Berlin: European phoenix

BERLIN
We all know San Francisco, the city that rose from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake. And of course London survived and rebuilt after the Battle of Britain – more than a year of relentless Nazi bombing that killed 3000 civilians.  Baghdad and Dresden, Nanjing and Tokyo have all had their share of modern and ancient catastrophes.  But consider Berlin.  I can’t imagine any city that can match the setbacks—mostly self inflicted -- and the amazing rebirth of this city.  Here is an introduction to that story:

Frederick the Great Glory Days - Sansouci Palace

18^th c.: During the 18^th century the consolidation of Prussia, Berlin as we know it took shape with the creation of the main platzes, grand boulevards including Under den Linden, and The Brandenburg Gate. Then the Prussian state declined and Nepolean occupied Berlin, removed the Goddess of Victory off the Brandenburg Gate and shipped it back to Paris as war booty! Some Berliners even cheered as he forced much needed government reforms.

Napolean's Booty - B'burg Victory

19^th c.: For the 100 years between Napoleon’s occupation and WWI Berlin was the cosmopolitan capital of a more and more militaristic nation that evolved from Prussia into Germany under a succession of kings and the hero of German unification, Otto von Bismarck. 

Early 20^th c.: Berlin was home to culture and the arts and to thinkers such as Karl Marx.  In the 20’s, despite post WWI hyper-inflation, Berlin became the most liberal city in Europe, known for its hectic night life and flourishing art scene that included Berthold Brecht, Marlene Dietrich, German Expressionist painting, and high theater and low-brow cabaret.  The 1929 crash on Wall Street pulled the rug out from under Germany’s economy, and the political street battles between the surging Nazis and flagging Communists grew nasty.  Ultimately the unthinkable happened: Hitler was made chancellor and formed a government.  (In Berlin three-quarters of the citizens voted against him.

WWII: The 30's were a time of terror under the watchful eye of the Gestapo.  A growing number of people disappeared -- sent to prisons, concentration camps and off to fight aggressive wars in Poland and France.  Exultant at his early successes, Hitler began constructing grand buildings for his Thousand-year Reich. The first Allied bombs landed on Berlin in 1940.  It was not until 1943, however that the US and British bombing raids became relentless, killing over 20,000 Berliners.  Despite Hitler’s rhetoric, the city’s morale sank as it became clear that the German military machine was not invincible. The cynical joke ran “Enjoy the war while you can.  The peace is going to be terrible.”  With Soviet troops just blocks from his bunker, Hitler, unrepentant, committed suicide ranter than surrender.  An additional 125,000 civilians died in the ground battle of Berlin, and 80 percent of buildings were severely damaged.  Two million Soviet soldiers moved in and the Cold War began.

GDR Death zone, wall + Alexander Platz TV tower

Cold War: For more than forty years Berlin was the nexus of the Cold War.  The blockade of the 50’s and the fences and eventually death zone and wall of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s showed just how nasty the divide was.  It personally affected all Berliners. When the wall came down in 1989 and the Germanys reunited in 1990, for the first time in 60 years the real work of rebuilding one city could begin.  Add to this the return from Bonn to Berlin of the federal capital (by a razor-thin parliament vote)  in 1999, and the stage was set for a new era.

Free (and frequent) expression

R'stag solar, H'caust mem, B'burg Gate, US Emb, F Gehry blg

N Foster designed Reichstag Dome

Today: What has been accomplished in the past 20 years seems  miraculous – particularly in a democratic nation with countless and complex wounds stretching back to before WWI to consider and address.  We have found that the treatment of this history in Berlin is admirably direct. Exhibits about the wall, Nazi Germany and the SS, the GDR, Jewish history in Germany, the Holocaust --each tells what happened with data, photos and no excuses.  The memorials are real, prominent and thoughtful…having survived the intense scrutiny of Berliners and the rest of the nation.  Beyond that, the then new buildings that are filling in the destroyed areas of the city are in many cases architecturally stunning – beautifully combining the remains of old building with new additions where possible (e.g., the Reichstadt, Museum of History), and simply starting from scratch when necessary (e.g., British Embassy, Jewish Museum, Sony Center).

Plaques to murdered Jews in front of their pre-WWII Homes

There is no excuse for the horrors Germany has wrought on itself, its citizens and the world.  Nonetheless, it is remarkable, 60 years later what has been accomplished here to memorialize that history and move forward in this vibrant 21^st century capital city.


Peter