Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1920s Berlin
Much of Germany's 1920s history was dictated by the Allies and the harsh terms of the
Treaty of Versailles: Alsace-Lorraine was handed back to France. In the east, Germany lost
a large chunk of Prussia to Poland, giving the latter access to the Baltic, but cutting off the
German province of East Prussia from the rest of the country. he overseas empire was
dismantled; the Rhineland occupied. But what aggrieved Germans most was the treaty's
war guilt clause that held Germany responsible “for causing all the loss and damage”
suffered by the Allies in the war. his was seen as a cynical victors' justice, yet provided the
validation for a gigantic bill of reparation payments: a total of 132 billion gold marks.
he early 1920s was a bad time for Berlin. As the mark began to plunge in value, the
government was shocked by the assassination of Walter Rathenau . As foreign minister,
he had just signed the Treaty of Rapallo, aimed at promoting closer economic ties with
the Soviet Union, since the western powers remained intransigent. Rathenau was killed
at his own Grunewald house by Freikorps o cers. When France and Belgium occupied
the Ruhr in response to alleged defaults in the reparations payments, a general strike
was called across Germany in January 1923.
he combination of reparations and strikes sent the mark plummeting, causing the
worst inflation ever known. As their savings were wiped out and literally barrowloads
of paper money weren't enough to support a family, Berliners experienced the terrors of
hyperinflation. In working-class districts, street fighting between right and left flared
up. Foreigners flocked in to pay bargain prices for carpets and furs that even rich
Germans could no longer afford, and fortunes were made and lost by speculators. In
the midst of all this, on November 8, Berliners' attention was briefly diverted to
Munich, where a motley crew of right-wing ex-army o cers including General
Ludendorff attempted to mount a putsch. It failed, but Berliners were to hear of one
of the ringleaders again - Adolf Hitler .
he mark was finally stabilized under the supremely able foreign minister, Gustav
Stresemann , who believed relief from reparation payments was more likely to come
from cooperation than stubborn resistance. he Allies too moderated their stance,
realizing Germany needed to be economically stable in order to pay. So, under the
1924 Dawes Plan , loans poured into Germany, particularly from America, leading to
an economic upsurge.
Nightlife and the arts
Economic recovery transformed the social life of Berlin. For many people the centre of
the city had shifted from Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden to the cafés and bars
of the Kurfürstendamm. Jazz hit the nightclubs in a big way, along with drug abuse
(mainly cocaine) and all kinds of sex. here were clubs for transvestites, clubs where
you could watch nude dancing, or dance naked yourself - and usually the police didn't
give a damn. his was the legendary era later to be celebrated by writer Christopher
Isherwood and others, when Berlin was briefly the most open, tolerant city in Europe,
a spiritual home for anyone who rejected conventions and traditions.
he 1920s was also a boom time for the arts, as the Dada shockwave rippled through
the decade. George Grosz satirized the times in savage caricatures, while John Heartfield
used photomontage to produce biting political statements. Equally striking, if less
didactic, was the work of artists like Otto Dix and Christian Schad . Producer Max
1788-91
1806
1810
The Brandenburg
Gate is built.
Napoleon conquers Berlin but
grants self-government to the city.
Humboldt University is founded by
Prussian educational reformer and
linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt.
 
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