Berlin : The Realm of Thousands Moods
"Zeit is eine Illusion". Time is an illusion. Albert Einstein
Where to begin? This is the question I asked myself when I started my stay in Berlin; and this is the very same question I am asking myself right now, trying to find a proper introduction to my Berlin section. Some of you who already know World of Wander are maybe surprised to see a page about Berlin and not about Germany. Let us start with that: Berlin is such a particular city and was such an experience to me that I deeply believe it deserves special attention. I will not sound very original if I say that I fell in love with this city. But I really did. On the other hand, I hope to bring an original vision of it, as I have lived there for a couple of months. So let us begin with "my" district: Mitte.
Picturesque view of the Museuminsel, crossing the Weidendammer Bridge (Mitte).
I was very lucky to live in this very nice area located in the "center" of Berlin. You will find out that the term "center" does not make much sense in Berlin, unless you define it. If you mean the geographical center of Berlin, then it is Mitte. If you talk about the cultural core of the city, then Mitte is only one of them. Yes, Berlin has got several centers.
This being said, Mitte is a very charming place to live in since this suburb is characterized by a great diversity. You will come across stores, museums (on the beautiful Museuminsel, "Island of museums"), and nice little bars and cafés, both alternative and luxurious. My favorite bar belongs to the first category: "Mein Haus am See", a bar furnished with old sofas and decorated with hand-drawings on the walls.
In this suburb you can also find Friedrichstrasse and its old station. This long and wide shopping street was named in homage to Frederick I, Duke of Prussia. There are three beautiful highlights on Friedrichstrasse that you should not miss: the old Weidendammer Bridge over the Spree, the perpendicular Unter den Linden street, and the 19th Century train station.
This being said, Mitte is a very charming place to live in since this suburb is characterized by a great diversity. You will come across stores, museums (on the beautiful Museuminsel, "Island of museums"), and nice little bars and cafés, both alternative and luxurious. My favorite bar belongs to the first category: "Mein Haus am See", a bar furnished with old sofas and decorated with hand-drawings on the walls.
In this suburb you can also find Friedrichstrasse and its old station. This long and wide shopping street was named in homage to Frederick I, Duke of Prussia. There are three beautiful highlights on Friedrichstrasse that you should not miss: the old Weidendammer Bridge over the Spree, the perpendicular Unter den Linden street, and the 19th Century train station.
Kunsthaus Tacheles, former art center. "How long is now?"
But Mitte is also a mirror of the changing aspects of Berlin. If you chat with its inhabitants, you will soon realize how the city has changed and lost pieces of "authenticity". For example, a community of artists used to gather in the Kunsthaus Tacheles ("straight talking" in Yiddish). Artists have been evicted and the old building is now closed, probably waiting for its demolition and replacement. This is a bittersweet coincidence that a graffiti saying "how long is now?" still remains on its wall...
Nevertheless, this does not take away the very dynamic artistic life in the city. Berlin is still known as a very prolific place in the field of music, exhibitions, art galleries, etc. And I have been able to verify this claim. In Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, for example, countless private galleries can be visited. At night, the choice is hard to make when facing the hundreds of live music bars or clubs. Some original places, such as the club called Chalet, combine two sorts of art : painting and music. There is even one movie theater that projects a surprise movie on Monday. So no place for boredom nor sheep counting.
Not far from the Kunsthaus Tacheles is the new Synagogue. Its gold and blue dome shines at the bite of the sunbeams. Built in the 19th Century, its eastern Moorish style beautifully contrasts with the surrounding buildings.
Nevertheless, this does not take away the very dynamic artistic life in the city. Berlin is still known as a very prolific place in the field of music, exhibitions, art galleries, etc. And I have been able to verify this claim. In Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, for example, countless private galleries can be visited. At night, the choice is hard to make when facing the hundreds of live music bars or clubs. Some original places, such as the club called Chalet, combine two sorts of art : painting and music. There is even one movie theater that projects a surprise movie on Monday. So no place for boredom nor sheep counting.
Not far from the Kunsthaus Tacheles is the new Synagogue. Its gold and blue dome shines at the bite of the sunbeams. Built in the 19th Century, its eastern Moorish style beautifully contrasts with the surrounding buildings.
Kurfürstendamm avenue, in the luxurious Charlottenburg district.
