Russian nationalists’ embrace of Nazi ideology might seem especially masochistic given Hitler’s plans to enslave and butcher his eastern neighbors. But on the whole, Russians and Germans have gotten along just fine over the past 1,000 years.
Berlin
Faraway, So Close
Vladimir Putin arrived in Berlin an hour late after first visiting Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko. The symbolism was clear: Angela Merkel, Germany and the West can wait – and not just an hour but two whole weeks.
East German Kitsch Now a Collector’s Item
It is hard to explain the appeal of the mysterious white cylinder, about four feet tall, sealed with a blue vinyl covering. The unwieldy home appliance, which East German engineers designed as a “portable sauna,” is one of the main attractions at a Berlin exhibit.
Jewish Renaissance in Berlin
“Jewish life today is different than before the war,” says Boris Feldmann. “The revival of Jewish life in Berlin is the revival of Russian-speaking Jews.”
Grateful Berlin Recalls US Rescue
Sgt. Charles Bass neatly filled in the last entry of Dieter Hahn’s school attendance booklet with the words: “1946-47, evenings and Sunday mornings, softball and democracy.”
Germans Use Their Green Thumbs to Cultivate the Cities
Barbara Sauer is one of 84,000 Berlin gardeners who spends the summer months cultivating her garden in a so-called “garden colony.” The topography of Germany’s metropolis is dotted with more than 800 such garden colonies.
East or West, New Ways Are Best – Sort Of
“The Wall at the end of the street was our horizon,” says Michael Gabbert. “It was unimaginable that these two parts of Germany would ever be together.”
Curb-Side Symbolism as Berlin Rebuilds
The proposal to demolish the Palace of the Republic has fed suspicions among eastern Germans that the West is attempting to erase all signs of their past identity.
Better to Mention the War Than to Forget It
It took more than half a century to complete the reconstruction of Berlin. It took only a few weeks to reduce it to rubble.
A New Germany; A New Berlin
The largest city between Paris and Moscow, Berlin still exudes a certain air of self-conscious provinciality incongruous to its population of 3.5 million.The roots lie in the island mentality of West Berlin and the isolation of East Berlin from outside influences.
