Monday, February 6, 2023
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
Go Travel Mate
  • Travel News
  • Travel Ideas
  • Resorts
  • Destination
    • Beaches
  • More
    • Food & Drink
    • Airplane
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Cruises
    • Camping
    • Home Improvement
No Result
View All Result
Go Travel Mate
  • Travel News
  • Travel Ideas
  • Resorts
  • Destination
    • Beaches
  • More
    • Food & Drink
    • Airplane
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Cruises
    • Camping
    • Home Improvement
No Result
View All Result
Go Travel Mate
No Result
View All Result

Read your way through Berlin

Admin by Admin
July 6, 2022
in News
0 0
0

[ad_1]

This story is part of a new series explore the world through books. We asked some of our favorite writers to recommend reading materials to help you get to know their cities and tips on literary landmarks to check out. In the coming months we will travel the world with them, from Madrid to Mexico City to Istanbul and beyond. Sign up for the Books newsletter so you don’t miss a single stop!

Berlin is not beautiful. You need to know that in advance. You don’t come here for the beautiful architecture of an old European city.

Berlin Cathedral feels too big. Across the street is the absurd Stadtschloss – a castle that was demolished in 1950 and replaced by a rather brutalist building and then recently completely rebuilt true to its 19th-century facade, with a cutting-edge interior. On Potsdamer Platz, a tent-like glass roof serves as a strange time capsule of what people in the early 1990s thought their future would look like. A little further on is the Brandenburg Gate, a neoclassical monument that became a symbol of the new, reunified Germany.

The 20th century has left deep marks in this city. Not so long ago, Berlin was separated by a wall. And the history before the wall was even darker: watch out for the little golden rectangles on the sidewalk – the stumbling blocks, or stumbling blocks — each bearing the name of a Jewish resident of Berlin who was murdered by the Nazis, and a constant reminder of the people whose children and grandchildren might now live here. If you know your history, you will find pain on every corner in Berlin.

But if the weather is nice and you cycle from the Neukölln district to Kreuzberg to Friedrichshain to Prenzlauer Berg, the architecture disappears and you find a feeling of freedom zooming in along the endless expanse of cafes and restaurants and parks full of people speaking so many different languages.

Much of Berlin’s appeal lies in what happens indoors – in the cafes and clubs and in people’s apartments. The city’s grim history has led to a quest for joy, sometimes extreme. There is a serious dance and club culture ranging from techno music to afrobeats, in dance schools and on the street. The availability of many large spaces after the fall of the wall also meant that many great artists had studios in Berlin and thus a thriving contemporary art scene† And as far as literature is concerned, many prominent German-language writers, including those from Austria and Switzerland, now live in Berlin.

But perhaps the best thing about Berlin is that its mantra that everyone is equal is still played out in many ways. Berlin is still affordable (well, relatively speaking) and you don’t need a lot of money to be cool. Come in with style and attitude Berghain or some other exclusive club above a billionaire. I don’t know when it happened, but Berlin somehow rose above its tragic past and became a great place to be.

Table of Contents

  • What should I read before packing my bags?
  • Which books or authors should I bring?
  • Let books take you to your next destination
    • We asked renowned writers from around the world to compile literary guides to the cities they hold dear.
  • If I don’t have time for day trips, what books can help me explore further?
  • Which writer is everyone in town talking about?
  • Tell me which audiobook would be for good company as I walk around.
  • Who are the literary icons I might see on street signs, statues, public monuments?
  • Which literary pilgrimage destination would you recommend?
  • What’s a good place to curl up with a book on a day off?
  • Daniel Kehlmann’s Berlin Reading List

What should I read before packing my bags?

The great classic is Alfred Döblins”Berlin Alexanderplatz†It’s one of the great modernist novels of the 20th century, and getting to know Berlin is just one of many good reasons to read it.

Which books or authors should I bring?

