June 21, 2018 Comments Off on From the U-Bahn to Checkpoint Charlie: Photos of Berlin in the old days Views: 2578 Berlin, Virtual Memoirs

Berlin, the city which proudly sits on the banks of the river Spree (and has more bridges than Venice) was just another small trading post back in the 13th century. Eventually, it became one of Europe’s most influential cities, both an economic and cultural wheel.

It was the capital of both the Prussian and the German Empire, and it was also the city of the most notorious regime human history ever saw, that of Hitler.

This city roared throughout the golden 1920s, stagnated by the early 1930s, and was battered to the ground by the Allies as World War Two concluded in Europe.

But whatever happened in history, and as it can be seen in the photos, Berlin never lost its charm and spirit. It’s an enchanting place, with all its cathedrals, its U-Bahn network, its three opera houses, or the hundreds of other culture and arts venues.

After the war, Berlin suffered as it was divided into four parts. The Berlin Wall soon charted a painstaking border between West and East Berlin, but also between the west and the east of the continent.

East Berlin became the capital of the Soviet-fueled German Democratic Republic and it failed behind its western counterparts, facing food shortages, censure, and oppression in any segment of society.

In the years after the war, Berlin was, nevertheless, reconstructed, as if it raised from the ashes like a phoenix. It still had some of the best theaters and opera houses in Europe, and museums with opulent-looking collections, with treasures from all around the world. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, this city also became the symbol of resilience and freedom too.

We also thought to remind you of how people managed to escape the Berlin Wall

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