Atlantica - 01.03.2004, Blaðsíða 19

It’s difficult to find a European city that
has had more of an impact on world
events in the 20th century than Berlin.
From the rise of fascism to the Battle of
Berlin to the divided city at the epicen-
tre of the cold war to the dramatic col-
lapse of the Berlin Wall, the city has
been on the front lines of history.
Berlin now proudly shows off its
newest additions as if to leave the past
where it might belong. Take Potsdamer
Platz, which only 14 years ago was the
centre of no-man’s land. Now, it´s full of
glass high-rises like the awe-inspiring
Sony Centre, its glass dome glowing
with soft hues of purple. Beneath this
floating umbrella dome, in the middle
of a courtyard of cafes, is a fountain
shooting jets of water into the air like
jumping salmon. If this wasn’t enough
modernity, the retail bonanza that is the
Arkaden mall is right next door.
Contrasted against these capitalist
shrines, though, are reminders of
Berlin’s historical importance. There is a
short stretch of the Berlin Wall still
standing on Niederkirchnerstrasse.
There is Checkpoint Charlie, a replica
Allied military post marking the former
border between East and West. And if
you want some communist stuff,
Berlin’s got that, too: communist bleak-
ness resonates in the soulless buildings
around Alexanderplatz. Then there’s
Fernsehturm, the TV tower that is a
large slab of concrete spiralling into the
sky – the perfect navigational tool when
exploring Berlin.
At the moment I’m standing at the
Brandenburg Gate. Built in 1791, the
Gate became a symbol of German soli-
darity over the years, but during the
cold war it was closed off by the Wall.
Today, it’s a popular hang-out for
tourists and locals, and numerous
small concerts are held here, as well as
art exhibits.
Tonight, the temperature is a warm
25˚C and a spirited crowd mills around
a 20-metre high globe with a map of
the world outlined on it by lights. The
globe, designed like a giant football,
stands on the eastern mouth of the
Gate, a symbol of the 2006 World Cup to
be held in Germany. This marvel, con-
ceived by architect Buckminster Fuller,
is lit up by 20,000 LEDs, and inside are
interactive, multi-media exhibits.
Listening to the chatter of noise made
by the Berliners soaking up the warm
evening, I hear a smattering of different
languages.
“Berlin is a world town,” says Firat
Akgil, who’s selling tickets to a rerun of
the 1974 football match between East
and West Germany that is being shown
inside this football globe. “Many cul-
tures mix here. I am Turkish. But I was
born here. I grew up here. I am part of
Berlin. It’s part of me.”
WALKING THE WALL
Pick up any walking map of Berlin and
sure enough there will be a dotted line
pointing out the former path of the wall.
On the sidewalks, red bricks mark the
Wall’s trail. Looking for a postcard? Pick
up one with a small piece of concrete
BA divided city no longer, Berlin retains
subtle differences between East and West.
It’s these divisions, writes Edward Weinman,
that make the
German capital
intriguing.
Photos Páll Stefánsson
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