Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Descend into the Brandenburger Tor S-Bahn station ahead of you. It's one of Berlin's
former
ghost subway stations.
During the Cold War, most underground train tunnels were
simply blocked at the border. But a few Western lines looped through the East. To make a
little hard Western cash, the Eastern government rented the use of these tracks to the West,
but the stations (which happened to be in East Berlin) were strictly off-limits. For 28 years,
the stations were unused, as Western trains slowly passed through and passengers saw only
eerie DDR (East German) guards and lots of cobwebs. Literally within days of the fall of
the Wall, these stations were reopened, and today they are a time warp (looking essentially
as they did when built in 1931, with dreary old green tiles and original signage). Walk along
the track (the walls are lined with historic photos of the Reichstag through the ages) and exit
on the other side, following signs to
Russische Botschaft
(the Russian Embassy).
The
RussianEmbassy
wasthefirstbigpostwarbuildingprojectinEastBerlin.It'sbuilt
in the powerful, simplified Neoclassical style that Stalin liked. While not as important now
as it was a few years ago, it's as immense as ever. It flies the Russian white, blue, and red.
Find the hammer-and-sickle motif decorating the window frames—a reminder of the days
when Russia was the USSR.
Continuing past the Aeroflot airline offices, look across Glinkastrasse to the right to see
the back of the
Komische Oper
(Comic Opera; program and view of ornate interior posted
in window). While the exterior is ugly, the fine old theater interior—amazingly missed by
WWII bombs—survives.
Back on the main drag, on the left at #40, is an entertaining bookstore, Berlin Story. In
addition to a wide range of English-language books, this shop has a modest (but overpriced)
museum and a wide range of nostalgic knickknacks from the Cold War. The West lost no
time in consuming the East; consequently, some have felt a wave of
Ost
-algia
for the old
days of East Berlin. At election time, a surprising number of the former East Berlin's voters
still opt for the extreme left party, which has ties to the bygone Communist Party, although
the East-West divide is no longer at the forefront of most voters' minds.
One symbol of that communist era has been given a reprieve. As you continue to
Friedrichstrasse, look at the DDR-style pedestrian lights, and you'll realize that someone
had a sense of humor back then. The perky red and green men—
Ampelmännchen
—were
recentlyunderthreatofreplacement byfarlessjauntyWestern-style signs.Fortunately,after
a 10-year court battle, the DDR signals were kept after all.
At
Friedrichstrasse,
look right. Before the war, the Unter den Linden/Friedrichstrasse
intersection was the heart of Berlin. In the 1920s, Berlin was famous for its anything-goes
love of life. This was the cabaret drag, a springboard to stardom for young and vampy en-
tertainers like Marlene Dietrich. (Born in 1901, Dietrich starred in the one of the first Ger-
man talkies—
The Blue Angel
—and then headed straight to Hollywood.) Over the last few
years, this boulevard—lined with super department stores (such as Galeries Lafayette) and
