.S guardhouse and
the world famous ‘You are now leaving the
American Sector’ sign have been erected.
Whilst the museum Haus am Checkpoint Char-
lie is overpriced, although very interesting,
the site itself remains well worth a quick visit.
- Anthony Pearce
34
The Stasi Museum is just out of the centre in Lichtenberg, which is a working class district made up
of old tenements and Plattenbauten. Most of the outlying Eastern districts are like this, including the
enormous GDR housing projects of Marzahn, Hellersdorf and Hohenschönhausen, where post-reuni-
fication malaise has made this expanse of blocks of flats and shopping centres poor and unattractive.
It’s even worth a trip to these areas, if only to realise that while you’ve been walking the trendy streets
and frequenting the coolest bars in the best districts, this is Berlin for approximately 255,000 people.
Ruschestrasse 103 (U-Bahnhof Magdalenen-
strasse)
Mo-Fr: 11-18, Sa/Su/public holidays: 14-19
Serving as the headquarters for the East Ger-
man secret police, the Stasi (or Staatssicher-
heitsdienst), this grey, depressing building was
where all orders for surveillance, arrest and any
number of other terrifying things emanated from.
The Stasi was made up of various agents
who followed every footstep of someone’s life.
Even normal people could work as inform-
ers, snooping around after their neighbours
and friends and reporting their whereabouts
and whatever they had been doing. It is esti-
mated that 2.4 million people were spied upon
by an institution of 91,000 employees and
300,000 informants (Inoffizielle Mitarbeiter).
Thousands of files on GDR citizens were kept
here, with the Stasi organisation throughout
East Germany filling 125 miles of shelf space
with information on its citizens. Once the or-
ganisation collapsed and after a demonstration
on 15th January 1990, former East Germans
have been allowed to look at their files, many
with interesting and often devastating results.
The main building of the headquarters has
been turned into a museum and historical centre
and for only €4 (€3 for concessions) it’s a rea-
sonable price for such a unique and outlandish
collection. Only a state this paranoid would think
to preserve a person’s odour in jars for sniffer
dogs to detect and the museum itself has plenty
of such wacky surveillance techniques on show.
This is where it all happened. It gives
you the sense that you are standing
somewhere where history was made.
Inside, Ostalgie buffs will love the kitschy east-
ern bloc decor and history fans will be interested in
walking around Stasi boss, Erich Mielke’s office.
It is like walking into another world that seems so
alien now that we can barely imagine that it ever
existed, yet the Stasi relentlessly kept its eyes
and ears on East Berlin barely 20 years ago.
All in all, it’s a mix of the sinister and the
comic, with prison vans and phone taps set
to the backdrop of retro light fixtures and
busts of Karl Marx. There’s also a paternos-
ter for added novelty and no, you can’t go in it.
- Katie Thompson
Stasi Museum
The former Stasi headquarters
35
Eastern blocThe Trabant
If you had to wait up to 18 years for a car, you’d
want a good one, right? You’d want at least a Bat-
mobile or something, but in the GDR all you were
able to get was one state-owned model which
clearly had issues on the production line. The
much-derided Trabant (the translation is ‘satel-
lite’ or ‘fellow traveller,’ ironic as you could bare-
ly travel anywhere from the GDR) was basically
an engine surrounded by fibre glass and card-
board with barely enough room to fit one person
in, never mind a whole family. This sought-after
little car gave you just that little bit of extra free-
dom in a country where it was severely lacking.
After achieving cult status by their ubiquity just
after the Wall came down, the plethora of jokes
about their unreliability and nostalgia mixed
with the Westerners’ ideal of communist cool,
the Trabi has become a tourist institution, col-
lector’s item and symbol of East Berlin. Derided
and desired on an equal level they are now
affectionately seen as an eastern bloc Brum,
pottering and tooting about (now with different
engines) and you’ll spot one eventually. If you
fancy a retro afternoon, go on the Trabi Safari
where you can take a guided tour around Ber-
lin behind the wheel of one of these beasts.
- Katie Thompson
DDR Museum
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 1Mo-Su 10-20, Sa 10-22Admission: €5.50 (€3.50 concession)
Fun and family-oriented, this is a modern
museum with loads of entertaining interactive
bits and bobs to play about with while you learn
about life in East Germany. There’s very little
in the way of political history here, no lists of
names and dates. The emphasis is instead
on the everyday lives of citizens in the DDR.
