History of BerlinBerlin began as a mere crossing point on the

River Spree in the 13th century, but quickly

rose in importance as a centre of trade.

There would be no such thing as a single

state called Germany until 1871, but Berlin

was the seat of the ‘Elector’ (the ruler) of

Brandenburg, and in 1701 became capital

of the Prussian Empire, so it’s always been

central in the history of the German people.

The city was characterised from an early

stage by its tolerance towards different cultures

and religions, and gave refuge to victims of

persecution during the religious upheavals in

Europe during the Reformation in the 1500s.

Unfortunately however, this wasn’t the case

the for all: Jews were expelled from the city

between 1510 and 1648 when the community

was wrongly accused of stealing a religious

relic. Islam arrived in Berlin in the 18th century,

mainly from the Turkish Ottoman Empire,

which at one point had extended as far north

as Vienna. The city’s Muslim community

now numbers around 200,000 people.

During the Prussian era, many of Berlin’s

What a legend. This guy really knew his onions.

Frederick II was a very learned and intelligent

man; a fluent speaker of Greek, Latin, Hebrew

and Arabic, he was a military man who

supported the Enlightenment and enjoyed

nothing better than to discuss philosophy.

Also keen to promote the arts and sciences,

in his spare time he liked to commission

great new buildings for the city of Berlin.

Frederick the Great was a mighty force

to be reckoned with. Believing that war was

simply a continuation of politics (a view he no

doubt inherited from his father, the “Soldier

King” Frederick I), he is acknowledged for

bringing Prussia into the consort of Europe’s

leading powers of the time. By the end of

his reign, the territory of Prussia had grown

by 64%, state revenues had increased from

7 to 23 million thalers and the ranks of the

Prussian army had swelled from 80,000 to

194,000 men. The lands of Silesia, East

Frisia and West Prussia had been brought

within Prussian boundaries. Job well done!

Word on the street was that Frederick was

a homosexual; he did have a wife but was

never seen in public with her, they did not have

any children together and, oh yes, apparently

he liked to sleep with men. Uniquely, he was

bestowed with the title of “the Great” during his

lifetime, in recognition of his many outstanding

achievements. He died on 17th August

1786. Check out the statue of Frederick the

Great and his horse on Unter den Linden.

- Linda Cooke

7

famous landmarks were built, including some of

those around Unter Den Linden, between the

Brandenburg Gate (1791) and Museum Island.

Massive damage was caused by bombing and

invasion in World War Two, and much historic

architecture was lost or had to be restored. But

Berlin has always had a forward-looking attitude

towards architecture, demonstrated today by the

way buildings of all eras are scattered among

new construction sites and each other. There

has apparently never been the same nostalgic

reverence shown towards buildings as in other

major European cities.

Napoleon’s defeat of Prussia in 1806 was

a major turning point for Berlin. Under French

control rather than the old elites, the populace

began to adopt new kinds of liberal thinking,

and when Napoleon was defeated in 1813,

much of the Prussian army were volunteers

wearing black, red and gold uniforms. The

feeling was that the people themselves had

rescued Berlin, and in 1848 the liberal middle-

classes led a demonstration demanding more

political freedom, using the new black, red and

gold tricolor as their banner. A new constituent

assembly was promised by the King as a

result.

Berlin began to industrialise. New railways and

factories were built. With these developments

came new issues like workers’ rights and trade

unions. Prussia grew in strength, and the French

were defeated in war again in 1870, confirming

Prussia as the dominant German state. Berlin

became the capital of the new unified German

Reich a year later.

Culture blossomed, with Museum Island, the

College of Music, the Philharmonic Orchestra

and artists like Edvard Munch making Berlin

a major centre for the arts in Europe. The

population had reached two million by 1912, due

in part to expansion of the city’s boundaries.

Everything was turned upside down,

however, with the outbreak of The Great War

in 1914. Germany went into it full of confidence,

but ended up defeated and humiliated. A short

period of calm followed: there was a new

democratic administration, new technologies

like cinema and cars arrived in Berlin, and the

thriving cultural scene returned. But underneath

this veil of prosperity lay massive inflation, black

markets and political division between the new

socialist Left and the old establishment Right.

The crash of the American stock markets

in 1929 made Germany bankrupt; Berlin was

hit with massive unemployment and political

violence. A short, angry man with a silly

moustache had been gaining influence in the

south of Germany, using communists and Jews

as scapegoats for the country’s ills. Adolf Hitler’s

National Socialists (Nazis) came to power in

elections in 1933, with a third of the national

vote, though the figure was only 25% in Berlin.

8

Berlin Under Hitler 1933 - 1945It’s difficult to know exactly how to attempt to describe Adolf Hitler’s effect on modern day Berlin. In 1933 he took control of a nation in ruins. He then attempted to turn it into the most powerful superpower on the planet with himself as undisputed, supreme leader (Fuehrer). He nearly succeeded. In his attempt, he won considerable support in Germany, and some admiration abroad.

When the world found out the true extent of the horrors he employed to achieve his ambitions, however, it shook humanity to its core.

Berlin was to be the capital of that superpower, the grand, shining centre of a mighty empire. Instead, Hitler’s mad bid for immortality led to the utter devastation of the city, and many others.

It led to the deaths of countless millions of people: killed in battle and in air raids, or tortured to death by the secret police, or starved to death in ghettos, or worked to death in slave labour camps, or gassed to death in extermination camps. Hitler terrorised the German people into obedience. Then he committed suicide as his dream collapsed around him, leaving them to shoulder the terrible burden of blame.

If anything positive can possibly have come from such an appalling chapter in the world’s history, then Berlin today with its overwhelming disgust and intolerance of any kind of racism or bigoted attitudes might just be it. Berlin has seen first hand how destructive these things can be, and it isn’t about to let them happen again.

To get a good understanding of this subject during your stay in Berlin, you could do a lot worse than visit the Topography of Terror exhibition and the Memorial for the Murdered

Jews of Europe. But there are many other sites across Berlin important to this part of history as well.

Most obvious is the Reichstag. It burned down within a month of Hitler coming to power, allowing him to blame his opponents and immediately clamp down on political freedoms.

The Alte Bibliothek in Bebelplatz was the scene in 1933 of the burning of ‘Un-German’ books by Nazi supporters.

The Olympic Stadium now hosts the city’s highest ranking football team, Hertha Berlin. But in 1936 it was the venue for the Olympic Games, at which Hitler tried to showcase the success of his policies to the world. By that time he had dismantled all remaining democratic institutions and removed Jews from official posts.

The Jewish quarter near Hallesches Tor endured ‘Kristallnacht’ in 1938 when synagogues and businesses were attacked, and 1200 Jews were arrested.

The villa at Wannsee, just outside Berlin, hosted a meeting of high ranking Nazi officials in 1942 in which the ‘Final Solution’ to the fate of Europe’s Jews was decided, and the extermination camps planned. It is now a memorial and visitor centre.

At Rosenstrasse near Alexanderplatz is a tribute to the “Block der Frauen”, comemorating an act of defiance to Nazi rule in 1943. Hundreds of non-Jewish women protested over the arrests of their Jewish husbands, and the men were later released. Finally, the Soviet memorial in Treptower Park is a vast and hugely powerful monument to Russia’s war dead. It was used as a military parade ground during the divided post-war years.

9

Divided Berlin: 1945 - 1989Germany surrendered on 8th May 1945. Hitler was gone but Berlin was reduced to rubble. A third of its pre-war population of 4.2 million had left or been killed. The enormous clear up and reconstruction job was started immediately by the joint French, British, American and Soviet administration, but the diametrically opposed ideologies of Communism and Capitalism could not work together for long. Friction grew, and in 1948, the Soviets put an end to the co-operation. In what is known as the Berlin Blockade, the army surrounded West Berlin, isolating it from West Germany and the outside world. The Allies responded with an ‘Air Bridge’, sending hundreds of planes to maintain their part of the city with supplies. The situation was extremely tense: any sign of aggression from either side could have triggered a new war, with the added threat of nuclear weapons. That catastrophic possibility never occurred, but the uneasy relationship and competition between East and West throughout the Cold War period was played out here in Berlin. The bizarre situation of the separated city after construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 symbolised this conflict, and if people were nervous over the nuclear threat throughout the world, Berliners knew that their city would be the front line of any outright warfare between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. Communism was abandoned by much of the world after 1989 (though left-wing politics remain prominent in Berlin today). The opening of the Berlin Wall was arguably the greatest moment in German, if not European or world, history. The emotions were as huge as the implications: the pain was over; Berlin had suffered for 60 years since World War One. Now, finally, it could shape its own future and look forward with confidence. It was reinstated as Germany’s capital in January 1991.

Two Worlds In One City.

Western observers tend to view the West/East divide as one of good and bad, happiness and hardship, freedom and oppression. But that wouldn’t really be fair on the Communist administration of East Germany’s SED party. Unemployment in the GDR was very low, adequate housing was provided by the state, as were schools and hospitals. Organised community groups for the youth or for workers encouraged social cohesion, holidays were common, and nearly everyone had a garden. What people really craved, though, was the variety and individuality they saw in the West. Eastern media was censored, but it was impos-sible to prevent people tuning radios or TVs into Western frequencies. Contradictorily, the stifling monotony of equal, standardised living encouraged creativity. Punk music and fashion became popular in the 1970s, and people

personalised and decorated their homes, cars and clothes wherever possible. For those living in the West, the situation was hard, surrounded on all sides by a hostile regime. They had access to more choices of products on the free market, and better technology. They could participate in their own government, and say and read what they wanted. They were free to criticise, and many did. Not everyone was a capitalist, just as not everyone in the East was a Communist. The closeness of the two competing ideologies led to demonstrations and rioting, even terrorism.Fundamentally, though, the biggest hurt was the division: Berlin was home, and suddenly people were denied access to half of their home, to their families, and the graves of loved ones. And it was through no fault of their own, but because of the failure of powerful govern-ments to compromise with each other.

- Matthew Lovegrove

10

MitteIn formal dining, we learn to work our way from the outside in, in Berlin we like to say start in

the ‘Mitte’ and work your way out. Most people will have their first experience of Berlin

in central Mitte as this is where the greatest concentration of sights are that people come

to see, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the museums and the Berliner

Dom. Its interesting to note here that most of the grand buildings and beautiful pieces of

architecture in Mitte were part of East Berlin once the Wall was erected in 1961...no fair!

