Berlin Guide » More About Berlin: Overview
Overview
Long before die Mauer was razed – or raised – Berlin was prolific. The reigns of Frederick the Great and his Prussian successors attracted a host of artists. A tribute to that era is the Propylaea-inspired Brandenburger Tor, which stands on the western end of Unter den Linden. By the end of the 19th century, Berlin cemented its status as capital and became one of Europe's most culturally affluent cities.
In the 1920s, Berlin faced insurmountable debt and the payment of war reparations. After fiscal reorganization and the arrival of figures like Walter Gropius, Albert Einstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Bertolt Brecht, the city enjoyed a second renaissance. Berlin also gained renown in other circles – its eclectic, underground cabaret scene was cutting-edge and risqué even by today's standards. Also during this time, the S-Bahn was electrified, giving the city's four-plus million people the impression that they were slowly inching toward recovery.
But political tensions escalated, unemployment soared, and Berlin began to outgrow its capacity to feed and house its citizens. These volatile times produced the Nazi Party, which plunged the country into a costly war that leveled much of Berlin and all but eliminated the nation's Jewish population. For the next 40 years, the city was cut in two: the Eastern portion, with Friedrichstrasse as its center-point, was under Soviet thrall; the Western half, centered on Bahnhof Zoo, was controlled by NATO countries. Even today, Berlin sometimes seems two cities: a modern glass-and-steel metropolis and a city of deep-rooted history.
The people themselves share in this duality. Residents prefer German, but most speak fluent English. The typical Berliner is serious, punctual, businesslike and knowledgeable of world affairs. "Herr" and "Frau" are used even in friendly conversation, and handshakes are the customary form of greeting. And yet, a sardonic sense of humor seasons many exchanges, and 21st-century Berliners exude a flair for the cosmopolitan.
Once the sun goes down, the entertainment districts punch in. The busy Mitte scene, headlined by Hackescher Markt and Oranienburger Strasse, features everything from fabulous German and Turkish restaurants to ultra-swank nightspots. Once home to the well-documented May Day student uprisings, Kreuzberg hastens to the collective pace of Oranienstrasse and Bergmannstrasse. Here, alongside countless restaurants and shops, are clubs that would be "underground" elsewhere. Schöneberg, Tiergarten, Prenzlauer Berg and Charlottenburg also thrive, thanks to their combination of touristy spots and alternative scenes.
During the day, shopping is available around Zoologischer Garten and along Kantstrasse and Friedrichstrasse. Charlottenburg is recognized as Berlin's premiere destination for antiquing, and, for sightseers, it boasts a castle and stunning greenspace. Meanwhile, the Pergamon Museum, Alexanderplatz and the Guggenheim are located in Mitte. At Potsdam, the German equivalent of Versailles, visitors find Park Sanssouci and Schloss Sanssouci, the royal retreat of Frederick the Great.
Indeed, Berlin's current renaissance began on Christmas Day 1989, when Leonard Bernstein's "Ode to Freedom" echoed off the crumbling remains of the Cold War, announcing to the world that the city was one once again. Intellectual. Sophisticated. Avant-garde. Bohemian. Driven. Berlin, having arisen with a start from its 40-year hibernation, has riden the ensuing zeitgeist into the new millennium.