Sit in a Trabi, and pretend to drive
it! Complete with rolling in-car film of
the city and rubbish sound effects!
Try on government-issue fashion!
Sit! Watch telly in a replica 1970s living room!
Read actual period books from the shelves,
and raid the actual period drinks cabinet!
Ogle at photographs of the holiday
nudist beaches! See genuine communist
boobs, bottoms and bollocks!
Hiss and boo at the Stasi, as you pretend
to spy on people though a fake TV monitor!
Cheer as you read about the people storming
their headquarters in 1990, demanding
access to secret information on them!
Then go for a pint and get on with your day.
The DDR museum is right in the middle
of town, close to many of Mitte’s main
attractions and is strongly recommended!
- Matthew Lovegrove
Trabant mural at East Side Gallery
36
Squats or Hausbesetzungen have, particularly
since the fall of the Wall, become an ever
present and controversial feature of Berlin
life. Although squatting in Berlin can be most
clearly traced to Cold War Kreuzberg, during its
politically active heyday, in modern Berlin most
squats are based in the old East - Mitte and
Prenzlauer Berg in particular. The fall of the Wall
and the ensuing influx of East Berliners to the
West resulted in an abundance of abandoned
buildings in the East. People who were
unwilling or indeed unable to pay rent pounced
and the squatting scene forever imposed
itself on Berlin’s collective consciousness.
Eighteen years on, those squats that have
survived exist, at first glance, as anarchic
communes run by the people for the people.
For one reason or another, however, these
squats have become almost universally
institutionalised. They operate as venues, bars,
cinemas and art galleries as much or even more
so than they do as places of free residence.
The squats, like much of Berlin’s alternative
scene, are friendly and welcoming despite their
often abrasive feel. Whilst they are hardly money
making organisations, they aim to generate
enough revenue to continue existence. With the of
exception of Tacheles, located on Oranienburger
Straße, which is the most prominent and
famous of all Berlin squats (see page 887),
they are relatively difficult to locate - even if
you are looking. Squat events are sometimes
advertised but by no means universally
and certainly not in the traditional sense.
Köpi, one of the most famous and radically
left wing squats, located on Köpenicker Strasse
137, exists as a perfect example of the peculiar
and often turbulent existence of squats in
Berlin. Köpi was first occupied by squatters in
1990, during the heyday of squatting culture,
but as early as 1991 became a legal property
subject to a lease, owned by the state. Today
the venue continues to be extremely popular -
hosting hardcore punk events on a nightly basis
over two floors, it offers cheap alcohol from two
separate bars. Food, vinyls, CDs and T-shirts,
as well as anti-fascist paraphernalia are also
available from various stands inside. Usually
an entrance fee of around €4 is charged.
By day, the squat doubles up as a cinema
and shows a range of left wing films. The squat
celebrated 18 rent free years earlier in 2008.
However, almost exactly a year before this
celebration the squat had been rather dubiously
sold to an investor for reportedly half of the
market value. Although reports were circulated
Hausbesetzungen
Kopi, Kopenicker Strasse 137
41
new owner intended to demolish the building,
originally a series of apartments, there was no
official word from his camp. With the scheduled
handover approaching, Köpi lawyers fought and
won a remarkable victory against the new owners,
being granted a lease on the first and ground
floors (as well as one full wing of the building) for
the next thirty years. The surrounding area and
associated trailer park continues to be occupied
by Köpi squatters without strict permission.
The Berlin squat scene, although vibrant and
quite unique given the historical backdrop, is
often misunderstood. The German authorities
and state are far less lenient towards squatters
than many perceive. As a Köpi squatter
confirmed to us, new squats in Berlin usually
only last a matter of hours before the police
raid the premises and evict the squatters.
In Neue Bahnhof in 1999, for example, a
newly formed squat lasted a mere 6 hours.
In 2005, a Yorckstrasse squat was raided by
police and around 70 squatters were removed
after their lease on the building expired.
The squat scene, as rebellious and brilliant
as it remains, functions within the framework of
capitalism – whilst this is probably undesirable to
the squatters, there is little alternative. Despite
this institutionalisation, even the aforementioned
Tacheles, a world famous squat, is facing a
potentially short future. Artists at the squat are
less than optimistic about reaching an agreement
that replicates the success Köpi achieved.