First thing’s first, get yourself acquainted with Alexanderplatz or ‘Alex’ as it is affectionately

known here in Berlin; this is sure to become the focal point of your stay, despite its Weimar

Republic ugliness! You can orientate yourself by the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) which looms

high in the sky and use it to calculate your whereabouts. Central avenue Unter den Linden is

littered with interesting things to see such as the stunning Museuminsel (Museum Island) and

makes for a super walk. However, tourist attractions alone do not define the borough of Mitte.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a sobering tribute and has to be seen to be

believed. It is a poignant and haunting piece of work which seeks to engage our emptions

in a novel yet ultimately stark way. Its size alone will leave a lasting mark on your mind.

Veering off to the north of Unter den Linden is Friedrichstrasse, which leads on to Oranienburger

Strasse and is a very lively area especially after dark and at weekends. The area is home to

a vibrant restaurant quarter, the Kunsthaus Tacheles and plenty of watering holes. If you head

slightly east of Oranienburger Strasse you will find yourself in the Scheunenviertel or ‘Barn District’

which is home to the historical Jewish quarter and a number of one-off shops, galleries, cafes,

restaurants and bars. This district fans out a little further north eastwards up into Rosenthaler Platz

where you can experience some Fair Trade dining (more details later) and looping back round

and heading south again, you will find yourself in the Hackescher Markt area. This too is a lively

neighbourhood; during the day you can go shopping on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, Rosenthaler

Strasse and Neue Schoenhauser Strasse, perhaps also taking in the Hackesche Hoefe, a

collection of various different shops and galleries all inter-linked by a series of courtyards which

makes for a pleasant, if pricey, detour off the main street. There are lots of options for lunch

nearby and as the sun starts to set and thoughts turn to dinner, drinks and dancing, the area’s

many restaurants and bars will no doubt keep you entertained for hours. So, there is much more

to explore here than perhaps you first thought? Our advice: tick the must see boxes as early

on as possible and then set about getting to grips with the real Mitte. It’s worth it; you’ll see.

13

Fernsehturm

Karl-Liebknecht-StrasseMar – Oct 9–0Nov – Feb 10-0Admission: €6.50www.berlinerfernsehturm.de

The TV Tower is 365m tall and its ball and

spike are one of the most famous symbols of

Berlin. It is a striking example of the Weimar

Republic’s attempts to demonstrate its power to

the world and an ever present reminder of those

days gone by when the East of Berlin, where it

stands, was inaccessible because of the Wall.

You can take a lift up to the top of the TV

Tower and enjoy hands down the best view

of Berlin. You will be dumbfounded by the

sheer size of this metropolis from the vista up

here; all you can see for 40km is Berlin. The

Tele Cafe, the revolving restaurant, serves up

averagely rated grub for pretty exaggerated

prices, eg. Currywurst with a baked potato for

€9.50. Considering the entrance fee, this is a

bit steep for most people unless you plan to

propose to your beloved here in which case I’m

sure you won’t even notice what you’re paying.

- Linda Cooke

Museum Island

Mo-Su 10-18

Entry (adult/concession): €8/€4 for individual

exhibitions, €12/€6 for all of Museum Island.

Free entry Thu 18-22

www.smb.museum

If you’re looking to get some High Culture through

those high-minded eye-holes of yours, the most

obvious place to point them is here. Berlin is fast

becoming the residence of choice for the world’s

artistic and historical treasures, and the flagship

of that campaign is anchored in the Spree River.

The Museuminsel is home to Berlin’s

most prestigious cultural venues: The Altes

Musem, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie,

Bode Museum and Pergamon Museum,

all built between 1830 and 1920 to support

the city’s last great cultural heyday, they

now form the nucleus of the current revival

that’s again bringing great collections from

around the world to Germany’s capital.

Unfortunately for us, that

revival isn’t quite ready yet.

The Neues Museum was bombed to bits

in World War Two and won’t be opening

up again until the end of 2009; the Bode

Museum was also closed for refurbishment

while this guide was being written, so we

couldn’t get a first hand review of it. However,

what is available is still hugely impressive:

there’s ancient artefacts galore, all lovingly

plundered from their homelands by nineteenth

century Berlin’s very own Indiana Joneses.

The Altes Museum houses pieces from

ancient Egypt and Classical Antiquity (Greece

and Rome), including the truly stunning, 3,500

14

year old bust of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt.

Pergamon’s main draws are the Museum

for Islamic Art from the Eighth to Nineteenth

Centuries, and the Museum of the Ancient

Near East covering the Babylonian and

Assyrian Empires. There’s also more of the

Classical Antiquity collection, and a lovely

3D model of The Grand Plan for Museum

Island’s future completed magnificence.

The Bode Museum headlines with

Byzantine Art, and support acts include

the Sculpture Collection and Numismatic

Collection (coins and medallions).

The Altes Nationalgalerie contains

three floors of paintings and sculptures

from the nineteenth century.

As Museum experiences go, these exhibitions

are firmly of the traditional, reverent and sombre

variety: you won’t find any flashy interactive

gizmos here. The displays are fantastically well

presented and accessible, but because the

descriptions and explanations in English are

fairly limited, you might want to go for a guided or

audio tour if you really want to know what you’re

looking at and don’t read German very well.

The buildings themselves are well worth a

look architecturally, and carry a lot of history

themselves. For example, Hitler used to make

speeches from a stage erected on the steps

of the Altes Museum, to masses gathered in

the Lustgarten in front (it was paved over at

the time). When Berlin was divided after the

war, Museumsinsel fell into the Soviet zone of

control, and the exhibits were scattered: some

remained where they were and some were

allowed into the care of the Western powers, but

others were taken away to Russia or even lost

altogether. The current programme of restoration

includes recovery, reunion and reorganisation

of the collections, and therefore the museums’

contents are constantly subject to change.

It’s highly recommended that you

check the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s

website (provided) or up-to-date literature

before planning your visit too thoroughly.

The attraction of free entry on Thursday

evenings should also carry a note of caution:

some of the exhibitions still charge, and

you’ll need to choose your preferred subjects

carefully as it’s impossible to see all of Museum

Island in one evening. The Bode Museum, for

example, is massive and reliable sources of

ours claim that even if you ran the whole way,

it would take at least an hour to get round it all!

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin comprises

17 museums and galleries in the

city, of which Museum Island is the

centrepiece. See website for information.

- Matthew Lovegrove

Altes Museum

15

If you find yourself in Alexanderplatz Bahnhof,

which is more than likely, given that it is Berlin’s

busiest station, you might be tempted to grab a

bite and a caffeine-hit at one of the many food

outlets. While the lure of lower prices is strong

in such a tourist-heavy spot, it is highly advised

that you pay a bit more for your hot beverege.

Prices at Crepes Bhf. Alex are appealing

to the walk-weary, but it is worth paying a bit

extra at nearby Dunkin’ Donuts if you don’t

want a drink which tastes like it was made

with the contents of a coffee machine’s water

tank boiled with a dash of extra long-life milk.

In other words, avoid this coffee at all

costs. Literally. And don’t even think about

complaining, they don’t speak customer service.

- Kyla Manenti

Perpetrators exposed

Crepes coffee? Crap coffee!

Shopping in Mitte

If you’re looking for a good place to shop till you

drop then you should most definitely travel to

Alexanderplatz and take a look at Berlin’s new-

est shopping mall, Alexa, an indoor shopping

center suitable for shopping anytime of the year.

As well as this mall there are several other

shopping areas offering outdoor shopping. You

can easily spend hours in these shopping ar-

eas, once there you are lured into almost every

shop just to take a peek at what lies within. Al-

exa has four floors of shops where you can buy

just about anything your heart desires. They

also have a very large food court with a wealth

of food selections and on the bottom floor there

is a mini food market and a general store.

If you aren’t up for shopping on such a

large scale then you can go around the platz

where there are many small shops selling

all sorts of unique items. Be careful when

shopping because there are several “tour-

ist” shops that overcharge for most items. The

shirts are usually the most over-priced items

within such outlets so just look around first

if you’re trying to stick to a specific budget.

- Madelyn HillAlexa shopping center

16

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Cora-Berliner-Strasse 1

U2, S1, S2, S26 Potsdam Platz

Information centre: 10–20 daily

Admission: free

www.holocaust-denkmal.de

Created by Peter Eisenmann and unveiled

in May 2005, the ‘fields of stelae’ is a visually

arresting piece of design; 2, 711 concrete

slabs each with its own foundation lie,

in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate,

like huge gravestones as though on a low

undulating hill but this is part of the effect.

What makes this monument stand out from

the rest is that you have to interact with it, you

have to walk through it to begin to understand

the premise. You are also supposed to go

it alone (the space between the stones is not

enough for two people to walk through together)

and this can actually be quite frightening.

As you go deeper into the memorial,

towards the centre, so the concrete seems

to close in on you and you feel as though

someone is after you or at the very least

watching you. In some cases, panic may even

start to set in. Perhaps this is the intention.

One thing is certain - this is an affecting

reminder of one of the worst chapters in human

history which urges us not to forget or live over

again. If you suffer from claustrophobia, you

might prefer to walk around the memorial in

order to appreciate it. Please remember that this

is a place of respect and of sombre reflection.

Do take care not to eat your lunch here,

sit on the slabs or let children play here; the

memorial is not a rest stop and there are often

guards watching out for disrespectful behaviour.

- Linda Cooke

Postfuhramt

This is a delightful piece of architecture

on Oranienburger Strasse which

used to be Berlin’s central post office.

During its history the building has housed

a postal and telegraph school, beneath

the roof there were sleeping quarters and

dressing rooms for the postal staff and the

courtyard was once home to coach houses

for the mail carriages and horse stables. The

Postfuhramt is now a multi purpose space

which is currently running a series of exhibitions.

- Linda Cooke

17

Oranienburger Strasse

Oranienburger Strasse 54-56a

http://www.super.tacheles.de

This glitzy strip with its bright lights is literally

jumping on weekend nights. The restaurants

are full to bursting, tourists look on agog at

the hookers who line the main avenue and

the Bellini lounges and cocktail bars compete

with each other for your custom with happy

hour overkill. Slap bang in the middle of all the

activity and noise is the Kunsthaus Tacheles.