So, "how long is now?" That is actually a question that I kind of resolved thanks to my stay in this unique city. And I am convinced you will also find your own answer if you spend more than a few days in it. Before going to Berlin, I had this widespread (and painful) conception of time that forces you to make it profitable. Time is money. Time flies. Time is work.
But I think time is whatever you want it to be. By fearing to lose it, we actually forget to take it. Berlin, this timeless city, taught me to take it and stop running after it. Live the present moment, and this "now" will last forever. This is my answer.
Berlin is timeless because of its historical depths. From Charlottenburg to Wahrschauerstrasse, impressive reminders of past times give rhythm to any of you wander through the city.
But I think time is whatever you want it to be. By fearing to lose it, we actually forget to take it. Berlin, this timeless city, taught me to take it and stop running after it. Live the present moment, and this "now" will last forever. This is my answer.
Berlin is timeless because of its historical depths. From Charlottenburg to Wahrschauerstrasse, impressive reminders of past times give rhythm to any of you wander through the city.
Brandenburgertor and the quadriga on its top.
For example, the famous Brandenburger Tor, photographed by each tourist walking through it, is a reminiscence of the German Kingdom of Prussia. The quadriga, a chart of four horses driven by the Goddess Victoria, overlooks the Street of June 17th - a commemoration of the uprising of the East Berliners Workers in 1953. The protesting workers were shot by the Red Army and the Police. It was a city gate built in the 18th Century and commissioned by Frederik William II of Prussia as a symbol of peace. This was indeed special since it was not part of the old fortifications of the city. It is hard to believe but Berlin was a small walled city included in a star shaped fort.
This Gate surprisingly survived through the ages and was used as a symbol in different contexts: the Nazis seized it as a party symbol during their ascension to power; after being badly damaged during World War II, it was decided to let a few holes apparent in order to remember the sufferings of the war; while Germany was parted during the Cold War, the Gate was isolated and inaccessible; when Germany was officially reunited in 1990, it was photographed as a sign of reunification. Now, it is seen as a symbolic monument of the restless history of Europe and Germany, as well as an image of a unified and peaceful Europe.
Paying homage to past events is a widespread "culture" in Berlin. The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche Church is probably one of the best examples: almost destroyed during Word War II, its ruin is still standing in Kurfürstendam (Charlottenburg). The will to preserve sections and pieces of the Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) and the paintings on it also speaks for itself. Other smaller pieces of remembrance of the wars are to be seen in the whole city, such as the hole of a munition in the metallic structure of an old bridge in Charlottenburg or the continuous line reminding the location of the Berliner Wall.
This Gate surprisingly survived through the ages and was used as a symbol in different contexts: the Nazis seized it as a party symbol during their ascension to power; after being badly damaged during World War II, it was decided to let a few holes apparent in order to remember the sufferings of the war; while Germany was parted during the Cold War, the Gate was isolated and inaccessible; when Germany was officially reunited in 1990, it was photographed as a sign of reunification. Now, it is seen as a symbolic monument of the restless history of Europe and Germany, as well as an image of a unified and peaceful Europe.
Paying homage to past events is a widespread "culture" in Berlin. The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche Church is probably one of the best examples: almost destroyed during Word War II, its ruin is still standing in Kurfürstendam (Charlottenburg). The will to preserve sections and pieces of the Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) and the paintings on it also speaks for itself. Other smaller pieces of remembrance of the wars are to be seen in the whole city, such as the hole of a munition in the metallic structure of an old bridge in Charlottenburg or the continuous line reminding the location of the Berliner Wall.
Holocaust Memorial, designed by Peter Eisenman and Buro Happold, 2004.
As I tried to express, Berliners pay a huge importance to memory, to remembering what their ancestors have been through. Memory is the heart of all civilizations and assures its durability. It is a motor for the evolution and improvement of societies. But it is also a fertilizer for their rebirth after tragedies; it reminds the destructive mistakes that must be avoided in the future.
I am not going to enter in historical considerations regarding World War II, this has already been made. But I want to highlight the fantastic work of memory the German society has carried out, work on which other governments should take example. The Holocaust Denkmal, built between 2003 and 2004, is probably one of the most brilliant examples. Located in Mitte, next to the Brandenburger Gate, it is a must-see in Berlin.
