Adolf Hitler would despise the Berlin of today. Its roads\nAnd sidewalks of ethnically diverse faces and foods, piercings, tinted mohawks,\nsexual tolerance, and unrestrained creative and political expression will curl\nhis little mustache. But frankly, he must have seen it coming. Hitler was a\npupil of the German classics, and it is an early Germanic notion that\ntransformation and tragedy are equal partners. The Teutonic God Wotan had to\ncarve out his own eye, then gradually die while impaled on a tree in exchange\nfor eternal wisdom. Nietzsche preached a human’s spirit must slay its inner\ndragon so as to be reborn as a kid. Even Hansel and Gretel had to escape a cannibalistic\nwitch to make their freedom and fortune. A glorious rebirth first requires\ndeath and darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That, to me, makes East Berlin the very Germanic of German\ncities. It’s been through a few epically dark shit. It survived the growth of\nNazism, the destruction and death of WWII, only to be closed off from the Iron\nCurtain, where it stayed for 40 years before the fall of the Berlin Wall in\n1990. And since Germanic mythos could have it–the darker the tragedy, the\nbrighter the conversion. Berlin would rally hard, beyond anyone’s wildest\ndreams. Notably Adolf Hitler’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of the excitement and vibe of Berlin is that it’s still\nIn transition, an wonderful cultural opus that stays an interesting work in\nadvance. However, progress was difficult early on for the Ossi’s (Easterners).\nDecades of communism positioned the East at a brutal struggle to reach the\ncapitalism of the West. Sudden unemployment, devalued currency, and enormous\nemigration took years to conquer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, a funny thing began to happen. As many\nOssi’s fled into the modernity and prosperity of the West, they crossed paths\nwith many Wessi’s (Westerners) looking for the freedom and opportunity of the\nEast. Vacant buildings, low rents, and a liberal, if not, anarchic spirit\nbeckoned them across the fallen split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These opportunities appealed to adventurers beyond Germany\ntoo. There he discovered the”Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk,” a large\nrailroad maintenance yard, defunct since the reunification. Inside, it is a\ngallery, bookstore, nightclub, and artist residence. Think CBGB matches Mad Max\nmeets MoMA PS1. Only cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pascal invited me to mural on the large arched brick wall on\nIn a joyous atmosphere similar to this, there are constant reminders of a\ndarker ago, and that I was motivated by that ironic contrast, challenging\nmyself to create a mural that could be both serious and irreverent. To me,\nthat’s what the creative ethos of Berlin has become now. Interesting, free,\nexperimental–but with an underlying respect and reverence for the tragedies\nand sacrifices of long ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biked the endless neighborhoods of Friedrichshain. Bikes are\nby far the best method to cover town, and simple to rent off the street with a\nprogram. What struck me the hardest was that the absolute size of it all–so\nmany cubes and areas of coolness. Two of our favorite places were the\nReichsbahnausbesserungswerk zone surrounding Urban Spree, with dozens of funky\nbars, cafes, beer gardens, an outdoor climbing wall. The Mauerpark Flea Market\nwas huge, and filled up with Soviet era artifacts, classic and original\nclothes, crafts, books, documents, and appliances, along with also an awesome\nfood court (the freshly smoked mackerel was insane), and beer garden (too many\ngood German beers to mention, but I love the Weiss biers). We also visited the\nBerlin Holocaust Memorial, a hefty but necessary afternoon. Obviously, we saw\nthat the remaining section of the wall, now referred to as the Berlin Wall\nGallery, which hosts local artist murals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Berliners are too young to recall the Berlin Wall, But its shadow . And though gentrification has begun its inevitable invasion, the city’s rebelliousness will not escape. Berlin remains punk rock, and is as far away from that which Hitler could imagine as possible. It’s some small justice that he died here, and that I can only hope his ghost still lingers around in miserable misery over what the town has become. Since Berlin is your shit. Thanks to Pascal, Michelle, Loic, and many others for the hospitality. I can not wait to return for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adolf Hitler would despise the Berlin of today. Its roads\nAnd sidewalks of ethnically diverse faces and foods, piercings, tinted mohawks,\nsexual tolerance, and unrestrained creative and political expression will curl\nhis