Everything you didn’t know about Berlins Leninplatz
As the German art critic and author Karl Scheffler once put it – “Berlin is damned always to become and never to be” – and even 110 years later this statement couldn’t ring truer. No matter where you go in Berlin, if you just lightly […] Read More
Vierter Ring – Hitlers unfinished Autobahn
“Germania” – the mythical capital of the Third Reich. Looking back at the plans that Albert Speer came up with for Adolf Hitler in 1935, one can only wonder how the Nazis thought they could ever realize their supersized construction […] Read More
Kuppelkreuz – The cross of the Berlin Cathedral
Few buildings in Berlin define the “skyline” and the city as much as the Berlin Cathedral. The imposing Neo-renaisance Cathedral is a tourist magnet, only dwarfed in visitor numbers by the Cathedral in Cologne. While many simply enjoy the building […] Read More
The Staatsratsgebäude
Berlin is a city of change. It always has been, and it most likely always will be. Berlin evolved from a small village in a swamp to the capital of the Prussian empire, to the largest industrial city in Europe […] Read More
Superfest – The (almost) unbreakable East German Glass
While most can and will consider German reunification a “success story”, the merger of the two German states also meant the loss of identity, purpose, and direction for many. There are plenty of articles, books and documentaries out there which […] Read More
The Recycled East German Border Crossing
The year 2019 marks 58 years since the construction, and 30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall. The 160km long wall ploughed its way through and around the capital – giving residents of the western sector only 14 […] Read More
What are those coloured eggs in German supermarkets?
Have you ever strolled through a German supermarket and spotted those weird colored eggs? Do Germans sell easter eggs all year around? I’ve been living here long enough and have asked myself that question plenty of times. I’ve never been […] Read More
The Winter Home of the State Circus of the German Democratic Republic
I’ve never really been a fan of Circuses. I’ve been to a fair share, including some in Russia, and I’ve always felt slightly uncomfortable with the often-dubious animal shows. Historically, Berlin had always been known to be a “Circus” City […] Read More
The Frog Prince of Kreuzberg
A solitary frog prince sits patiently on a porcelain ball, high above the masses waiting for their U-Bahn to arrive. What might seem like a quirky detail of an otherwise almost unremarkable U-Bahn station in Berlin, is actually one of the […] Read More
The last depictions of Karl Marx in Berlin
The year 2018 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, as well as the 170th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto. Few people have had such a lasting – and controversial – effect on world history. While many […] Read More
The Bridge of Scars
Over 7 decades have passed since the Battle of Berlin and at first glance one wouldn’t notice. Division, reunification, the building boom of the 90’s and the gentrification and modernisation of the 00’s have sanitised the city. But only at […] Read More
The socialist history of Berlin
The Nikolaiviertel. A charming little haven in the center of Berlin. So quiet and yet seemingly out of place – surrounded by the iconic TV Tower, the socialist high rises on the Leipziger Straße and the drabness of Alexanderplatz. Despite […] Read More
The last piece of the Palast der Republik
Berlin is a city of change. Some for the better, some for the worse. Few time periods have left their mark on city as much as the years immediately after the German reunification. Investors, banks and the opportunistic saw a […] Read More
The secret Lenin of Berlin
The year 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia, with which Lenin and his comrades toppled the Russian Empire and ushered in the reign of the Soviet Union. This centenary anniversary posed an excellent chance to […] Read More
Finding the last emblems of the German Democratic Republic in Berlin
Berlin is a city that bears the scars of its history. Be it remnants of its imperial history, bullet scared facades (like the Bridge of Scars)or tragic memorials. While it seems like virtually every other building is either listed as […] Read More
Exploring the Wasserturm in Prenzlauer Berg
Every Kiez in Berlin has one or two buildings which define the area – be it the Fernsehturm in Mitte, the Karstadt Building in Neukölln, The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in Charlottenburg or the Dong Xuan Center in Lichtenberg. No other building exemplifies Prenzlauer […] Read More
Berlin: Whats that white cotton stuff in the air?