In addition to Köpi and Tacheles, squats exist
throughout Berlin. The locally famed Labyrinth
(Mainzer Strasse 7) nearest to Hermannplatz
U-Bahn is one of the most impressive West
Berlin squats still in existance, opening every
Thursday and Saturday night. Squats on Rigaer
Strasse 94, and XB Liebig in Friedrichshain
are also well worth a visit. Schwarser Kanal is
one of Berlin’s many gay and lesbian squats.
The squats continue to survive and quite often
thrive through this turbulence and uncertainty.
They remain a rock in Berlin’s hugely diverse
and vibrant alternative scene, highlighting
the remarkable possibilities of life in Berlin.
“Schwarser Kanal stays” - graffiti on the side of a Kopenicker Strasse building
42
The Berlin Wall remains the defining image of
the Cold War. It is symbolic of the corruption
of the Marxist ideal within the Eastern Bloc.
Everything that exists in central Berlin today
still bears the remarkable and unmistakable
scars inflicted by the Wall even so long
after its fall. The 87 mile long, 12 foot high
divide which consisted of 45,000 separate
concrete blocks, cost the equivalent of over
three million US Dollars, and 136 attempted
escapees their lives. The Wall, which stood
for a total of 28 years between 1961 to 1989,
has reshaped the course of German history.
Almost ten years after the Iron Curtain was
drawn across Europe, on 13th August 1961
the Berlin Wall was born. Walter Ulbricht, the
First Secretary of the GDR at the time, had,
two months prior to its construction, famously
proclaimed, “No-one has the intention of building
a wall.” East German Police and soldiers
(some of whom themselves fled) set about
the task of not only dividing East from West,
but surrounding West Berlin with barbed wire
fencing. By sunrise that day West Berlin was an
island of Democracy in a sea of Communism.
Within a few days the first concrete blocks were
put in place. Within just a year a second barbed
wire fence was erected. This second fence,
roughly 100 metres further into Eastern territory,
made any approach to the actual border near
impossible by creating an area of no-mans-
land soon to be dubbed the ‘Death Strip.’
Between 1975 and 1980 the final stages
of the Wall were completed and it took shape
as the imposing, soulless and towering grey
divide that we can so vividly picture. The
actual wall, most famously pictured covered in
graffiti, backed against the free West. Between
East Berliners, the Wall and ultimately the
West stood the aforementioned ‘Death Strip’.
Beginning with the barbed wire fence, the
strip was littered with beds of nails, dogs on
long leashes and anti-vehicle trenches, which
ensured those attempting to escape would be
spotted by guards stationed at one of the 116
watchtowers or 20 bunkers. Soldiers were
Wall to wall
Cracked Wall artwork at the Eastside Gallery
41
Wall was built with the intention of keeping out
Western agents and acting as an anti-fascist
rampart, the flow from West to East was not
restricted. It was their own citizens in East
Berlin they were trying to keep in. Prior to 1961
East Berliners had been fleeing en masse to the
West. In some cases East Berliners could travel
between East and West, such as when their
profession necessitated it, but all permanent
movement was forbidden. It is worth noting that
thousands of West Berliners did in fact move
East to join Communism. Many Berliners who
lived in the East still harvest fond memories of
Communism, high employment and low rent.
As time passed, however, the people of
East Berlin became more and more discontent
as the world pressured the GDR government
to demolish the Wall. After 28 long years, the
political and social reforms of Gorbachev, the
opening of the Austro-Hungarian border and
Guenter Schabowski’s famous slip-up, the wall
was finally brought crashing to the ground. The
euphoric people of Berlin, from both East and
West, joined the celebrations in tearing down the
Wall as tourists flocked to take a piece of history
home with them. Unsurprisingly, very little of the
wall remains in Berlin today. The parts that do
remain, quite ironically, are protected by law
and can be seen at three main sites in Berlin.
The most centrally-located piece of remaining
wall is unfortunately the least revealing.
Situated in front of the demolished Gestapo
offices, where the current Topography of Terror
is located, (Neiderkirchner Strasse, Kreuzberg)
a small segment of severely chipped wall
remains. The Wall here, on its last legs and
without the Death Strip, is strangely unimposing.