This six storey building was built in 1907 and

started life as the entrance to the Friedrichstadt-

Passage shopping centre. When the mall

went bankrupt in 1928, AEG who founded

Haus der Technik took the building over and

used it as display space for their products.

During the Second World War parts of the

building were used by the Nazis for organisation

and administration, the fifth floor was even used

to detain French prisoners. Kunsthaus was

then bombed by the Allies during World War

II and was partly destroyed but not flattened.

After the war, part of the building was left to

rack and ruin due to East Berlin government’s

cash flow problems while the other half

was still being used for different things. Its

demolition was scheduled to take place in

April 1990 until a bunch of artists discovered

it in February of the same year and moved in.

The Kunsthaus is a pretty clear example

of the sub-culture of squatting and alternative

lifestyles, which grew up after the fall of the

Wall in November 1989. Now though, it is an

internationally recognised arts centre and

receives subsidies from the government to

finance its varied projects. The hulking shell which

remains has been graffitied within an inch of its

life and it’s now home to several artists’ studios,

a cinema, a couple of bars and gallery space.

Although the original spirit of individualism

and creative abandon is all but gone, there is

still a faint whiff of it in the air and that is what

makes this still worth a visit. When you first enter

the building, you may feel a little uncomfortable

in such alien surroundings but you have nothing

to fear here. Have a good look around, get

absorbed by the inspired atmosphere of this

loved institution and perhaps buy some artwork.

The experience doesn’t stop there

as the installations extend out into the

back yard and you can often catch

impromptu musical performances here too.

- Linda Cooke

Becker’s Fritten

Oranienburger Strasse

Berlin’s cheap and easy on the go fast food culture

is typified by Becker’s Fritten, a locally renowned

outlet selling home-made chips as well as the

ubiquitous Currywurst. A parked trailer opposite

Kunsthaus Tacheles, Becker’s offers a refreshing

approach to chips-in-a-tray based cuisine.

Choose from over 30 sauces ranging from

the exotic to the downright absurd. Some of the

popular choices include Indian curry, apple sauce,

salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, Hollandaise

and garlic mayo as well as your usual favourites.

- Anthony Pearce

18

Schwarzwaldstuben

Tucholskystrasse 48, Mitte

You enter the front door of this corner establishment

and are met at once with a black curtain around

the doorway, presumably used to keep the

heat in during the often freezing Berlin winter.

Once you have twirled through the

fabric, you find yourself in relaxed

and tremendously inviting environs.

The feel of this place is alt traditional and you

will find a good mix of people frequenting the

loungy ornate sofas, the small window tables

and perched on stools at the bar. Trendy young

people often sit alongside forty-somethings

and families and the atmosphere is friendly.

It won’t take long before the delicious

comforting scents of traditional south German

cooking emanating from the kitchen begin

to make your tummy rumble and you may

have to capitulate early on and order a

little something from the excellent menu.

The Flammkuchen are tasty, hearty and

definitely recommended. The bar is also

attractive, there are some stuffed animal heads

on the wall and coloured candles in yellow, green

and red flicker among the bottles of spirits and

crockery in cabinets to create a romantic mood.

Service is quick but could do with a smile every

now and then. They make their own Gluehwein

here which is cloudy and orange as opposed to

the more traditional red and costs €3.50. A cup of

coffee will cost you around €1.60 and a warming

hot lemon with honey will set you back €2.20.

- Linda Cooke

AmritIndian cuisine

Oranienburger Strasse 45

www.amrit.de

Amrit is situated directly opposite the Kunsthaus

Tacheles and boy is it an eye-catching sight in

itself. Brightly coloured fabric awnings and large

statues of Indian gods invite you into what feels

like a sumptuous cave fitted out with stylish leather

chairs and what must be at least fifty tables.

You can stop by at bustling Amrit just

for the happy hour cocktails which start at

€4.00 to begin your night or you can settle

in for a feast of very generous proportions.

The staff and the service are incredibly quick,

maybe a little worryingly so, but nevertheless

you will be well looked after and if it’s a speedy

meal you require, you will not be disappointed.

That said, it is also fine to linger on after your

meal and as this is a busy restaurant, you will be

left to your conversation while the staff attend

to the constant flow of customers who will fill

all the tables before you can say Rogan Jhosh.

The food here is typical Indian dishes

ostensibly cooked on a big scale and as

already mentioned the portion sizes are

rather large. Beware the starter platter for

two, it is served on a mountain of salad and

comes with enough food to fill two people.

A meal for two based on a shared

starter and two main courses with

no alcohol will cost you around €36.

- Linda Cooke

19

Hackesche Hoefe

S-Bahn Hackescher Markt

www.hackesche-hoefe.com

If you are travelling on a budget avert your

eyes now. It’s so easy to spend money at the

Hackesche Hoefe, it’s almost criminal. This is

essentially a shopping centre based around

eight prettily restored courtyards with some

cafes, galleries and entertainment venues within.

If you do happen to have a little spare money,

you can indulge in a little retail therapy here.

Hof one is lovely, take care to check out the

Art Nouveau tiles, designed by August Endell,

which adorn the facades. This is also home to

the Chamaeleon Variete, a venue which now

hosts comedians and singers but which used

to be a glamorous ballroom in the twenties.

Berliner Klamotten is shop space which

allows new designers to showcase their work

and there are some really nice pieces here, the

clothes are made to an excellent standard using

great fabric and although some of the items

are pricey, the workmanship is indisputable.

There are also some really unusual items like

one-off coats, shirts and skirts so if you’re into

your clothes, this is definitely worth a look.

Hof seven is the more romantic Rosenhoefe,

a cute warren of shops set amid a sunken rose

garden. For bath lovers, try 1000 & 1 Seife

www.1001seife.de for all manner of speciality

soaps and gorgeous bathroom accessories.

If you are looking for some good quality

clothing try Brandy & Melville, they are experts

in classic cotton pieces, or Stones for good

quality men’s clothing. MAC Cosmetics have a

little boutique here, as do Brille 54 for glasses

and sunglasses and there is also an H&M.

Just outside the Hoefe, on Sophienstrasse,

Johanna Graf-Petzoldt’s shop, Erzgebirgskunst

Original is very pretty and crammed full

of wonderfully crafted wooden figurines

which are timeless in their appeal.

- Linda Cooke

Eating Out Fair Trade Style

You go out for dinner, you enjoy your meal

and linger over coffee and good conversation

until the end of the evening when you ask for

the bill, right? Nope. Apart from €2 which

you put down to pay for your glass (which

you can then fill with any of the drinks on

offer – normally red/white wine or sparkling

alternatives) there is nothing to pay here.

The idea is that what you pay is up to you

so you are free to contribute exactly what

you thought the meal was worth. Each of the

fair trade restaurants is different and in some

places you will need to reserve a table. This

is upmarket food, the clientèle are well heeled,

the restaurants themselves each have a unique

vibe and this system really works. Please

don’t take advantage of the good spirit of this

enterprise and stand at the bar refilling your

wine glass until you keel over. Enjoy the

experience for what it is and spread the word.

Try Weinerei, Zionkirchplatz, Mitte

- Linda Cooke

Inside Weinerei

20

Prenzlauer BergPrenzlauer Berg was the Kreuzberg of the GDR, where intellectuals, artists and musicians

congregated to spice up the grey surroundings of East Berlin where any semblance of freedom,

whether it was a three minute punk song or a poem scrawled in a notepad, meant the whole

world. A wealth of artistic output was produced here during the 1980s as the subculture was

closely linked with the social reform movement teetering on the edge of legality. It goes without

saying that the Stasi were also prevalent here and sometimes they were all one and the same.

Since the fall of the Wall, Prenzlauer Berg has lost its gritty edge somewhat but is nonetheless

an attractive place to visit, full of trendy boutiques and bars, students, young families and the newly

renovated buildings offer a pleasant surrounding for bars and cafes which veer between hip, trendy

and experimental. The neighbourhood has a history ranging from squalid tenement blocks in the

19th century, wartime Germany when artist Käthe Kollwitz lived and worked here through to the

days of uncertainty and hope in 1989 and new beginnings in the 1990s/2000s.

To reach Prenzlauer Berg from Alexanderplatz you need to take the U-Bahn line U2

towards Pankow. It was at Alexanderplatz on 4th November 1989 that the East German

author Christa Wolff and others spoke here in front of 500,000 (some say it was as

many as a million) fellow demonstrators appealing for reform and travel restrictions to be

lifted with the slogan ‘We are the people.’ Less than a month later the Wall was down.

Jump off the U-Bahn at Senefelderplatz and wander up Kollwitzstrasse (there’s an interesting

children’s playground along here which encourages the kids to construct their own play

items from various materials) to see the gentrified bar and cafe scene on Kollwitzplatz with its

statue of Kathe Kollwitz. Turn down Knaackstrasse to go past the impressive Kulturbrauerei

which now serves as a nightlife and cultural venue after its former life as a brewery.

For a look around the quirky backstreets of Prenzlauer Berg you can go round the ‘LSD’

(nothing to do with drugs, don’t worry!) district of Lychener Strasse, Schliemannstrasse

and Dunckerstrasse up to Helmholtzplatz which has an undeveloped natural tone with a

mix of the old East Berlin grey and an airy residential feel. Back at Eberswalder Strasse

grab a portion of the ubiquitous Currywurst at Konnopke’s Imbiss under the arches.

21

Nip down Kastanienallee to go hipster-

spotting in the funky little shops and cafes.

Turn right down Oderberger Strasse to find

some hidden gems. When the weather is

pleasant small second hand boutiques flaunt

their wares out on the streets and there’s a

special waffle house, Kauf dich glücklich.

If you’re wandering around on a Sunday then

the Flohmarkt am Mauerpark can be found

at the end of the street behind the Friedrich-

Ludwig Jahn Sportpark. You can pick up

all sorts of knickknacks here; old bicycles,

obscure vinyl, the contents of a shed. You may

even spot a portrait of Erich Honecker resting

against one of the stalls. In winter, the cheap

Glühwein is a must to keep out the cold as you

root through junk to find some real treasures.