Its the same spectacle every year: Berlins streets are flooded with some weird cotton pollen just as the summer starts kicking in. When a light breeze brushes through the streets – the fluffy white clouds spread out and one could […] Read More
Prenzlauer Bergs Neon Music Tape
Right at the border between Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain, above the heads of the masses lies one of Prenzlauer Bergs more visible mysteries. Thousands of people have passed the intersection Greifswalder Straße / Am Friedrichshain – looking up and wondering […] Read More
The Cosmonaut of Potsdam
Potsdams a nice place – but it’s just not quite as cool as its younger brother Berlin. Whatever Potsdam does it’s always seemingly second class to Dickes B. Its got the Original Brandenburger Tor (Potsdam 1770, Berlin 1788, Königsberg 1860), […] Read More
The Watchtowers of East Berlin
When the DDR erected the „Antifaschistischer Schutzwall“ – aka the Berlin Wall in 1961, the 160 Kilometer long fortification was overlooked by 302 Watchtowers. The East German Watchtowers weren’t only used for guarding the Berlin Wall, but served as Guard-posts for Prisons, […] Read More
The Abandoned Chinese Embassy | The Republic of Pankow
1973 was an important year for East Germany. After years of political turmoil, the DDR was finally accepted as a member state (the 133rd) to the UN. With this, the DDR had achieved a massive step forward in what it […] Read More
Honecker’s Window
Berlin is not a city of skyscrapers – and it seems like most of the action happens underground. With German reunification, the city had wide-reaching plans to modernize the Alexanderplatz and rid it of its socialist character. 17 Skyscrapers up […] Read More
The Kaninchenfeld – The Brass Rabbits of the Berlin Wall
At first glance there’s not much to see here aside from the usual Berliner Tristesse. A gas station, a busy road and a massive construction site. But on closer inspection – the secret of the Chauseestraße unravels. A thin brick […] Read More
Whats that Jingle on German Trains?
If you’ve ever taken the Deutsche Bahn Trains in Berlin, chances are you’ve at least once heard a synth organ blast out a strange Volksmusik tune. What the hell is that jingle that they play on German Trains? Turns out […] Read More
The Nazi Eagles of Berlin
Reichsadler. The word (unfairly) conjures up images of a Nazi Eagle and the Third Reich. Yet the Eagle as a symbol of Power has existed in the Germanic Realm for centuries. The Reichsadler (the Imperial Eagle) made its first Heraldic […] Read More
The 8 Windmills of Berlin
Berlin used to be swamped with Windmills. It might be hard to believe but by the year 1860, over 150 Windmills sprouted up in and around Berlin. But whats left of them today? Aside form a few street names not […] Read More
Berlins Shortest Street
Berlin is full of famous streets. The illustrious Kurfürstendam with its luxury shops. The historical “Unter den Linden” lined with Embassies leading up to the Brandenburg Gate, or the Oranienburger Straße with its hookers and alternative vibe (thanks to gentrification […] Read More
The Jaczoturm
Not many Berliners know of the Jaczoturm – and even amongst the locals in Spandau it remains somewhat unknown. Hidden along the entrance of the Jaczoschlucht at the border of Wilhelmstadt to Gatow, stands a small tower commemorating the “Schildhornsage” – one […] Read More
What to do with 4 Kilos worth of change?
Im an accidental Numismatic. Over the course of +3 years, ive been collecting all the 1,2 and 5 Cent coins that have crossed my path. What do you do with these coins? Finnland, The Netherlands and Belgium all have abolished their […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 205: The Spitteleck
Spittelmarkt. East Berlin still feels like East Berlin here. The massive 6 Lane Leipziger Straße cuts through the city while the “Komplex Leipziger Straße” – an Octuplet Set of Plattenbauten built in the late 1960s looms over Berlin. It’s not […] Read More
The German Christmas Pickle Myth
A few years back when my family was living in San Francisco, I encountered this interesting so-called, “German” tradition – The German Christmas Pickle. My Mother, on the hunt for some Christmas Tree Ornaments ended up in bizarre store somewhere in […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 212: The Tuileriensäule
This Island isn’t meant for visitors. 250.000 m² large, a few dozen villas and a single road that goes around in a circle. There isn’t much to see here if it weren’t for a french column. More specifically a column from the Tuileries […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 140: The Eisbahn
Winter is coming. As the temperatures slowly dip into the negative digits, a many Neu Berliner begins to regret living in this city. But Berlin comes into its own when the frost settles in. Christmas markets and Glühwein stalls pop […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 159: The Judengang
Der Judengang. The word sounds a lot harsher than it most likely means to be. That might be because of the German Language or the German oversensitivity. While I had heard and seen several streets been named Judengasse (the name […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 194: The Round Hinterhof
Ill be the first to admit it – Berlin isnt a beautiful city. At least not in a classical sense. Ive yet to hear someone describe Berlin in the same tone as Rome or Paris. Now while the residents of […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 63: The Meteorstraße
Totgesagte leben länger – literally translates into The condemned live longer. Nothing fits better to the “doomed” Airport Tegel than this saying. To think that Tegel Airport was mere days away from being closed when the city of Berlin realized […] Read More
German Traffic Lights – Youre Using Them All Wrong