Throughout the city remains a faithful paved
line of where the Wall once stood, particularly
visible here in Niederkirchener Strasse
which runs into Zimmer Strasse (Checkpoint
Charlie). Look out for the occasional light
shows that run across this original line to
create a visually stimulating Berlin Wall of light.
Secondly, and most famously, is the East Side
Gallery. Here The Wall ran alongside the River
Spree dividing Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
With the western side of The Wall running
alongside the river and the eastern side being
obviously protected by the Death Strip, the wall
was by and large free from graffiti during the
Cold War. After the reunification of Germany,
artists from across the world were invited to
decorate the once grey blocks with their own
artwork, creating the world’s largest open air
gallery showcasing 105 different works over
roughly a kilometre and a half of Wall. Since
then the original art work suffered the effects of
weathering, graffiti and vandalism. Restoration
is scheduled for 2009, with most of the original
artists returning to re-paint their respective pieces.
Probably most impressive is the Wall at
Bernauer Strasse, which can be viewed almost
entirely in its original state. Here through cracks
in the Wall or from the viewing tower to its right
you are able to look straight into the Death
Strip. The temporary exhibition is informative
and helpful in giving you a real sense of location
and understanding of the lasting effect the Wall
had on the lives of those on either side of it.
The museum located next to the viewing tower
contains real and moving stories of families
divided by the Wall and various employed
methods of escape. Whilst the East Side Gallery
was intended to show the euphoria experienced
by a united Berlin in the early 1990s, Bernauer
Strasse demonstrates the hardships and
miseries of the city divided. The on-site memorial
is scheduled for reconstruction to mark the 50th
anniversary of the Wall on 13th August 2011,
with €11.6 million allocated for development.
- Anthony Pearce
41
So you’re too short of time, cash or patience for a guided tour and want to see the main
historical sites of Berlin? You’re in luck, we’ve devised an (admittedly) ingenious little walk
from Alexanderplatz, beginning with the TV tower and ending up at the Memorial for the
Murdered Jews of Europe. The once divided city is the full of powerful symbolism. Have a
stroll past some of Europe’s most famous landmarks at your own pace and in your own time.
A good starting point is Alexanderplatz,
which is accessible from most places. Take
either the U2, U5 or U8, or one of the S-
Bahn lines to get there. The station itself is
a bit daunting – it’s one of Berlin’s largest.
You’ll need to head towards Karl-Liebknecht-
Strasse, but if you use any of the main exists
and look for the enormous phallus that is the
T.V. tower, you’re good to go - at 365 metres
high, you really shouldn’t be able to miss it.
The T.V. Tower (Fernsehturm) is the fourth
largest free standing structure in Europe.
Completed in 1969, and looming over the
Berlin skyline, it was intended to demonstrate
the power of the GDR, and presumably how
good East Germans were at building really tall
things (NB: all three of the largest free standings
structures were built by Communist states - so
it does seem to be the done thing). There’s a
revolving café at around 200 metres, which to
be fair is pretty nifty. Oh, and look out for the
‘Pope’s Revenge’ on a sunny day: amusingly
the dome at the top projects a beam of light
that makes the entire structure look like a giant
cross. God, it seems, has a sense of humour.
If you’re full to the brim with admiration for our
East German comrades, locate Karl-Liebknecht-
Strasse to its right, and let’s move. The next site
on our tour is a more traditional, but deceptively
young piece of architecture, introducing an area
awash with the best in German architecture,
much of which designed by Friedrich Schinkel.
The Berliner Dom, built over ten years between
1895-1905, is hugely impressive. The Old
Museum, one of Schinkel’s finest works, with
its grand steps leading to huge columns (and
more recently introduced neon signs) demands
the limelight in the Lustgarten, the epicentre
of Museum Island. Behind you stands what is
left of the Palast der Republik – which, after
years of careful demolition, is virtually nothing.
Controversial plans to rebuild a replica of the
original German palace are in the making.
On the same road, to your right is the
German History Museum, and just past it
Berliner Dom
A trail of two cities
49
to your right is the Memorial for the Victims
of War and Tyranny. Originally a guardhouse,
the memorial is a poignant reminder of
Berlin’s not so ancient history. Although
you can take pictures, be respectful – keep
your voice down and remove any headgear.
If you fancy a Gluehwein pit-stop, which
is always a good idea, the markets to your
left are guaranteed to satiate your thirsts.