Kastanienallee

VOPO RECORDS

Danziger Strasse 31 (U-Bahnhof Eberswalder

Strasse)

Mo-Fr 12-20, Sa 12-16

Music fans of the world unite, there is still

hope. This legendary record shop, which

celebrates its 15th birthday this year, is a life

saver if you’ve been hoping to pick up some

quality German rock and punk as a souvenir.

Throw away all of your preconceptions about

the Germans (especially any that feature a

certain gentleman with ‘Hoff’ in his name)

and realise that they’ve made some cracking

rock songs, especially bands from the former

East Germany who did a hell of a lot more

to bring the wall down than the Hoffmeister

ever did. You can buy an album from here

that was originally conceived, recorded

and played around this area in the 1980s.

There is a mix of punk and rock bands from

East Germany, West Germany and the present

day either on CD or vinyl and if you don’t feel

like experimenting with German music history

there are more conventional rock, pop and hip-

hop sections. Or just go for it and get a com-

pilation album- you won’t be disappointed. The

owner is always willing to help with any ques-

tions or offer recommendations and there’s

a selection of band t-shirts, badges, patches

and music DVDs displayed as well. Prices

aren’t dirt cheap but if you’re after something in

particular that you can’t get in Saturn then it’s

worth every penny and let’s face it, this place

has ten times more character than a soulless

CD megastore back at Alexanderplatz.

- Katie ThompsonLook out for the logo

22

KONNOPKE’S IMBISS

Schönhauser Allee 44a- under the U-Bahn

arches (U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Strasse)

Mo-Fr 6-20, Sa 12-19

The Currywurst is a Berlin institution and

although threatened by the equally chomp-

worthy Döner kebab it is something you find all

over Berlin and you cannot possibly leave until

you’ve had one. They check at customs, you

know. The term ‘curry’ is, at first, misleading and

all you curry fiends will be rather perturbed when

a sliced sausage covered in tomato ketchup and

curry powder is plonked in front of you. Never

fear, after one mouthful you’ll soon want more.

Konnopke’s Imbiss is as legendary as Currywurst

itself and is regarded as offering the best one in

the city. You can’t go wrong at €1.70 a portion

and feel free to add chips and bread or even a

beer as extras. Please don’t try to take the bread

basket with you; it’s connected to the counter

by a piece of string and it will be embarrassing.

At peak times it feels like most of Berlin

and their dogs have descended on the place

but there is space to stand at high tables and

if you’re lucky you can get a seat in a small

covered area. Berliners tend to eat on the

go so there are no home comforts here but

you are at a good vantage point to watch the

world go by and for them to watch you get

tomato sauce all over your face. Guten Appetit.

- Katie Thompson

Flohmarkt am Mauerpark

Bernauer Strasse 63-64, 13355 Berlin

U2 Eberswalder Strasse – the market is just a

short walk from here.

Winter 08.00 – sunset

Summer 08.00 - 18.00

For all you bargain hunters out there, the Sunday

Fleamarket at Mauerpark is a pretty fun place to

spend an afternoon and quite possibly a few of

your hard earned euros. Established in 2004,

there’s at least a mile’s worth of stalls for you to

rummage your way through and arguably you

won’t find a more diverse or bizarre collection

of second hand stuff anywhere else in the city.

Flohmarkt am Mauerpark has it all: crockery

sets, furniture, old records, books, clothes,

shoes, accessories, posters and artwork, food

and drink and much more. Half the fun is in

imagining where the discarded pieces have

come from and what stories are attached to

them and in this case the stories could very well

be set in East Berlin before the fall of the Wall.

The market seems to draw a fairly young

and artistic crowd and this could be down to

the sheer inspiration of the variety in the mar-

ket itself. Ribbons, buttons, fabrics and sewing

machines are everywhere, there are quite a few

people selling record players and the books

range from Bertolt Brecht to Goethe and from

children’s annuals to German cookery recipes.

This is the place to come if you want to get

yourself decked out for less than a tenner;

23

especially pertinent if you have just arrived in

Berlin to discover just how cold it is outside -

you can pick yourself up a hat, scarf, gloves and

even a pair of furry boots for next to nothing if

you look hard enough and barter with confidence

where appropriate. Alternatively, for those of

you who are looking forward you will be able to

find some unusual t-shirts and extraordinarily

cool sunglasses to carry you into spring.

There are lots of quirky and interesting

things to look at, plenty of boxes to sift through

and of course lots of engaging characters

to meet en route. You can warm up with

Gluehwein and there are stalls offering cakes

and biscuits. If you haven’t already done your

grocery shopping, you may be able to pick

up some fresh fruit and vegetables here.

If you have recently moved into a new home

and want to find a few essential bits and pieces,

you might like to try the fleamarket as there is

a wealth of furniture, hardware and household

items on offer. Prenzlauer Berg’s ever changing

residents keep turning out their cupboards,

closets and drawers and consequently, there

are some real gems to be had here. You will find

what you are looking for and more. If you arrive

towards the end of the day you will be more

likely to convince the stall owner to give you

that pair of shoes for the price you had in mind!

Have fun digging!- Linda Cooke

24

Kauf dich gluecklich

45, Oderberger Strasse

Mo-Fri 12-1, Sat/Sun 10-1

This quirky waffle and coffee house is just a

short walk from Eberswalder Strasse tube

station and sits amongst some of the most

trendy and offbeat clothes outlets in the area.

Bullet holes pepper the building above the

manufactured scruffiness of the wafflehouse

fascia, a sinister reminder of the city’s

tortured history. Yet in this area the carefully

styled wear-and-tear look seems to almost

compliment the ravaged remains of old Berlin.

Step inside to a candybox interior where an

assortment of ice creams are encased in a

counter covered with jars of toys. Here is an eatery

where you can buy a novelty elephant waterpistol

with your cappuccino. Indeed, the name itself

literally translates to “buy to make yourself

happy”, and as it happens there is plenty on

sale. Even the furniture is available to purchase.

The waffles come with an assortment of

toppings including chocolate, cream, caramel,

and the house favourite – hot cherries.

Prices start at around €2.50 and if you fancy

something different there are several other food

choices such as soup, crepes and ice creams.

There are two rooms of mis-matched tables,

chairs and sofas where you can relax to the

sounds of glitchy electro or more tuneful numbers

from the likes of Bowie. Several shelves display

further purchasable novelties from jewellery to

strange miniature animals. Framed pictures of

flowers and rural landscapes hang on the walls in

a sort of casual stab at detourned kitsch style. A

second room sits to the right of the main seating

area offering additional seating and lounging

space, with access to the fittingly eccentric

bathrooms (complete with carpet and sofas).

If you are particularly taken with the style of

Kauf dich gluecklich, there is a sister fashion

store at 56 Kastanienallee, just around the corner.

- Kyla Manenti

25

Eberswalder Strasse and the surrounding

area is a hub of retro chic, with furniture,

clothing and knickknack boutiques galore.

While second-hand style can often be

thrifty and cheap, don’t get too comfortable.

Sadly, here it has been sufficiently tapped into

and exploited for prices to be unnecessarily

high. However, this is not to say that a

bargain can’t be found, and there are many

treasures to be had in these coves of kitsch.

Hours can be wiled away flicking through

rails of bat-wing jumpers, faux-fur coats and

geeky tanks-tops, or rummaging through

piles of woolly hats and vintage sunnies.

Expect to pay around €20 for a pair of

technicolour leggings and €85 for a bomber jacket.

- Kyla Manenti

Shop Vintage

26

FriedrichshainOnce a workers’ district after its formation in 1920, Friedrichshain is now an alternative culture

stronghold in the city after the gentrification of Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. It does not have the

sights that other prettier districts have but this run-down Kiez boasts a gritty charm, experimentation

and solid Stalinist architecture. It is also a chance to veer off the usual tourist tracks to see a bit

of the ‘wild East.’ Amongst the usual stream of new up-and-coming bars and restaurants, Berlin’s

artistic and cultural troupe have also made the move to Friedrichshain, together with the students

and the slackers, creating a vibrant scene around Boxhagener Platz and Simon-Dach-Strasse and

little pockets of subculture crop up in this area just waiting to be found by the inquisitive tourist.

Take the U5 from Alexanderplatz (towards Hönow) and get off at Frankfurter Tor to be confronted

by the imposing architecture of the former Stalinallee housing project. This monstrosity was built

during the 1950s to showcase the grandeur of the GDR (which, let’s face it, needed everything it

could get) but it was not without its malcontents as the 1953 workers’ uprising started here. It is now

a listed building, protected from graffiti and its mainly elderly residents are proud of their address.

Turn down Warschauer Strasse and note the irony of a McDonald’s nestling amidst Stalin’s

building blocks, firmly establishing that capitalism has taken over. Why not grab a beer from

the shop next door and join the Friedrichshain ethos as you explore the neighbourhood. It is

also around Frankfurter Tor that many scenes from the film ‘The Lives of Others’ were filmed,

particularly the unprotected graffiti covered facade around the other side of McDonald’s.

Go left down Boxhagener Strasse and explore little shops and snack outlets. The sidestreets

themselves have their own little stories to tell as Mainzer Strasse, further down on the left, was where the

police cleared out some of the last squats and alternative Wohngemeinschaften in Berlin in 1990 much

to the indignance of Friedrichshain residents and the riot that followed between 4,000 members of the

police and 500 protestors on 14th November 1990 has reached mythical status in the squatter scene.

Turn right down Gärtnerstrasse until you reach Boxhagener Platz. Punks

and bottle-collectors congregate around Boxi (don’t worry, they’re completely

harmless) and there’s a Trödelmarkt (flea market) here on Sundays.

The surrounding streets of Gabriel-Max-Strasse, Wühlischstrasse, Krossener

Strasse Kopernikussstrasse are worth exploring, particularly the Sticker Museum

at Dirschauer Strasse 16 for a bit of an off-the-wall (or should we say, on the wall)

exhibition and there is a mix of new business, shops and galleries in the area.

Back on Warschauer Strasse you can go and see the East Side Gallery or

you can rejoin the public transport network on the S-Bahn or the U-Bahn.

27

Abgedreht

Karl-Marx-Allee 140 - U-Bahnhof Frankfurter Tor

Mo-Sun 16-4

This is a rock and film orientated bar which

can get busy later on so it’s best to get there

in good time. There are film posters on the

walls and the furniture is an odd mix of old

sewing machines and cinema seats. The

atmosphere’s good for a chat with friends

before moving on to other bars or clubs.

