Berlin: Poor But Sexy

The former mayor of Berlin, in an attempt to attract artists, musicians and other creative professionals, described Berlin as arm aber sexy or poor but sexy. The slogan worked and attracted artists from all over the world. But it also attracted tech workers and entrepreneurs. People who were neither sexy nor poor. And in a way it attracted me too, as I moved to Berlin in 2020. The planning started in December 2019, but it took until Oct 2020 for me to move, due to the pandemic and the subsequent lock-downs.

Berlin has a unique charm, thanks to its unique history. After a tumultuous 20th century, peace has finally reached Berlin. Berlin has constantly had to reinvent itself over the 20th century. At the start of the 20th century, under the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm I, Germany was the most powerful of all European countries and Berlin, it's capital, the center of all European and world politics. However the first World War and the subsequent German defeat brought an end to the aristocracy and monarchy. The Weimar Republic was established. Berlin was the capital of the new republic, with a constant threat of a coup by both the far-left and the far-right. 

During the 1920s, Berlin became the center of arts, literature, cinema and science. German Expressionism in arts and cinema reached a peak. German cinema was far ahead of contemporary Hollywood, as German cinema dealt with far more "intellectual" topics compared to the action-adventure and romantic movies of Hollywood. The great Alfred Hitchcock spent some time in Berlin working on a movie in 1924, and left with a German influence that lasted with him for a lifetime. Sciences too rose into prominence. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 while living in Berlin.

The Great Depression and the subsequent rise of the Nazi Party brought a great change in Berlin. Berlin became the capital of the Reich. The Nazis labelled all art from the Weimar Republic decadent and hedonist. The Second World War was an eventual disaster for Berlin. Almost 87% of the city was destroyed in the second World War, with Berlin hit by around 68 thousand tons on TNT. At the end of the war, the city was split into Eastern and Western blocs, which eventually became part of two countries - the capitalist West Germany and the communist East. The 60s saw East Germany build a wall around West Berlin to prevent it's younger population from fleeing to West Germany. The two German states were a front of the cold war and Berlin was at the center of it. The fall of the wall in the 1990s and the subsequent reunification of Germany and Berlin undid the damage of the cold war to some extent. Berlin today is the hub of innovation, research, arts and tech.

Living in Berlin has been a unique experience for me. The restaurants, cafés and museums are shut due to lockdowns. Most of the tourists are missing, which means that you can explore the city in relative solitude. It also means that I have no clue what actual Berlin looks like. But it is certainly different to any other place I have ever been to. Whether it's cycling along the Berlin Wall, or having lunch by the Spree or jogging in the hunting grounds of the former Prussia kings, each experience has been an enriching one. Every building or street has a unique piece of history attached to it. The Brandenburg Gate is a relic of the era of Prussian kings dominating Berlin and Europe. The Berlin Cathedral, adorned by statues of Martin Luther and other protestant reformers, all pointing to the scriptures, is reminiscent of Berlin's protestant past. The TV Tower, Karl-Marx-Alle and the Soviet styled communist apartment complexes symbolic of the Soviet Influence. The "Little Istanbul" of Kreuzberg and the Dong Xuan Center are a reminder of the various ethnic communities in Berlin.

The building that encapsulates 20th century Berlin the best is Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus. Built under the Nazis in 1936, it was the largest building in Europe. It housed the Luftwaffe, the aerial warfare branch of the German forces in the Second World War. Post WWII, the building became the seat of power of East Germany and after German reunification, it houses the Berlin branch of German Finance Ministry, the Ministry that is responsible for revenue administration. Some buildings are destined to be used for evil.

Berlin today is not poor, it is liberal, non-judgmental, culturally diverse, artistic and still sexy.