A Divided City Now Open to All
July 13th, 2007 by Neel Bhuta
Berlin is one of my favorite cities. I have been there on two separate occasions, and I have fallen in love. It is such a fascinating city in so many ways, and it appeals to a sense of history, culture and curiosity.
There’s no city in the world that better epitomizes the second half of the twentieth century. Once we were walking from the Tiergaarten (the zoo) and just randomly stumbled upon a memorial for a protestor that was shot in the back by the Stasi during the Cold War. It was incredible.
There’s sense of history in Berlin that you do not feel anywhere else; walking around the city is almost like traveling back in time. We spent one afternoon going to Checkpoint Charlie, where you could cross from East Berlin to West Berlin. If you closed your eyes, you could almost see the Soviet and American tanks and soldiers facing off at each other.
While you’re in the history mood, take some time and check out the east side gallery too. It is the largest remaining portion of the wall left—more than 1.5 kilometers. The graffiti is simply gorgeous; artists have taken the ultimate symbol of exclusion and war and made it into a piece of art.
Berlin is not just about history, though. It is a really modern city in a lot of ways actually, especially compared to American cities. The architecture is either abstract or of the international school. Most of that is because the city was completely bombed during World War II, and a lot of the buildings are post-1945. But it’s not just about the architecture. The club scene is mostly techno-rave, so if you are not into that, you have to stick with the bars.
Berlin may be THE city of the twentieth century, but it’s also a great city for now. There’s so much culture and history, and when you realize first realize where you actually are and what other people have been there as well, it’s a little overwhelming. But I would definitely recommend going there and experiencing it for yourself. Make sure to grab a bratwurst and a Berliner. Appreciate the history but make sure to enjoy the present.