Al Gasali

Krossener Strasse 21/Boxhagener Platz

Try this Syrian snack outlet as an alternative

to kebabs and currywurst where you can

get a tasty falafel im Brot for just €2. The

menu is vast and you can try halloumi and

chicken as well as the falafel, and add

salad and sesame yoghurt for extra flavour.

There’s room to sit inside and a selection of

drinks (no alcohol for obvious reasons) on offer,

try Bionade, a popular health-orientated soft drink

made from different varieties of fruits and berries.

Pizza Dach

Simon-Dach-Strasse 12

For a quick bite to eat to soak up the alcohol

that will surely follow, check out this little snack

place. With limited seating outside it is often

full but it offers good quality pizza at ridiculous

prices (around €2.50). Grab yourself a place

on the bench and wash your pizza down with

a quick beer. If you want to sit down properly,

try the other one on Wühlischstrasse 32.

Astro Bar

Simon-Dach-Strasse 40

OK, so it’s not as space-themed as we’d like

but it’s still got science fiction figures in glass

cases and red lamps which add to a chilled out

atmosphere where everyone piles into the back

room to chat. There are different DJs nightly

(Tuesdays are impressive). One tip: don’t go too

mad on the cocktails, the Zombies here are lethal!

All copy: Katie Thompson

28

Keep your eyes open for alternative venues

off the main drag, particularly around

Boxhagener Strasse, where it looks like

someone’s living room but is actually a

cultural venue and cafe/bar. Don’t be afraid

to go in and sample the local Szene where

you could be part of a film night or music

performance and if you’re lucky you might

be rewarded with a Volksküche (a community

project offering various types of food to

friends and visitors) or a Soliparty (a night

out with a political conscience) and a chance

to speak to the locals. If you stumble across

one of these you get the feeling that you’re

taking part in what makes Friedrichshain

special. We can’t possibly give anything

away, you’ll just have to have a look around...

- Katie Thompson

RockZ

Simon-Dach-Strasse 37

This cavernous tavern, with its dim lighting

and smokey rock theme is not especially

particular to Berlin. But if you are looking for

a drink in a warm, laid-back environment, set

to a soundtrack of classic, alternative and

new rock music then RockZ is worth a look in.

The name itself is a not-so-subtle nod to the

Roxy clubs which have punctuated various

moments in rock history, and the walls are

plastered with iconic record sleeves from

the likes of Peter Gabriel, Queen, T-Rex and

Zappa. Guitars are suspended from the ceiling

and a slightly dodgy plaster-and-paint topless

woman hangs before the archway to the middle

room. This is a transitory space between the

fuzzy cosiness of the bar area and the cooler,

lighter back room. Here the customary jukebox

sits amongst sofas and tables, the walls are

appropriately deep purple and a giant lizard

clings, guarding the second archway. The back

room offers the opportunity for some fun and

games with a fussball table, electronic darts

board and breezy palm-tree dotted wall-scape.

Drink prices are normal, with the average

beer costing between two and three euros,

and a spirit mixer selling for around five.

Smoking is allowed and there is no

discernable designated area so non-smokers

should take note. Clientelle is a mix of

older, leather and denim clad biker types,

young rockers and general in-betweeners.

This is certainly not a slick, trendy hangout

but the grubby, unashamedly cheesy clichéd

theme gives it a charm and lends itself to the

reliably comfortable and fun atmosphere.

- Kyla Manenti

29

Hatch Sticker Museum

Dirschauer Str 16, (Warschauer Str U/S Bahn)

Open: We-Fri 14-20, Sa-Su 14-18

Entry: Free.

A sticker museum. It’s a museum with stickers. In it.

BUT! Read on, please, because this place

really is worth a look, especially if you’re

interested in the related sub-cultures of street

art and skateboarding with their associated

music and fashion scenes. Stickers and

sticker art are very much a part of it all.

For a start, they’re everywhere in Berlin: on

signposts and posterboards, in pubs and public

transport, they’re impossible to miss yet easy

to ignore. The purpose of the Hatch Sticker

Museum in Friedrichshain is to increase the

appreciation of an overlooked art form, and

it’s the only institution of its kind ON EARTH!

At first glance, the exhibition doesn’t look

terribly impressive. It’s a small-ish room with

picture frames on the walls, each containing a

themed selection of adhesive artwork. Many

are promoting a clothing brand, a skateboard

company or a musical act; some carry funny or

political messages; others are purely for art. At

the time of writing, there were no descriptions

or any explanation of any of the pieces,

but the museum’s curator, an exceptionally

friendly and approachable chap named

Oli, was on hand to answer any questions

and explain the culture behind the stickers.

If you’ve been in Berlin for more than

about two-and-a-half minutes, you’ll probably

have noticed that there’s a lot of graffiti about

the place. Often associated with counter-

cultural politics, squatters, skaters and/or Hip-

Hop, it’s been a part of the city for decades.

Stickers enable artists to reproduce their

work in multiple locations. Hatch also hosts

guest exhibitions of Berlin street art, like that

supporting the Skateistan project in Afghanistan.

It’s not just about Berlin though: Oli receives

donations from across the globe. For example,

American Ed Templeton – pro-skater and street

artist – is a good example of the crossed-

over cultures that lead to sticker art: he now

runs a clothing and skate accessory company

called Toymachine, and uses street art styles

in his sticker advertising. Reef and Carhartt,

both major brands, have also used street

artists to design their logos and ads, and in

turn are involved in funding street art projects.

You may also recognise Shepard Fairey’s

image of Barack Obama (‘Hope’). It’s based on

his earlier street art depicting Lithuanian wrestler,

Andre ‘The Giant’ Roussimoff, which used

the slogan ‘OBEY Giant’. OBEY has also now

become a clothing brand, and the Obama image

made it on to the front page of The Guardian.

Hatch has been open since April 2008, and

when we visited in December it was still very much

a work in progress, with new additions constantly

arriving. Nicely, you can stick your own message

to his guest wall in the foyer before you leave,

hopefully with a deeper understanding of one of

Berlin’s most interesting underground art forms.

- Matthew Lovegrove

30

KreuzbergAlthough the days have passed since Kreuzberg was a shining light of popular protest,

punk rock and subculture, it has somehow managed to retain its charm, its character, and

most importantly its identity since the fall of the Wall. Surrounded by the Wall on three fronts,

Kreuzberg as the the last outpost of the West attracted the young, the disaffected and the

disillusioned – those magnetised to the Wall, the axis from which the West and East hinged.

After suffering substantial damage during the Second World War, the area was was plagued by

cheap housing and poor conditions particularly in the East. It quickly became the final destination of

those emigrating to West Germany. The Turkish community, which descended upon West Germany

en masse in the 1960s and 1970s, remains vividly present in Kreuzberg today - particularly in

Kottbusser Tor, the district in which the Döner Kebab was born in 1971. Indeed a consensus in

2006 suggested that over thirty per cent of Kreuzberg’s population remain non-German citizens.

Although the Berlin Wall played a pivotal part in the development of post-War Kreuzberg, whilst

virtually encircled the area was never actually divided. To travel between the east and west

districts today, however, would give a far different impression - the contrast is quite incredible.

Despite the West being more aesthetically pleasing, even with its own charms, it pales massively

in comparison to the ever vibrant eastern areas of Kreuzberg. The punks and the poets of the

east have long since relocated but their influence remains to be seen in everyday Kreuzberg. The

seminal punk club SO36, (named after the old postal code for east Kreuzberg - still affectionately

used), has survived all this time. A venue once graced by the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, it

remains true to its punk roots and also hosts a series of gay and lesbian nights on a regular basis.

The aforementioned Kottbusser Tor is an area drenched in graffiti, posters and stickers, and is

populated by fast and easy Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese fast food outlets. Second hand

clothes shops that offer a range of cheap vintage Berliner fashion are commonly dispersed

between the said restaurants, bars, markets and general convenience stores. Although Kottbusser

Tor and its surrounding areas are no longer the most lively, or indeed popular, areas of Berlin

today, the relaxed and exceptionally friendly eclectic venues attract local and international visitors.

Schlesisches Tor, another outpost of the West, is a more lively albeit dispersed area of nightlife within

Kreuzberg, which boasts one of Berlin’s most well known and popular late night venues, Watergate.

Panoramic view of the Spree with Friedrichshain on the left and Kreuzberg to the right

31

Trinkteufel

Adalbertstrasse 18

Located a stone’s throw from Kottbusser

Tor U-Bahn, Trinkteufel is a bar steeped in

SO36 traditions. The exterior is covered in

graffiti and interior is draped in heavy rock

and gothic paraphernalia, as well as punk

and OI! posters stickers that are plastered all

over the walls and toilets. The music switches

between metal and punk seemingly depending

on who is managing the bar at the time. The

beer is cheap at €2,50 for half a litre and the

atmosphere on the right night is electric.

- Anthony Pearce

Cake

Oranienstrasse 31-U1 Kottbusser Tor

Schlesische Strasse 32-U1 Schlesisches Tor

www.cake-bar.de

Squeezed between a shop selling all man-

ner of random tat and funky clothing outlet

Cherry Bomb, on up-and-coming Oranien-

strasse in grungy Kreuzberg, CAKE seems to

take on a life force of its own after dark. You

can’t miss its bold neon sign in glowing red

which beckons you in and you certainly won’t

miss the music which seems to shake (rat-

tle and roll) the whole street on a good night.

The atmosphere inside is jubilant and the dé-

cor is simple yet funky (think 1970’s pysch-

edelic print on the walls in brown and orange

and red and white leather diner banquettes to

perch on). The music is an eclectic mix ranging

from jazz to swing and from latin beats to soul.

The small dancefloor fills up quickly as the night

progresses so you may find you will have to dance

on the spot or in your seat but hey, its worth it.