Vladimir Nabokovs”The gift† It is the last book he wrote in Russian – a great novel about a man and a woman who tries to bring fate together (for a long time in vain). It is also about the huge community of Russians who took refuge in Berlin after the revolution. For obvious reasons, this is a hot topic.

Irmgard Keun‘s “The Artificial Silk Girl† This is a highly original, extremely stylish novel about Berlin in the early 20th century. The narrator is a young woman whose irreverent and funny voice you will not soon forget.

Hans Fallada’s †Every man dies alone† This is the only major social novel set in Berlin under Nazi rule, written by someone who lived it. It gives you nightmares, but it does give you a sense of what it really felt like, like only good novels can.

Let books take you to your next destination

We asked renowned writers from around the world to compile literary guides to the cities they hold dear.

Thomas Brussig‘s “The short end of the Sonnenallee.One of the most brilliant satirical novels about life in East Berlin, In the Shadow of the Wall (quite literally). A translation by Jonathan Franzen and Jenny Watson, with an introduction by Franzen, will be published by Picador Original in April 2023.

Sven Regener’sBerlin Blues† One of the funniest German books ever, it explores what it was like to live in Berlin after reunification with a lot of booze and no money.

And if you read some German, try Jens Bisky’s newly published and thus untranslated history,”Berlin† As with the city itself, don’t be put off by its sheer size.

If I don’t have time for day trips, what books can help me explore further?

Any of the novels of Theodor Fontane, the great writer of the 19th century. They often take place in the rather idyllic landscape of Brandenburg, the region around Berlin.

And Voltaire’sMemoirs of the Life of Monsieur de Voltaire† Potsdam is only an hour’s drive from Berlin, and the friendship of Frederick the Great and the greatest writer of the 18th century, which led to much amusing mutual slander, is endlessly interesting to explore.

Which writer is everyone in town talking about?

Right now, for obvious reasons, people are talking about the great Ukrainian writers – for example Yuri Andrukhovych and Andrey Kurkov — as well as the Russian dissident writers who reached Germany and cannot return home for political reasons, such as Vladimir Sorokin† Ludmila Ulitskaya and Victor Erofeyev† These are household names in Europe, which means that like the names of almost all the great writers in the world who do not write in English, they are little known in the US

Tell me which audiobook would be for good company as I walk around.

Listen to Bertolt Brecht’s “threepenny opera† There’s even a BBC production with David Bowie. Yes, it’s officially set in London, but it’s the quintessential play about 1920s Berlin. Don’t try to understand the story: just enjoy the songs.

Who are the literary icons I might see on street signs, statues, public monuments?

While listening to the “Threepenny Opera”, you may want to take a stroll through the Berliner Ensemble, the theater where “Threepenny Opera” premiered in 1928 and where Brecht himself directed his plays after returning from exile in Hollywood. There is also a statue of Brecht, but the real landmark is of course his theatre.

Which literary pilgrimage destination would you recommend?

This is not a nice recommendation, but go to Hohenschönhausen prison, where the East German secret police interrogated dissidents, including many writers. At the time, you couldn’t find it on any map: very few people even knew it existed. Now former prisoners are the guides! Relatively speaking, the ex-prisoners are so young that it is easy to understand how recently the dictatorship still existed. It might ruin your day, but it will help you understand more about the second half of the 20th century than most books or museums.

What’s a good place to curl up with a book on a day off?

From the Berliner Ensemble, take a 10-minute walk past Friedrichstrasse train station – which was the train station between East and West in the days of the Wall – to the gigantic Dussmann bookshop, on Friedrichstrasse. It has everything, in all languages, and is so big that you may never find your way out.

Or, if you’re already in the western part of the city, head to Bücherbogen on Savignyplatz. It’s smaller than Dussmann, but it’s probably Berlin’s finest independent bookshop.

Then take all the books you’ve bought and, if it’s spring or summer, head to the drab Volkspark Friedrichshain and stay there until the sun finally sets. However, if it’s winter, don’t even try. Avoid the park.