I am not going to enter in historical considerations regarding World War II, this has already been made. But I want to highlight the fantastic work of memory the German society has carried out, work on which other governments should take example. The Holocaust Denkmal, built between 2003 and 2004, is probably one of the most brilliant examples. Located in Mitte, next to the Brandenburger Gate, it is a must-see in Berlin.
A strange feeling mixed with desolation and smiling hope.
Designed by Peter Eisenman (architect) and Buro Happold (engineer), this half-disturbing half-antithetical monument stands near the Brandenburger Tor. Aiming to commemorate the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, this memorial has got an underground museum where testimonies as well as the names of the victims are gathered.
The sight of the 2,711 "stelae" produces a strange feeling: on one hand, I had the impression of standing in front of a gigantic cemetery. On the other I was smitten with amazement as I entered into it. It definitely does not leave you cold. Even though the Memorial was often criticized, I think this was the perfect way to commemorate the Holocaust: reminding the horror that it was and making feel a glint of positive thoughts for the future simultaneously.
Talking of rebirth, the sight of this little child all dressed in red running and laughing through the stony blocks (left picture) seemed to confirm my meditations as I was walking through this Memorial. I secretly ran after him for quite a long time before finally taking this shot!
The sight of the 2,711 "stelae" produces a strange feeling: on one hand, I had the impression of standing in front of a gigantic cemetery. On the other I was smitten with amazement as I entered into it. It definitely does not leave you cold. Even though the Memorial was often criticized, I think this was the perfect way to commemorate the Holocaust: reminding the horror that it was and making feel a glint of positive thoughts for the future simultaneously.
Talking of rebirth, the sight of this little child all dressed in red running and laughing through the stony blocks (left picture) seemed to confirm my meditations as I was walking through this Memorial. I secretly ran after him for quite a long time before finally taking this shot!
Another very important reconciliation between a painful past and a cheering present is the Mauerpark (Park of the Wall), at the border of Prenzlauer Berg and Gesundbrunnen. More than a reconciliation, it is a citizen re-appropriation of an area that caused a lot of sufferings to the inhabitants. This re-appropriation is both spatial and symbolic. Formerly called Old Nordbahnhof, this place was the southern terminus of the Prussian Northern Railway that connected Berlin to the Baltic Sea. During the cold war, Old Nordbahnhof became the worldwide known "Death Strip". This area stood between the East and Western fortifications when Berlin was split by the Berliner Wall. The east German border guards were under orders to shoot at any person who would dared to cross this space.
On a Sunday afternoon, you have no choice but to follow the crowd and go to Mauerpark (Prenzlauerberg). In Spring, Summer or Fall, the spirit of thoughtlessness never vanishes.
After the Wall came down in 1989, one could witness an impressive metamorphosis of this particular part of the city. In place of the macabre place that it used to be, it was designated as a public space by local residents. It later became a meeting point for the Berliner youth and hippie community. In Spring, Summer and Fall, the Sundays turn into the least boring Sundays you will ever experience. As a Swiss citizen living in a country where almost everything is closed on Sunday, this experience was incredible for me. On one side spreads a big and roofless flea market : Turkish food, second-hand clothes, fresh fruit-juices and more are tempting the wanderer all the way. On the other side, separated by a green field, an amphitheatre is turned into an open karaoke full of young people listening to the brave singers. This informal karaoke, called the "Bearpit Karaoke Show", was started in 2009 and is now part of Berliner's habits on Sunday. And we can but bless this great evolution. Walking through Mauerpark literally hangs time. No place for worries. No place for rush.
The East Side Galery : a colored reminiscence of painful times.
The Mauerpark only has got its name to remember the Berlin Wall then. But do not think the Wall has totally disappeared. Do not think Berliners would allow this. A segment of the Wall is carefully preserved in the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. On its east side, 105 colorful and meaningful paintings by artists from all over the world can be admired. This "open museum" is called East Side Gallery and is located in the former area that closed the border to West Berlin.
All started in 1990. The project was founded by German artists and the merge of their two associations, in a time of euphoria and change. The aim was to express this euphoria, in a time marked by the hope for a better world where people are free to build their own fate. Unfortunately, a section was scheduled to be removed in 2013, to make way for luxury apartments. Protests however succeeded to put on hold the demolition.
Most of these paintings deal with societal reflexions, be freedom, cultural differences, revolutions or peace. You can look at the Gallery ten times and be caught by philosophical and sociological thoughts as many times. A famous one is the representation of USSR and German Presidents kissing. My favorite is a simple but so true sentence: Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.