CAKE is essentially a cocktail bar and you

can sample their specials such as the Long

Island Ice Tea (€7,50) from the Power Cocktail

range or try a house Cake Dream which fea-

tures Absinthe, Macaruja syrup and apple juice

(€6,50) or a Cake Light with Crème de Cassis,

Lemon Juice, Grenadine, Cream and Pineap-

ple Juice. Other quirky numbers include the

Oranienstrasse and the Lebowski. It’s not all

cocktails though, the bar has a wide selection

of tipples including a good vodka list, beers, te-

quilas, sekt and tabu absinthe. This is a small

venue so get there early to bag some seats.

Schlesische Strasse hosts the more laid back par-

ent bar, a traditional, low-lit European cafe with an

eclectic jukebox and DJ sets at weekends. The

CAKE cocktails are of course available here too.

- Linda CookeCake on Oranienstrasse

32

Wendel

Schlesische Strasse 42

Mo-Fri 12-2, Fri-Sat until 4, Su 10.30

www.wendel.nstp.de

This cosy, chilled-out bar is located on a long

traffic island opposite Schlesisches Tor tube sta-

tion. With a range of fruity teas, frothy coffees and

hot chocolates, this is a great place to kick back

in the afternoon. The food selection is rustic, but

not ideal for those looking for something hearty.

A range of organic cheeses and breads are

available, alternatively, there are several pasta

dishes and toasted sandwiches to choose from.

At night the atmosphere becomes more vibrant

and Wendel often hosts arty amateur film-mak-

ers or eclectic Djs to entertain the punters.

On Sundays, according to Berlin tradition,

Fruehstueck (breakfast) is offered. This includes

snacks (croissants, toast) and larger meals with

salami, cheese, olives and sausages. Break-

fast prices start at €2.50 and work up to €13.

The relaxed atmosphere of this joint is indulged

by the plush furnishings and mood lighting. Vel-

vety sofas and comfortable armchairs hug long

low tables which glow in the warmth of tapered

candle light. There is ample seating and socket

availability which means that anyone with a laptop

can take advantage of the free Wifi connectivity.

The white walls are covered with stripes

of black paint in an assortment of shapes

and the speakers play a mix of mellow and

more upbeat tunes from edgy artists includ-

ing Klaxons, Devendra Banhart and Le Tigre.

If you are looking to make a night of it head

on to nearby Lux club where fluorescent lighting

and cool-kids are a-go-go. Alternatively, on the

other side of Wendel to Lux you will find Burger

Meister, where the chilli cheese burger is well

worth a try, and reasonably priced at just €3.40.

- Kyla Manenti

Zur Fetten Ecke

Schlesische Strasse 16

Zur Fetten Ecke is a dingy, burgundy shaded

smoky Berlin bar with bags of life. Choose from

a range of spirits kept neatly above the bar in

what resembles a Victorian pharmaceuticals

cabinet, or pay around €3 for half a litre of good

German beer. The background music is usually

alternative and adventurous - expect a DJ to

kick off a set around 11pm most nights playing

everything from indie alternatives to down

tempo electro. Opens late most nights (and that

is Berlin ‘late’, you probably won’t be turfed out

until around breakfast time some mornings.)

- Anthony Pearce

33

Another Country

Riemannstrasse 7 (U7 Gneisenaustrasse)

Tue-Fri 11-20, Sat-Sun 12-18 (or until the last

customer leaves on event nights.)

Another Country is a charming English lan-

guage book store on Riemannstrasse 7, near-

est to Gneisenaustrasse U-Bahn. Offering a

host of fiction, from sci-fi to the classics, there

is also a wide range of poetry and non fiction.

Notably, the store also operates as a library -

return any book you purchased from there and

you will be refunded with all but €1.50 of your

money. On top of this the store offers late night

book clubs, film nights on Tuesdays and food

on Friday and once a month a ‘fantasy cellar’.

Expect a relaxed, cosy atmosphere and most

likely empty wine bottles from the night before.

The staff are friendly and happy to assist you

with any query you might have. Closed Mon.

Open Tue – Fri. 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 12 – 6, or

until the last customer leaves on event nights.

- Anthony Pearce

Adhering more closely to the paradigm of West Berlin, west Kreuzberg or SW61, with its

high street shops, trendy bars and up market restaurants, is a cleaner, more aesthetically

pleasing alternative to the east. Bergmann Strasse (not far from Gneisenaustrasse U-

Bahn) is the epicentre of west Kreuzbergian nightlife - an upbeat, relatively expensive,

more mainstream alternative to the above – a street flooded with restaurants to suit all

tastes. The Marheinecke Markethalle, is a modern western indoor Market, mainly consisting

of fast food kiosks, is located next to the more authentic feeling outdoor Market. Despite

the overall accessible and trendy vibe prevalent in west Kreuzberg, in typical Berlin

fashion it manages to produce a host of idiosyncratic art shops, bars and book stores.

Whilst Mitte and Museum Island are home to most of Berlin’s packaged treasures, if you

are looking to absorb culture in a more traditional fashion than the SO36 experience, west

Kreuzberg is always a good bet. The area is also home to a few monumentally significant

sites including the Topography of Terrors, the Jewish Museum, and Checkpoint Charlie.

- Anthony Pearce

Checkpoint Charlie

U-Bahn Kochstrasse

One of eight gateways between East and

West Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie remains by

far the most famous. Used for Allies and non-

Germans passing between the two Berlins,

the Checkpoint was immortalised in October

1961 when Soviet and U.S tanks squared

up against each other at this very site with

the world on red alert fearful of all out war.

Given its monumental significance, there-

fore, Checkpoint Charlie is one of the most

popular tourist destinations in central Berlin

- and it shows. Sadly falling into the realm of

the tacky, replicas of the U.S guardhouse and

the world famous ‘You are now leaving the

American Sector’ sign have been erected.

Whilst the museum Haus am Checkpoint Char-

lie is overpriced, although very interesting,

the site itself remains well worth a quick visit.

- Anthony Pearce

34

The Stasi Museum is just out of the centre in Lichtenberg, which is a working class district made up

of old tenements and Plattenbauten. Most of the outlying Eastern districts are like this, including the

enormous GDR housing projects of Marzahn, Hellersdorf and Hohenschönhausen, where post-reuni-

fication malaise has made this expanse of blocks of flats and shopping centres poor and unattractive.

It’s even worth a trip to these areas, if only to realise that while you’ve been walking the trendy streets

and frequenting the coolest bars in the best districts, this is Berlin for approximately 255,000 people.

Ruschestrasse 103 (U-Bahnhof Magdalenen-

strasse)

Mo-Fr: 11-18, Sa/Su/public holidays: 14-19

Serving as the headquarters for the East Ger-

man secret police, the Stasi (or Staatssicher-

heitsdienst), this grey, depressing building was

where all orders for surveillance, arrest and any

number of other terrifying things emanated from.

The Stasi was made up of various agents

who followed every footstep of someone’s life.

Even normal people could work as inform-

ers, snooping around after their neighbours

and friends and reporting their whereabouts

and whatever they had been doing. It is esti-

mated that 2.4 million people were spied upon

by an institution of 91,000 employees and

300,000 informants (Inoffizielle Mitarbeiter).

Thousands of files on GDR citizens were kept

here, with the Stasi organisation throughout

East Germany filling 125 miles of shelf space

with information on its citizens. Once the or-

ganisation collapsed and after a demonstration

on 15th January 1990, former East Germans

have been allowed to look at their files, many

with interesting and often devastating results.

The main building of the headquarters has

been turned into a museum and historical centre

and for only €4 (€3 for concessions) it’s a rea-

sonable price for such a unique and outlandish

collection. Only a state this paranoid would think

to preserve a person’s odour in jars for sniffer

dogs to detect and the museum itself has plenty

of such wacky surveillance techniques on show.

This is where it all happened. It gives

you the sense that you are standing

somewhere where history was made.

Inside, Ostalgie buffs will love the kitschy east-

ern bloc decor and history fans will be interested in

walking around Stasi boss, Erich Mielke’s office.

It is like walking into another world that seems so

alien now that we can barely imagine that it ever

existed, yet the Stasi relentlessly kept its eyes

and ears on East Berlin barely 20 years ago.

All in all, it’s a mix of the sinister and the

comic, with prison vans and phone taps set

to the backdrop of retro light fixtures and

busts of Karl Marx. There’s also a paternos-

ter for added novelty and no, you can’t go in it.

- Katie Thompson

Stasi Museum

The former Stasi headquarters

35

Eastern blocThe Trabant

If you had to wait up to 18 years for a car, you’d

want a good one, right? You’d want at least a Bat-

mobile or something, but in the GDR all you were

able to get was one state-owned model which

clearly had issues on the production line. The

much-derided Trabant (the translation is ‘satel-

lite’ or ‘fellow traveller,’ ironic as you could bare-

ly travel anywhere from the GDR) was basically

an engine surrounded by fibre glass and card-

board with barely enough room to fit one person

in, never mind a whole family. This sought-after

little car gave you just that little bit of extra free-

dom in a country where it was severely lacking.

After achieving cult status by their ubiquity just

after the Wall came down, the plethora of jokes

about their unreliability and nostalgia mixed

with the Westerners’ ideal of communist cool,

the Trabi has become a tourist institution, col-

lector’s item and symbol of East Berlin. Derided

and desired on an equal level they are now

affectionately seen as an eastern bloc Brum,

pottering and tooting about (now with different

engines) and you’ll spot one eventually. If you

fancy a retro afternoon, go on the Trabi Safari

where you can take a guided tour around Ber-

lin behind the wheel of one of these beasts.

- Katie Thompson

DDR Museum

Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 1Mo-Su 10-20, Sa 10-22Admission: €5.50 (€3.50 concession)

Fun and family-oriented, this is a modern

museum with loads of entertaining interactive

bits and bobs to play about with while you learn

about life in East Germany. There’s very little

in the way of political history here, no lists of

names and dates. The emphasis is instead

on the everyday lives of citizens in the DDR.

Sit in a Trabi, and pretend to drive

it! Complete with rolling in-car film of

the city and rubbish sound effects!

Try on government-issue fashion!

Sit! Watch telly in a replica 1970s living room!

Read actual period books from the shelves,

and raid the actual period drinks cabinet!

Ogle at photographs of the holiday

nudist beaches! See genuine communist

boobs, bottoms and bollocks!

Hiss and boo at the Stasi, as you pretend

to spy on people though a fake TV monitor!

Cheer as you read about the people storming

their headquarters in 1990, demanding

access to secret information on them!

