The Story of Berlin’s Sidewalks
Below Berlin’s facades––an architectural pastiche––there is a surprisingly consistent urban feature: the design of the sidewalks. Today, I pay more
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Why so many Germans Dislike Spicy Food
Having some Germans for dinner and feeding them properly spicy food is something of a cruel experiment. I grow hot
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Berlin’s Historic Fire Notifiers
There are only a few historic fire notification pillars left in Berlin. I would have walked right by one today,
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Is Berlin a Good Place to be Gay/Queer?
I often get the comment: isn’t Berlin a great place to be gay/queer? The reality is more complicated. Yes, it’s
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The Railroad Canteen, with no Railroad: Stadtklause
It’s lunch hour at the Stadtklause. The public sit at narrow tables with wooden benches. The walls are covered with
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Bäckerei Balzer, Sophienstraße 30/31, Mitte
Frau Balzer is 77 and her family’s bakery has existed in Berlin-Mitte since 1926. Located in Sophienstraße, once
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What Does the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Remember?
The bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) on Breitscheidplatz near Zoo Station in Berlin was recently renovated. And it must be
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Caspar David Friedrich Light
It is the time of year in Berlin when the days get longer but summer has not quite arrived. Something
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Anhalter Bahnhof
It’s 1880 and you are in the biggest train station in continental Europe standing under an iron and glass roof
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Blind Trust: The Otto Weidt Workshop
You are deaf in an air raid. Imagine the mouths open, but you cannot hear the screams. No sound, just
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Finally Spring in Berlin
On Sunday in the wee hours clocks go forward one hour, the days are longer, and it’s official: spring. That
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