Recht und Ordnung. Law and Order. Theres nothing that a German loves more – or at least that’s the stereotype that everybody spreads around. While there are many ways to piss off a German – the quickest way to earn […] Read More
The Geographical Center of Berlin
Berlin Mitte. U-Bahn Station Mitte. The Rotes Rathaus. They are all liars. All of them claim to be the center of Berlin but none of them are. People have always been fascinated with the concept of the Center – be […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 46: Kleists Grave
“Das Paradies ist verriegelt und der Cherub hinter uns; wir müssen die Reise um die Welt machen und sehen, ob es vielleicht von hinten irgendwo wieder offen ist.” “But paradise is locked and bolted…. We must make a journey around […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 68: The Müggelturm
Berlin is best enjoyed from the top. Not that there are that many opportunities within the city aside from the Fernsehturm and the Weltballon. But if you venture out to the fringes of Berlin and stumble down hidden Forrest paths […] Read More
Paule III – Berlins smallest Ferry
I Hate the Sea and Everything in it, but I have a soft spot for Ferries (see the MS Tempelhof) and other obscure modes of transportation. When I heard that the BVG wanted to scuttle the obscurest ferry in all […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 94: The Spreetunnel
Berlin has some stunningly beautiful bridges. In fact its got over 900 bridges on display (though not all of them so beautiful) – over twice as many as Venice. And while many people appreciate the constructions that span the rivers […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 11: The Bierpinsel
The 1970s Architects weren’t kind to Berlin. While the cityscape of the east was dominated by myriads of Plattenbauten – the western half was turned into an architects playground who tried to do the exact opposite of what the east […] Read More
The Tieranatomisches Theater
Brazingly walking through doors like you know where you are going and belong there is a very good characteristic to have – especially in Berlin. You can find the most interesting places hidden behind doors and through hinterhöfe, all you […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 67: The MS Tempelhof
Anyone who has ever taken Public Transport in Berlin has seen the F Logo. But what does it mean? You see it almost every time you take a Bus, Tram, S or U-Bahn, but what is it? Well – few […] Read More
Park am Nordbahnhof
Berlin has over 2500 public recreational and green spaces – over one-third of the city is made up of forests, parks and rivers. Those are more parks than you will ever be able to visit. Now most people visiting Berlin […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 79: The Paternoster
I am claustrophobic. I hate enclosed spaces – especially elevators. Whenever I have the chance – I try to take the stairs just to avoid being stuck in a metal death trap. It is worth noting that most American Elevators […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 88: The Black and White Fotoautomat
The Fotoautomat. Youre not a Berlin Hipster if you haven’t taken your picture in one of these machines. The Fotoautomat has always been a part of Berlin (and the rest of Germany), hanging around near S-Bahn /U-Bahn and Train Stations, […] Read More
Zellengefängnis Moabit
Moabit continues to surprise me. Despite officially belonging to the Bezirk Mitte ive never been really drawn in to explore the area. Like so many areas of Berlin, Moabit doesn’t have the best of reputations (im looking at you Lichtenberg […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr.101: The Tadschikische Teestube *Rebirth*
The Tadschikische Teestube officialy closed on the 30th of April 2012 – but it seems like Berlin just got a reprieve. I “revied” the Tadschikische Teestube in early Febuary of this year – and while I wasnt keen on the […] Read More
The Madenautomat
In the US you can find Pizza Vending Machines. Dubai has a Gold Vending Machine. And Berlin? Berlin has Cigarette Vending Machines – and the “Madenautomat” – a vending machine which sells live bait. More specifically – small green plastic […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 22: The Ernst Thälmann Monument
The Ernst Thälmann Monument. One of the few remaining monuments of the former DDR in Berlin. Lonely and imposing, it dominates its surroundings – behind it a series of east german tower block flats, and to its front the dire […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 77: Das Parkdeck der Neukölln Arcaden
**Update** Since this piece was written in 2012 – the Parkdeck in Neukölln has been transformed into the Hipster Hangout called “Klunkerkranich”. While the views remain the same – the atmosphere aint the same. Personally I find this quite a […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 113: Der Berliner Dom
So im slowly continuing my quest to visit all the “111 Places in Berlin” and while I while I love Book, I think it misses out on several interesting places in Berlin (see Nr 112 – The Russian Orthodox Church) […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr. 112: St.Konstantin und Helena Kirche in Berlin
No, that 112 is not a mistake. While I love the 111 Places in Berlin Book, I think it misses out on some true hidden gems, so I decided to add on to the list and share some wonderful hidden spots […] Read More
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 101: Die Tadschikische Teestube
Good News Everybody! The Tadschikische Teestube is Opening its doors again in a New Location on the 24th of November 2012! They are now located in the Oranienburger Str. 27 Check out my new revisited post about the Teestube -> […] Read More
Berlin – Cocolo Ramenbar
Its no big secret but I hate fish, so youll be hard pressed to find me in a Japanese Restaurant (due to their pescy habit of serving mostly fish-based dishes). Nevertheless I was dragged down a dark industrial looking street […] Read More