Feeling all warm inside continue down
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse and to your right,
behold the Humboldt University – the home
of several Nobel Prize winners. The likes of
Heinrich Heine, Sigmund Freud and Albert
Einstein all used to chill here, back in the day.
Bebelplatz, direcetly opposite, is the site of
the infamous book burning of 1933. Students
and Nazi sympathisers took to the street and
destroyed 20,000 books deemed too liberal,
Jewish or generally ‘un-German’. Today in the
centre of the square is a subtle memorial designed
by Micha Ullman. A segment of glass flooring
reveals a mass of empty bookshelves below.
Carry on down the same road and you’ll soon
arrive in Under den Linden. Beautifully lit at dusk,
the road is lined elegantly with trees that date
back to the time of Friedrich the Great. The road
leads directly to the famous Brandenburg Gate,
but before you reach it, prepare to be amazed!
The swanky Adlon hotel to your left is the site of
the infamous Michael Jackson baby-dangling!
Whilst the historical and political significance
of the next site may pale in comparison to
Michael Jackson’s moment of madness, do
try and pay attention. The Brandenburg Gate
is architecturally stunning. Built in 1791, with
the Quadriga sat on top, its six Doric columns
have witnessed some of the most important
historical events in the world. Napoleon
marched through it in 1806, taking with him
the Quadriga – rightfully returned in 1814.
Hitler, years later, used the gate to symbolise
Nazi power as he draped flags bearing the
swastika down each column, and from 1961
to 1989 the Berlin Wall stood directly in front of
the gate preventing any passage through. This
is the site where Reagan famously demanded
to Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. So,
yeah, all in all it’s a pretty important place.
Walk through the gate - 20 years ago this
wouldn’t have been possible. To your right is the
Reichstag, the German parliament, with its new
and flashy dome built by Sir Norman Foster.
Straight on is the vast openness of the Tiergarten
and to your left is the Memorial for the Murdered
Jews of Europe. If you have a chance at some
point you can go into the Reichstag, up on to its
roof and into the dome. The queues are long –
but it’s free and it’s amazing: www.bundestag.de
If you head left down Ebertstrasse, you’ll
arrive at the Memorial for the Murdered Jews
of Europe, a paved field of concrete blocks
of varying heights sloping into a deep centre.
The memorial is designed to be interactive,
so go in and experience the dark, uneasy
sense of uncertainty in the shadows. Although
as a memorial it remains too abstract for
some, it is well deserving of your time.
- Anthony Pearce
The Reichstag
50
Designed by Werner March for the 1936
Olympics, Berlin’s Olympiastadion is notorious
for its use by the Nazis but also celebrated as a
venue for home team Hertha BSC, the German
Cup final and for its role in the 2006 World Cup.
The stadium was also captured on film as part
of Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial ‘Olympia’
propaganda piece celebrating the feats of Aryan
man and Nazi propaganda was also famously
damaged here by Jesse Owens’ outstanding feat
of winning 4 gold medals right in front of Hitler.
Today you can still see the Olympic Bell,
which was cracked and damaged during
the Second World War, outside the stadium.
One of the best ways of seeing the stadium
is simply to go to a football match there. At
weekends, getting a ticket for Hertha’s home
matches is not particularly difficult, (you can
get them from kiosks named ‘Kasse’ in major
train stations or when you get there) as long
as they are not playing a very popular team
such as Bayern Munich. It can cost anywhere
from €12 for a seat in with the rowdy fans or
up to €35 for a more civilised central position;
it depends on your budget and inclinations.
It is also special considering a World Cup
final was held here (remember Zidane’s bizarre
head-butt?) and the capacity is 76,000, second
only to Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.
The atmosphere is excitable but not particularly
threatening and despite German football
hardly having the most flair in Europe, it is still
a great spectacle at such an impressive site.
As with most of Berlin, the new is layered onto
the old and the renovation and regeneration of
the Olympiastadion is key to its survival. Berlin
is at its best when something current and
exciting is happening coupled with a historic
setting. However, seeing the Olympiastadion in
its present incarnation as a modern stadium is
much more fulfilling than dwelling on the past,
even if the first thing you think as you enter is
‘where did Hitler sit?’ the atmosphere of football
soon drives out any ghosts from the past.
