Berlin Things: Ich Liebe Berlin (I Love Berlin) from Illustrado
Words and photos by Al P. Manlangit
I doubt if there’s a more colorful and controversial city in Europe than Berlin. Starting out as the capital of Prussia, it metamorphosed into a great metropolis under Kaiser Wilhelm who wanted it to be at par with Paris and London. Like a grainy, black and white film, many indelible images that shaped Europe’s destiny have come alive here: World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the rise of the Nazis, the ’38 Olympics and the infamous Hitler Bunker.
After the Second World War, the Russians moved in and the city was partitioned by the Allies. Then came the Cold War with more images reinforcing the city’s reputation as a flashpoint for another conflict: the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, JFK intoning “Ich bin ein Berliner”, the Berlin Airlift and espionage of the highest order. This status quo remained for almost three decades before the turning point came in 1989 when Communism collapsed and peaceful reunification ensued. So much engrossing history bubbled on the surface of the book I was reading, making me completely forget that the highspeed ICE (InterCity Express) train we boarded earlier in Frankfurt was gliding to a halt. We’re here, the wife said, tugging at my arm as I glanced awestruck at the spanking brand-new 1.5-billion Euro Berlin Hauptbahnhoff.
See more images and also read full article about "Berlin Things: Ich Liebe Berlin (I Love Berlin)" http://goo.gl/LqsPQJ
No comments:
Post a Comment