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Berlin's history is dark, not only as Hitler's nerve center of Nazi
horror, but also as the battleground of the Cold War. But with its field
of new skyscrapers, hip clubs, and fashion boutiques, postmillennium
Berlin has recast itself as the Continent's capital of cool.
The reunited city of Berlin is once again the capital of Germany. Berlin
was almost bombed out of existence during World War II, its streets
reduced to piles of rubble, its parks to muddy swampland. But the
optimistic spirit and strength of will of the remarkable Berliners
enabled them to survive not only the wartime destruction of their city,
but also its postwar division, symbolized by the Berlin Wall.
Today, structures of steel and glass tower over streets where before
only piles of rubble lay, and parks and gardens are again lush.
Nonetheless, even in the daily whirl of working, shopping, and dining
along the Ku'Damm, Berliners encounter reminders of less happy days: At
the end of the street stands the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, with
only the shell of the old neo-Romanesque bell tower remaining. In
striking contrast is the new church, constructed west of the old tower
in 1961 and nicknamed "lipstick and powder box" by Berliners because of
its futuristic design.
Before the war, the section of the city that became East Berlin was the
cultural and political heart of Germany, where the best museums, finest
churches, and most important boulevards lay. The walled-in East
Berliners turned to restoring their museums, theaters, and landmarks
(especially in the Berlin-Mitte section), while West Berliners built
entirely new museums and cultural centers. This contrast between the two
parts of the city is still evident, though east and west are coming
together more and more within the immense, fascinating whole that is
Berlin. |