Actually, if it’s winter, don’t come to Berlin at all.


Daniel Kehlmann’s Berlin Reading List

  • “Berlin Alexanderplatz,” Alfred Doblin

  • “The gift,” Vladimir Nabokov

  • †the artificial silk girl,“Irmgard Keun”

  • †Every man dies alone,Hans Fallada

  • †The short end of the Sonnenallee,Thomas Brussig

  • “Berlin Blues”, Sven Regener

  • “Berlin”, Jens Bisky

  • Novels by Theodor Fontane

  • “Memoirs of the Life of Monsieur de Voltaire,” Voltaire

  • “Threepen Opera”, Bertolt Brecht


Daniel Kehlmanhis latest novel, “Tulle”, adds humor to a story set in a conflict-ravaged Europe and is adapted into a major film. It is his eighth novel and has been or is being translated into more than 20 languages.

[ad_2]

Source link

ShareTweet
Admin

Admin

Related Posts

News

Top tourism trends for 2023 – including ‘hidden gems’ in the UK

November 17, 2022
News

Everything you need to know about Lord Byron from Riviera Travels

November 16, 2022
News

‘Hard’ expats explain the ‘difficulty’ of living in Norway

November 16, 2022
News

Manchester crowned as one of the world’s best destinations

November 16, 2022
Next Post

Pass the Chowder and the Curry: Jamaican Chefs Add to Cape Cod's Culinary Delights

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Fun Outdoor Games for Teenagers

9 Fun Outdoor Games for Teenagers | Great Outdoor Activities for Teens

July 29, 2021
American Airlines online check-in

American Airlines online check-in and boarding pass

June 29, 2021

Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance ship found in Antarctica after 107 years

March 9, 2022
Savage Captions for instagram 100 Savage Captions for Instagram for Boys and Girls

100 Savage Captions for Instagram for Boys and Girls

August 19, 2021

Top tourism trends for 2023 – including ‘hidden gems’ in the UK

0
top 10 Places To Visit In India

10 Awesome & Best Places To Visit In India 2021

0
best Dog Friendly Beaches in Florida

10 Best Dog Friendly Beaches in Florida 2021

0
How to Travel on a Budget?

How to Travel on a Budget in 2021?

0

Top tourism trends for 2023 – including ‘hidden gems’ in the UK

November 17, 2022

Everything you need to know about Lord Byron from Riviera Travels

November 16, 2022

‘Hard’ expats explain the ‘difficulty’ of living in Norway

November 16, 2022

Manchester crowned as one of the world’s best destinations

November 16, 2022
Go Travel Mate

Go Travel Mate is one of the coolest places on the internet to get information about Travel Plans, Places, Hotels, resorts, Food and Drink, beaches and many more. We will bring you exciting and enjoyable news whenever you visit us. We aim to make this website the most friendly and relevant Travel Blog in the world.

Contact: [email protected]

Categories

  • Adventure
  • Airplane
  • Beaches
  • Camping
  • Destination
  • Food & Drink
  • kitchen
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Photography
  • Quotes
  • Resorts
  • Travel Ideas

Recent Posts

  • Top tourism trends for 2023 – including ‘hidden gems’ in the UK
  • Everything you need to know about Lord Byron from Riviera Travels
  • ‘Hard’ expats explain the ‘difficulty’ of living in Norway
  • Manchester crowned as one of the world’s best destinations
  • The Canary Islands in Spain are introducing new strict tourist fines

Contact Us

    © 2021 gotravelmate.com . All rights reserved.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Travel News
    • Travel Ideas
    • Resorts
    • Destination
      • Beaches
    • More
      • Food & Drink
      • Airplane
      • Lifestyle
      • Health
      • Cruises
      • Camping
      • Home Improvement

    © 2021 gotravelmate.com . All rights reserved.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In