We are now going to taste other dimensions of Berlin. The obligatory pint of cold Berliner Kindl Pilsener and hot curry wurst on the way (this one time I'll eat the meat). A classic, no question. With the help of German friends, I discover Die Hackeschen Höfe. It's an absolutely capital building complex that I hadn't heard of before, so I was taken by surprise. Eight courtyards, each full of great stores and pubs, there is also a cinema and a theater. It's worth spending a lot of time here, unhurriedly strolling around and looking carefully into all available backstreets — for it is an extremely complex and sprawling architecture. The complex, built in 1906-1907, was designed by Kurt Berndt in accordance with the Lebensreform movement. Lebensreform originated in Germany and Switzerland in the mid-19th century as a reaction to industrialization, materialism and urbanization — but perceived as threats. Die Hackeschen Höfe was, at the time of its opening, Berlin's largest commercial, manufacturing, residential, gastronomic and cultural complex in this trend. This was the idea behind the design — that the place would thoughtfully bring these worlds together to create the best possible space for living and being. Courtyards were designed to allow the maximum amount of light, apartments usually have their own toilets and balconies, central heating, and access to greenery. Where it was possible to plant a tree - it was done. There's also a striking large sandbox and plenty of interesting aesthetics, led by the delicious facades designed by August Endell. One could argue that it's very much overloaded with a mix of different styles, from Moorish motifs to antique or Egyptian themes — but I like it. After careful renovations, the entire Die Hackeschen Höfe today looks stunning and full of life. It's one of Berlin's most fashionable places, the apartments are among the most expensive, and the former industrial spaces now have their spendy offices for creative industries companies.
glazed vertigo - Die Hackeschen Höfe in the Mitte district: it makes a great impression, it's probably the best thing architecturally in all of Berlin,
proj.: Kurt Berndt
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
The multi-town Berlin is indeed made up of many towns, among which my attention is drawn to Köpenick, which used to be the Slavic Kopanica. This makes one realize how physically close the Slavic civilization of the Poles and the Germanic, Prussian civilization of Germany are here. Berlin's modernity, however, is definitely dominated by the recent division into eastern and western parts. The memory of the wall dividing the city is one of the best ideas for Berlin walks, in many parts you can see, as if on the palm of your hand, the places where the architecture of the DDR and RFN times meet. It is worth remembering that West Berlin was not part of West Germany — it was an independent city.
Memories and traumas of the communist era have many faces here and affect Berlin's identity in different ways. It is associated with what I would call a city of contrasts: on the one hand there are rich Germans, and on the other, poor Germans. That is, no one goes hungry, but you can see that quite a few people have trouble getting by on the first. Shabbily dressed, pedaling clapped-out bicycles out of poverty, not choice, with stubbly faces, clearly frustrated, often very rude, rude, and sometimes verbally aggressive — it's hard not to notice such a face of the city. Berliner Unhöflichkeit, Berlin rudeness, is a phenomenon supposedly identified largely with the identity of the German capital. This is probably a bit reminiscent of the old stereotype in Poland about the so-called Varsovians, who are cocky and disliked in the rest of the country.
On the one hand, the vitality of German civilization, which managed to recover so quickly economically after the war, may be astonishing, but on the other hand — I have encountered many opinions that these are appearances. That socially, scientifically, culturally Germany still has a frayed backbone, that the consequences of the war still have a negative impact, that the many loudly-named wounds are still not healed.
In the very center of Berlin, a Russian soldier still stands guard and watches, with Chancellor Bismarck pictured next to him; the duel of monuments is still unresolved....
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
I am looking at, walking through Berlin, the attempts to tame the past. All those museums, relics of the wall, serious and sad traces of history — it's hard not to have them here. As I tap into this dark side of Berlin's soul, I see the many, not necessarily floating, events that have shaped today's identity. When we wonder why the heck most Germans don't want to help Ukraine, where all this naive and out-of-touch legend of some mysterious, attractive, exotic, romantic Russia comes from in the West — let's not forget history. And in it, Russia was not at all the eternal enemy of Germany. It was often an ally that helped win against Napoleon, willingly complicit in the successive partitions of Poland, the last time in 1939, that is, quite recently. Germans feel something like historical admiration for the Russians — after all, it was the Russians who defeated the Germans.
Hence this Alexanderplatz, named after Czar Alexander I, unthinkable in our country. Because of Hitler's miserable war — miserable because it was lost, if it had been won, it would have unfortunately become quite happy for many Germans. Brrrr... Well, so there's also this dark soul here who tries not to remember the Russian rapes, ignores the fact that in the former DDR probably a couple of million people have Russian genes and Russian dads or grandparents. It's scary enough that it's good enough to laugh at this DDR and surround it with sentimentality for the sake of balance. For the health of the soul and body.
DDR in a cheerful and sentimental way - "Good bye, Lenin!"
photo: Matthew Zmyślony
I end my Berlin adventure built. Against the background of the German capital, our contemporary Polish cities look great. Berlin is as a city interesting, very ambiguous, but we have known for a long time that every city has this dark side of its own, and that it is often responsible for the final attractiveness of the city, for its character. So this Berlin of mine is a player with a complicated psyche: a cold and calculating bastard, a victim of gang rape, a rude criminal who was let out of prison too soon.
But it is also a collection of wise reflections, a wonderful walking and cycling space, an ultra-rich galaxy of pubs, an unresolved duel between Germans who are very polite and smiling and those who growl and look badly from their eyes.
modern architecture coolly sculpts Berlin - it varies, I am repulsed by the concrete palm tree in front of the headquarters of the German intelligence service BND (design: Kleihues+Kleihues)
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
Stereotypes abound, German Ordnung is some kind of mythology, supposedly prevalent in small German towns along the Rhine - but not here. If I had to sum up Berlin in one word, I would say "Bundesnachrichtendienst." Cool word, isn't it? That's the full name of the aforementioned BND — Germany's intelligence service. Its world's largest headquarters (the largest among intelligence headquarters) quite credibly tells the story of the nooks and crannies of the German soul. Berlin — the City of Spies is definitely losing the image duel with Warsaw today — this is a big compliment to our capital, and this is not just my opinion, but also that of a German journalist from "Die Welt". I agree with him, at the same time strongly recommending a trip to Berlin - because it is an absorbing city and getting to know it is a serious adventure.
The iconic East German Ampelmännchen, or Ampelmann for short, designed by Karl Peglau - there are three types of "light men" in Germany. - from the former West Germany, the European one and this one - the most iconic one, a beloved mascot of East Berlin
Photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
I return to Krakow, however, gently breathing a sigh of relief.
Mateusz Zmyślony
Illustrations provided courtesy of the Author