All started in 1990. The project was founded by German artists and the merge of their two associations, in a time of euphoria and change. The aim was to express this euphoria, in a time marked by the hope for a better world where people are free to build their own fate. Unfortunately, a section was scheduled to be removed in 2013, to make way for luxury apartments. Protests however succeeded to put on hold the demolition.
Most of these paintings deal with societal reflexions, be freedom, cultural differences, revolutions or peace. You can look at the Gallery ten times and be caught by philosophical and sociological thoughts as many times. A famous one is the representation of USSR and German Presidents kissing. My favorite is a simple but so true sentence: Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.
The Wilde Renate, a club in an old building, as only Berlin can have.
But Berlin is not only a place for history lovers. It is also known as the nightlife capital of Europe. Or in the entire world according to me. Here is not the place to discuss the harmful behaviors of many clubbers over there, but rather to highlight the particularities of the "clubs" that make Berlin so special. Apart from the mainstream discos in which I did not spend much time (or only by mistake), being in a club in Berlin often gives the impression to live in another space-time.
Like the Wilde Renate, many clubs have been improvised in an abandoned building: an abandoned factory, an old house, a wet basement. Sometimes, the building in question is so big that some of the rooms are closed and re-opened for another night. The atmosphere is unique: people are not looking at your outfit or judging your strength by the amount drinks you have guzzled. They are just there, enjoying the moment, the music of the DJ they wanted to see or just chilling after a week of work.
Time expands to finally disappear. And it is incredibly quickly 11 a.m. Time to have breakfast. Maybe you will be lucky enough, like I was once, and will go out in the street welcomed by the first falling flakes of winter. But you can also be there in the summer and spend time in the swinging boat in the garden of the Wilde Renate or gaze at the rising sun on the terrace of the Watergate.
Like the Wilde Renate, many clubs have been improvised in an abandoned building: an abandoned factory, an old house, a wet basement. Sometimes, the building in question is so big that some of the rooms are closed and re-opened for another night. The atmosphere is unique: people are not looking at your outfit or judging your strength by the amount drinks you have guzzled. They are just there, enjoying the moment, the music of the DJ they wanted to see or just chilling after a week of work.
Time expands to finally disappear. And it is incredibly quickly 11 a.m. Time to have breakfast. Maybe you will be lucky enough, like I was once, and will go out in the street welcomed by the first falling flakes of winter. But you can also be there in the summer and spend time in the swinging boat in the garden of the Wilde Renate or gaze at the rising sun on the terrace of the Watergate.
The Angel and "Le Petit Prince" staring at each other from their respective world.
In other words, Berlin takes you to new dimensions, to unknown space and time, disconnected from the world you knew before. This is one of the reasons why I felt a new breath there. Wandering in a flea market after seeing paintings at the Kunsthaus Tacheles, I bought black discs on which I painted the Angel from the movie "Himmel über Berlin" and "Le Petit Prince". Those two stories reflect on the beauty of human feelings and the depth of relationships, respectively: two symbols of my Berliner experience. In this city I felt happy without guiltiness not to be "productive". I also met people who shared with me a different world-view and brought me into new ways of living.
Beusseulstrasse, U-Bahn station in the Moabit district. This city is a time machine.
I took you to Mitte, the trendy district; to Charlottenbourg and its luxurious cars and street; to Prenzlauerberg and its old-fashioned places; to Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg where some memories of the divided Berlin still remain. All these districts have their own atmosphere, history, and people.
But there are many other districts that deserve to be visited, although they are not, at first sight, attractive. Moabit is one of them, full of Doner shacks and sex shops. But you can catch some nice and timeless views from an old bridge. Berlin is never a love at first sight. Objectively, it is not an aesthetically beautiful city. Neither is it a dream destination because of its weather that can be very cold, wet and grey. But the more you get to know all its depths, the more you fall in love with it.
But there are many other districts that deserve to be visited, although they are not, at first sight, attractive. Moabit is one of them, full of Doner shacks and sex shops. But you can catch some nice and timeless views from an old bridge. Berlin is never a love at first sight. Objectively, it is not an aesthetically beautiful city. Neither is it a dream destination because of its weather that can be very cold, wet and grey. But the more you get to know all its depths, the more you fall in love with it.