- Katie Thompson
Olympic Stadium
51
Meet the teamAll it took was a school trip to Berlin when Katie was 14 to make her obsessed with the city. She lived Friedrichshain during her Erasmus year as part of her German Studies degree at Warwick University and since graduating she’s been drawn back to this mad city to write about it. She can’t seem to keep away; maybe it’s the lure of good, cheap beer coupled with a vibrant culture and history that’s ten times more exciting than anywhere else. Katie is most likely to be found in pubs and bars or wandering around desperately hoping to bump into members of Einstürzende Neubauten and Rammstein.Katie enjoys cycling and can’t stand dogs, dog excrement and anything canine
Katie Thompson
Madelyn HillMadelyn was born and raised in the very small town of Ozark, Arkansas; a close-knit community where there is always someone to lend a helping hand. But like many people often do, she has outgrown the small town life and now prefers the bright lights of the big city. She enjoys indulging in the rich nightlife and amazing food on offer in urban spaces. She loves travelling and has done so extensively within the U.S to metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles which is close to many beaches and restau-rants; two things of great importance in her life. Las Vegas’ fascinating nightlife and Washington D.C’s rich history have both left an imprint in Madelyn’s memory.
It has been a dream of many years to visit Germany, making this trip to Berlin an opportunity she could not pass up. She has wanted to learn the German language and explore the life of people outside America for many years and so decided to make her dream a reality.In spare time she enjoys cooking, entertaining family and friends and watching movies. There isn’t much to do in Ozark but the people are friendly and being a laid back, caring person, Madelyn enjoys having the opportunity to help people. She now plans to begin studies and obtain a degree in Psychology.
“You only live once so live your life to the fullest and enjoy it.”
Kyla ManentiHaving grown up in Devon amongst the rural idylls and inherent close-mindedness of the British countryside, Kyla took advantage of the university experience by moving to London, hoping to expose herself to a faster pace of life and a richer backdrop from which to draw inspiration and learn.She studied Journalism with French at Kingston university and completed an Erasmus period in the French city of Lyon, where she became an active student of the French club scene. One of her fondest memories from this time is her involvement in anti-Sarkozy riots on the night of the French election, her first taste of Tear gas.
After graduating in summer ’08, Kyla decided to head to Berlin to soak-up some of its saturating sub-cultural influences. She hopes to share her experiences through her writing, and to deliver the kind of information she feels genuinely benefits a young visitor like herself.
Anthony PearceAnthony graduated from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth with a history degree in 2007. Upon graduation Anthony returned to his hometown, Telford, England, a town so mind-numbingly dull he was utterly compelled to travel. Having sought to launch a career in journalism, coupled with his desire to be anywhere but Telford, and his new found love for anything German, he has begun to focus his attention on travel writing. Returning to Berlin in late 2008 he helped produce the following guide.In his spare time, Anthony enjoys drinking Guinness, raving and poring over Voltaire. Anthony can’t stand the Eurovision song contest.
Linda CookeLinda hails from sunny Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she studied Law and French at Queens University. After graduation she left for England and following a brief stint working as a para-legal in London, she soon realised that the life of a solicitor was not for her. She decided to pack her bags and return to Ireland in order to take stock and embark on a new path as a writer, which had always been an ambition.An intrepid traveller, Linda enjoys seeking out new experiences and makes it her business to get a real feel for her current surroundings. She has come to Berlin to contribute to this guide as the lure of uncovering the secrets of this intelligent, sexy, avant-garde metropolis was simply too strong to resist. She loves her family, Italian food and French wine.
Matt LovegroveMatt grew up in darkest, foulest Gloucestershire in England. After qualifying as a Neurosurgeon in 2007 he spent a year working as a freelance dustman before turning to journalism as a way out of doing actual work. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, South America and Scotland, and has concluded that cricket should be used by politicians as the answer to all the world’s problems. In his spare time, Matt enjoys doing the washing up, growing vegetables in his garden and listening to BBC Radio 4. Berlin has taken him somewhat by surprise: being an supporter of English football, as well as an idiot, Matthew was led to believe that Germans were bad people and not at all friendly and welcoming to tourists, even if they can barely speak their language and go around getting drunk all over the place. When he grows up, Matthew would like to become a full-time writer of pretentious novels about historical French literary-types or something like that, so he can pretend to be clever in front of his dreadful pseudo-mates.