Then go for a pint and get on with your day.

The DDR museum is right in the middle

of town, close to many of Mitte’s main

attractions and is strongly recommended!

- Matthew Lovegrove

Trabant mural at East Side Gallery

36

Squats or Hausbesetzungen have, particularly

since the fall of the Wall, become an ever

present and controversial feature of Berlin

life. Although squatting in Berlin can be most

clearly traced to Cold War Kreuzberg, during its

politically active heyday, in modern Berlin most

squats are based in the old East - Mitte and

Prenzlauer Berg in particular. The fall of the Wall

and the ensuing influx of East Berliners to the

West resulted in an abundance of abandoned

buildings in the East. People who were

unwilling or indeed unable to pay rent pounced

and the squatting scene forever imposed

itself on Berlin’s collective consciousness.

Eighteen years on, those squats that have

survived exist, at first glance, as anarchic

communes run by the people for the people.

For one reason or another, however, these

squats have become almost universally

institutionalised. They operate as venues, bars,

cinemas and art galleries as much or even more

so than they do as places of free residence.

The squats, like much of Berlin’s alternative

scene, are friendly and welcoming despite their

often abrasive feel. Whilst they are hardly money

making organisations, they aim to generate

enough revenue to continue existence. With the of

exception of Tacheles, located on Oranienburger

Straße, which is the most prominent and

famous of all Berlin squats (see page 887),

they are relatively difficult to locate - even if

you are looking. Squat events are sometimes

advertised but by no means universally

and certainly not in the traditional sense.

Köpi, one of the most famous and radically

left wing squats, located on Köpenicker Strasse

137, exists as a perfect example of the peculiar

and often turbulent existence of squats in

Berlin. Köpi was first occupied by squatters in

1990, during the heyday of squatting culture,

but as early as 1991 became a legal property

subject to a lease, owned by the state. Today

the venue continues to be extremely popular -

hosting hardcore punk events on a nightly basis

over two floors, it offers cheap alcohol from two

separate bars. Food, vinyls, CDs and T-shirts,

as well as anti-fascist paraphernalia are also

available from various stands inside. Usually

an entrance fee of around €4 is charged.

By day, the squat doubles up as a cinema

and shows a range of left wing films. The squat

celebrated 18 rent free years earlier in 2008.

However, almost exactly a year before this

celebration the squat had been rather dubiously

sold to an investor for reportedly half of the

market value. Although reports were circulated

Hausbesetzungen

Kopi, Kopenicker Strasse 137

41

new owner intended to demolish the building,

originally a series of apartments, there was no

official word from his camp. With the scheduled

handover approaching, Köpi lawyers fought and

won a remarkable victory against the new owners,

being granted a lease on the first and ground

floors (as well as one full wing of the building) for

the next thirty years. The surrounding area and

associated trailer park continues to be occupied

by Köpi squatters without strict permission.

The Berlin squat scene, although vibrant and

quite unique given the historical backdrop, is

often misunderstood. The German authorities

and state are far less lenient towards squatters

than many perceive. As a Köpi squatter

confirmed to us, new squats in Berlin usually

only last a matter of hours before the police

raid the premises and evict the squatters.

In Neue Bahnhof in 1999, for example, a

newly formed squat lasted a mere 6 hours.

In 2005, a Yorckstrasse squat was raided by

police and around 70 squatters were removed

after their lease on the building expired.

The squat scene, as rebellious and brilliant

as it remains, functions within the framework of

capitalism – whilst this is probably undesirable to

the squatters, there is little alternative. Despite

this institutionalisation, even the aforementioned

Tacheles, a world famous squat, is facing a

potentially short future. Artists at the squat are

less than optimistic about reaching an agreement

that replicates the success Köpi achieved.

In addition to Köpi and Tacheles, squats exist

throughout Berlin. The locally famed Labyrinth

(Mainzer Strasse 7) nearest to Hermannplatz

U-Bahn is one of the most impressive West

Berlin squats still in existance, opening every

Thursday and Saturday night. Squats on Rigaer

Strasse 94, and XB Liebig in Friedrichshain

are also well worth a visit. Schwarser Kanal is

one of Berlin’s many gay and lesbian squats.

The squats continue to survive and quite often

thrive through this turbulence and uncertainty.

They remain a rock in Berlin’s hugely diverse

and vibrant alternative scene, highlighting

the remarkable possibilities of life in Berlin.

“Schwarser Kanal stays” - graffiti on the side of a Kopenicker Strasse building

42

The Berlin Wall remains the defining image of

the Cold War. It is symbolic of the corruption

of the Marxist ideal within the Eastern Bloc.

Everything that exists in central Berlin today

still bears the remarkable and unmistakable

scars inflicted by the Wall even so long

after its fall. The 87 mile long, 12 foot high

divide which consisted of 45,000 separate

concrete blocks, cost the equivalent of over

three million US Dollars, and 136 attempted

escapees their lives. The Wall, which stood

for a total of 28 years between 1961 to 1989,

has reshaped the course of German history.

Almost ten years after the Iron Curtain was

drawn across Europe, on 13th August 1961

the Berlin Wall was born. Walter Ulbricht, the

First Secretary of the GDR at the time, had,

two months prior to its construction, famously

proclaimed, “No-one has the intention of building

a wall.” East German Police and soldiers

(some of whom themselves fled) set about

the task of not only dividing East from West,

but surrounding West Berlin with barbed wire

fencing. By sunrise that day West Berlin was an

island of Democracy in a sea of Communism.

Within a few days the first concrete blocks were

put in place. Within just a year a second barbed

wire fence was erected. This second fence,

roughly 100 metres further into Eastern territory,

made any approach to the actual border near

impossible by creating an area of no-mans-

land soon to be dubbed the ‘Death Strip.’

Between 1975 and 1980 the final stages

of the Wall were completed and it took shape

as the imposing, soulless and towering grey

divide that we can so vividly picture. The

actual wall, most famously pictured covered in

graffiti, backed against the free West. Between

East Berliners, the Wall and ultimately the

West stood the aforementioned ‘Death Strip’.

Beginning with the barbed wire fence, the

strip was littered with beds of nails, dogs on

long leashes and anti-vehicle trenches, which

ensured those attempting to escape would be

spotted by guards stationed at one of the 116

watchtowers or 20 bunkers. Soldiers were

Wall to wall

Cracked Wall artwork at the Eastside Gallery

41

Wall was built with the intention of keeping out

Western agents and acting as an anti-fascist

rampart, the flow from West to East was not

restricted. It was their own citizens in East

Berlin they were trying to keep in. Prior to 1961

East Berliners had been fleeing en masse to the

West. In some cases East Berliners could travel

between East and West, such as when their

profession necessitated it, but all permanent

movement was forbidden. It is worth noting that

thousands of West Berliners did in fact move

East to join Communism. Many Berliners who

lived in the East still harvest fond memories of

Communism, high employment and low rent.

As time passed, however, the people of

East Berlin became more and more discontent

as the world pressured the GDR government

to demolish the Wall. After 28 long years, the

political and social reforms of Gorbachev, the

opening of the Austro-Hungarian border and

Guenter Schabowski’s famous slip-up, the wall

was finally brought crashing to the ground. The

euphoric people of Berlin, from both East and

West, joined the celebrations in tearing down the

Wall as tourists flocked to take a piece of history

home with them. Unsurprisingly, very little of the

wall remains in Berlin today. The parts that do

remain, quite ironically, are protected by law

and can be seen at three main sites in Berlin.

The most centrally-located piece of remaining

wall is unfortunately the least revealing.

Situated in front of the demolished Gestapo

offices, where the current Topography of Terror

is located, (Neiderkirchner Strasse, Kreuzberg)

a small segment of severely chipped wall

remains. The Wall here, on its last legs and

without the Death Strip, is strangely unimposing.

Throughout the city remains a faithful paved

line of where the Wall once stood, particularly

visible here in Niederkirchener Strasse

which runs into Zimmer Strasse (Checkpoint

Charlie). Look out for the occasional light

shows that run across this original line to

create a visually stimulating Berlin Wall of light.

Secondly, and most famously, is the East Side

Gallery. Here The Wall ran alongside the River

Spree dividing Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.

With the western side of The Wall running

alongside the river and the eastern side being

obviously protected by the Death Strip, the wall

was by and large free from graffiti during the

Cold War. After the reunification of Germany,

artists from across the world were invited to

decorate the once grey blocks with their own

artwork, creating the world’s largest open air

gallery showcasing 105 different works over

roughly a kilometre and a half of Wall. Since

then the original art work suffered the effects of

weathering, graffiti and vandalism. Restoration

is scheduled for 2009, with most of the original

artists returning to re-paint their respective pieces.

Probably most impressive is the Wall at

Bernauer Strasse, which can be viewed almost

entirely in its original state. Here through cracks

in the Wall or from the viewing tower to its right

you are able to look straight into the Death

Strip. The temporary exhibition is informative

and helpful in giving you a real sense of location

and understanding of the lasting effect the Wall

had on the lives of those on either side of it.

The museum located next to the viewing tower

contains real and moving stories of families

divided by the Wall and various employed

methods of escape. Whilst the East Side Gallery

was intended to show the euphoria experienced

by a united Berlin in the early 1990s, Bernauer

Strasse demonstrates the hardships and

miseries of the city divided. The on-site memorial

is scheduled for reconstruction to mark the 50th

anniversary of the Wall on 13th August 2011,

with €11.6 million allocated for development.

- Anthony Pearce

41

So you’re too short of time, cash or patience for a guided tour and want to see the main

historical sites of Berlin? You’re in luck, we’ve devised an (admittedly) ingenious little walk

from Alexanderplatz, beginning with the TV tower and ending up at the Memorial for the

Murdered Jews of Europe. The once divided city is the full of powerful symbolism. Have a

stroll past some of Europe’s most famous landmarks at your own pace and in your own time.

A good starting point is Alexanderplatz,

which is accessible from most places. Take

either the U2, U5 or U8, or one of the S-

Bahn lines to get there. The station itself is

a bit daunting – it’s one of Berlin’s largest.

You’ll need to head towards Karl-Liebknecht-

Strasse, but if you use any of the main exists

and look for the enormous phallus that is the

T.V. tower, you’re good to go - at 365 metres

high, you really shouldn’t be able to miss it.