little mustache. But frankly, he must have seen it coming. Hitler was a\npupil of the German classics, and it is an early Germanic notion that\ntransformation and tragedy are equal partners. The Teutonic God Wotan had to\ncarve out his own eye, then gradually die while impaled on a tree in exchange\nfor eternal wisdom. Nietzsche preached a human’s spirit must slay its inner\ndragon so as to be reborn as a kid. Even Hansel and Gretel had to escape a cannibalistic\nwitch to make their freedom and fortune. A glorious rebirth first requires\ndeath and darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That, to me, makes East Berlin the very Germanic of German\ncities. It’s been through a few epically dark shit. It survived the growth of\nNazism, the destruction and death of WWII, only to be closed off from the Iron\nCurtain, where it stayed for 40 years before the fall of the Berlin Wall in\n1990. And since Germanic mythos could have it–the darker the tragedy, the\nbrighter the conversion. Berlin would rally hard, beyond anyone’s wildest\ndreams. Notably Adolf Hitler’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of the excitement and vibe of Berlin is that it’s still\nIn transition, an wonderful cultural opus that stays an interesting work in\nadvance. However, progress was difficult early on for the Ossi’s (Easterners).\nDecades of communism positioned the East at a brutal struggle to reach the\ncapitalism of the West. Sudden unemployment, devalued currency, and enormous\nemigration took years to conquer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, a funny thing began to happen. As many\nOssi’s fled into the modernity and prosperity of the West, they crossed paths\nwith many Wessi’s (Westerners) looking for the freedom and opportunity of the\nEast. Vacant buildings, low rents, and a liberal, if not, anarchic spirit\nbeckoned them across the fallen split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These opportunities appealed to adventurers beyond Germany\ntoo. There he discovered the”Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk,” a large\nrailroad maintenance yard, defunct since the reunification. Inside, it is a\ngallery, bookstore, nightclub, and artist residence. Think CBGB matches Mad Max\nmeets MoMA PS1. Only cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pascal invited me to mural on the large arched brick wall on\nIn a joyous atmosphere similar to this, there are constant reminders of a\ndarker ago, and that I was motivated by that ironic contrast, challenging\nmyself to create a mural that could be both serious and irreverent. To me,\nthat’s what the creative ethos of Berlin has become now. Interesting, free,\nexperimental–but with an underlying respect and reverence for the tragedies\nand sacrifices of long ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biked the endless neighborhoods of Friedrichshain. Bikes are\nby far the best method to cover town, and simple to rent off the street with a\nprogram. What struck me the hardest was that the absolute size of it all–so\nmany cubes and areas of coolness. Two of our favorite places were the\nReichsbahnausbesserungswerk zone surrounding Urban Spree, with dozens of funky\nbars, cafes, beer gardens, an outdoor climbing wall. The Mauerpark Flea Market\nwas huge, and filled up with Soviet era artifacts, classic and original\nclothes, crafts, books, documents, and appliances, along with also an awesome\nfood court (the freshly smoked mackerel was insane), and beer garden (too many\ngood German beers to mention, but I love the Weiss biers). We also visited the\nBerlin Holocaust Memorial, a hefty but necessary afternoon. Obviously, we saw\nthat the remaining section of the wall, now referred to as the Berlin Wall\nGallery, which hosts local artist murals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Berliners are too young to recall the Berlin Wall, But\nits shadow . And though gentrification has begun its inevitable invasion, the\ncity’s rebelliousness will not escape. Berlin remains punk rock, and is as far\naway from that which Hitler could imagine as possible. It’s some small justice\nthat he died here, and that I can only hope his ghost still lingers around in\nmiserable misery over what the town has become. Since Berlin is your shit.\nThanks to Pascal, Michelle, Loic, and many others for the hospitality. I can\nnot wait to return for more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Adolf Hitler would despise the Berlin of today. Its roads And sidewalks of ethnically diverse faces and foods, piercings, tinted mohawks, sexual tolerance, and unrestrained creative and political expression will curl his little mustache. But frankly, he must have seen it coming. Hitler was a pupil of the German classics, and it is an early …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[49,132,163,210],"yoast_head":"\n