The T.V. Tower (Fernsehturm) is the fourth

largest free standing structure in Europe.

Completed in 1969, and looming over the

Berlin skyline, it was intended to demonstrate

the power of the GDR, and presumably how

good East Germans were at building really tall

things (NB: all three of the largest free standings

structures were built by Communist states - so

it does seem to be the done thing). There’s a

revolving café at around 200 metres, which to

be fair is pretty nifty. Oh, and look out for the

‘Pope’s Revenge’ on a sunny day: amusingly

the dome at the top projects a beam of light

that makes the entire structure look like a giant

cross. God, it seems, has a sense of humour.

If you’re full to the brim with admiration for our

East German comrades, locate Karl-Liebknecht-

Strasse to its right, and let’s move. The next site

on our tour is a more traditional, but deceptively

young piece of architecture, introducing an area

awash with the best in German architecture,

much of which designed by Friedrich Schinkel.

The Berliner Dom, built over ten years between

1895-1905, is hugely impressive. The Old

Museum, one of Schinkel’s finest works, with

its grand steps leading to huge columns (and

more recently introduced neon signs) demands

the limelight in the Lustgarten, the epicentre

of Museum Island. Behind you stands what is

left of the Palast der Republik – which, after

years of careful demolition, is virtually nothing.

Controversial plans to rebuild a replica of the

original German palace are in the making.

On the same road, to your right is the

German History Museum, and just past it

Berliner Dom

A trail of two cities

49

to your right is the Memorial for the Victims

of War and Tyranny. Originally a guardhouse,

the memorial is a poignant reminder of

Berlin’s not so ancient history. Although

you can take pictures, be respectful – keep

your voice down and remove any headgear.

If you fancy a Gluehwein pit-stop, which

is always a good idea, the markets to your

left are guaranteed to satiate your thirsts.

Feeling all warm inside continue down

Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse and to your right,

behold the Humboldt University – the home

of several Nobel Prize winners. The likes of

Heinrich Heine, Sigmund Freud and Albert

Einstein all used to chill here, back in the day.

Bebelplatz, direcetly opposite, is the site of

the infamous book burning of 1933. Students

and Nazi sympathisers took to the street and

destroyed 20,000 books deemed too liberal,

Jewish or generally ‘un-German’. Today in the

centre of the square is a subtle memorial designed

by Micha Ullman. A segment of glass flooring

reveals a mass of empty bookshelves below.

Carry on down the same road and you’ll soon

arrive in Under den Linden. Beautifully lit at dusk,

the road is lined elegantly with trees that date

back to the time of Friedrich the Great. The road

leads directly to the famous Brandenburg Gate,

but before you reach it, prepare to be amazed!

The swanky Adlon hotel to your left is the site of

the infamous Michael Jackson baby-dangling!

Whilst the historical and political significance

of the next site may pale in comparison to

Michael Jackson’s moment of madness, do

try and pay attention. The Brandenburg Gate

is architecturally stunning. Built in 1791, with

the Quadriga sat on top, its six Doric columns

have witnessed some of the most important

historical events in the world. Napoleon

marched through it in 1806, taking with him

the Quadriga – rightfully returned in 1814.

Hitler, years later, used the gate to symbolise

Nazi power as he draped flags bearing the

swastika down each column, and from 1961

to 1989 the Berlin Wall stood directly in front of

the gate preventing any passage through. This

is the site where Reagan famously demanded

to Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. So,

yeah, all in all it’s a pretty important place.

Walk through the gate - 20 years ago this

wouldn’t have been possible. To your right is the

Reichstag, the German parliament, with its new

and flashy dome built by Sir Norman Foster.

Straight on is the vast openness of the Tiergarten

and to your left is the Memorial for the Murdered

Jews of Europe. If you have a chance at some

point you can go into the Reichstag, up on to its

roof and into the dome. The queues are long –

but it’s free and it’s amazing: www.bundestag.de

If you head left down Ebertstrasse, you’ll

arrive at the Memorial for the Murdered Jews

of Europe, a paved field of concrete blocks

of varying heights sloping into a deep centre.

The memorial is designed to be interactive,

so go in and experience the dark, uneasy

sense of uncertainty in the shadows. Although

as a memorial it remains too abstract for

some, it is well deserving of your time.

- Anthony Pearce

The Reichstag

50

Designed by Werner March for the 1936

Olympics, Berlin’s Olympiastadion is notorious

for its use by the Nazis but also celebrated as a

venue for home team Hertha BSC, the German

Cup final and for its role in the 2006 World Cup.

The stadium was also captured on film as part

of Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial ‘Olympia’

propaganda piece celebrating the feats of Aryan

man and Nazi propaganda was also famously

damaged here by Jesse Owens’ outstanding feat

of winning 4 gold medals right in front of Hitler.

Today you can still see the Olympic Bell,

which was cracked and damaged during

the Second World War, outside the stadium.

One of the best ways of seeing the stadium

is simply to go to a football match there. At

weekends, getting a ticket for Hertha’s home

matches is not particularly difficult, (you can

get them from kiosks named ‘Kasse’ in major

train stations or when you get there) as long

as they are not playing a very popular team

such as Bayern Munich. It can cost anywhere

from €12 for a seat in with the rowdy fans or

up to €35 for a more civilised central position;

it depends on your budget and inclinations.

It is also special considering a World Cup

final was held here (remember Zidane’s bizarre

head-butt?) and the capacity is 76,000, second

only to Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.

The atmosphere is excitable but not particularly

threatening and despite German football

hardly having the most flair in Europe, it is still

a great spectacle at such an impressive site.

As with most of Berlin, the new is layered onto

the old and the renovation and regeneration of

the Olympiastadion is key to its survival. Berlin

is at its best when something current and

exciting is happening coupled with a historic

setting. However, seeing the Olympiastadion in

its present incarnation as a modern stadium is

much more fulfilling than dwelling on the past,

even if the first thing you think as you enter is

‘where did Hitler sit?’ the atmosphere of football

soon drives out any ghosts from the past.

- Katie Thompson

Olympic Stadium

51

Meet the teamAll it took was a school trip to Berlin when Katie was 14 to make her obsessed with the city. She lived Friedrichshain during her Erasmus year as part of her German Studies degree at Warwick University and since graduating she’s been drawn back to this mad city to write about it. She can’t seem to keep away; maybe it’s the lure of good, cheap beer coupled with a vibrant culture and history that’s ten times more exciting than anywhere else. Katie is most likely to be found in pubs and bars or wandering around desperately hoping to bump into members of Einstürzende Neubauten and Rammstein.Katie enjoys cycling and can’t stand dogs, dog excrement and anything canine

Katie Thompson

Madelyn HillMadelyn was born and raised in the very small town of Ozark, Arkansas; a close-knit community where there is always someone to lend a helping hand. But like many people often do, she has outgrown the small town life and now prefers the bright lights of the big city. She enjoys indulging in the rich nightlife and amazing food on offer in urban spaces. She loves travelling and has done so extensively within the U.S to metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles which is close to many beaches and restau-rants; two things of great importance in her life. Las Vegas’ fascinating nightlife and Washington D.C’s rich history have both left an imprint in Madelyn’s memory.

It has been a dream of many years to visit Germany, making this trip to Berlin an opportunity she could not pass up. She has wanted to learn the German language and explore the life of people outside America for many years and so decided to make her dream a reality.In spare time she enjoys cooking, entertaining family and friends and watching movies. There isn’t much to do in Ozark but the people are friendly and being a laid back, caring person, Madelyn enjoys having the opportunity to help people. She now plans to begin studies and obtain a degree in Psychology.

“You only live once so live your life to the fullest and enjoy it.”

Kyla ManentiHaving grown up in Devon amongst the rural idylls and inherent close-mindedness of the British countryside, Kyla took advantage of the university experience by moving to London, hoping to expose herself to a faster pace of life and a richer backdrop from which to draw inspiration and learn.She studied Journalism with French at Kingston university and completed an Erasmus period in the French city of Lyon, where she became an active student of the French club scene. One of her fondest memories from this time is her involvement in anti-Sarkozy riots on the night of the French election, her first taste of Tear gas.

After graduating in summer ’08, Kyla decided to head to Berlin to soak-up some of its saturating sub-cultural influences. She hopes to share her experiences through her writing, and to deliver the kind of information she feels genuinely benefits a young visitor like herself.

Anthony PearceAnthony graduated from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth with a history degree in 2007. Upon graduation Anthony returned to his hometown, Telford, England, a town so mind-numbingly dull he was utterly compelled to travel. Having sought to launch a career in journalism, coupled with his desire to be anywhere but Telford, and his new found love for anything German, he has begun to focus his attention on travel writing. Returning to Berlin in late 2008 he helped produce the following guide.In his spare time, Anthony enjoys drinking Guinness, raving and poring over Voltaire. Anthony can’t stand the Eurovision song contest.

Linda CookeLinda hails from sunny Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she studied Law and French at Queens University. After graduation she left for England and following a brief stint working as a para-legal in London, she soon realised that the life of a solicitor was not for her. She decided to pack her bags and return to Ireland in order to take stock and embark on a new path as a writer, which had always been an ambition.An intrepid traveller, Linda enjoys seeking out new experiences and makes it her business to get a real feel for her current surroundings. She has come to Berlin to contribute to this guide as the lure of uncovering the secrets of this intelligent, sexy, avant-garde metropolis was simply too strong to resist. She loves her family, Italian food and French wine.

Matt LovegroveMatt grew up in darkest, foulest Gloucestershire in England. After qualifying as a Neurosurgeon in 2007 he spent a year working as a freelance dustman before turning to journalism as a way out of doing actual work. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, South America and Scotland, and has concluded that cricket should be used by politicians as the answer to all the world’s problems. In his spare time, Matt enjoys doing the washing up, growing vegetables in his garden and listening to BBC Radio 4. Berlin has taken him somewhat by surprise: being an supporter of English football, as well as an idiot, Matthew was led to believe that Germans were bad people and not at all friendly and welcoming to tourists, even if they can barely speak their language and go around getting drunk all over the place. When he grows up, Matthew would like to become a full-time writer of pretentious novels about historical French literary-types or something like that, so he can pretend to be clever in front of his dreadful pseudo-mates.