In this section, I will discuss cultural ideas I noticed during my time abroad. My overall theme is comparing Berlin to Germany but also things that made Berlin so special to me and those that live there. I compare Berlin and Germany by showing how Berlin is becoming such an international city that the German language is disappearing whereas the rest of Germany is not changing this way at all.
Something I gained while in Berlin was living in a different culture other than my own. This taught me a lot about my own culture and made me realize how sometimes I find myself to be more German whereas other times I am more American. As an American, we are very friendly to strangers and always willing to help someone if they do not live in the area and so on. In Berlin this was something that I struggled with. Not that all Germans are unfriendly, but they tend to stick to themselves in public. This was hard for me in the beginning especially since I was not at the proficiency level I am at now. I journaled about this during the first time I left Berlin to visit my family in Münster. My train was overly packed due to the 2 trains before being cancelled. When I tried to find a seat everyone said it was taken until the point where I thought I was going to have to stand for 3 hours. This obviously does not represent all Germans but it was something that shocked me because I believe Americans would not be as "unhelpful", especially to a foreigner.
Berliners v Germans
When living in Berlin I wanted to make sure I was also experiencing other parts of Germany. I was able to visit other German cities such as Münster, Heidelberg and Munich. This gave me an experience of different cultures within Germany. With these experiences I was able to compare them to Berlin and form a cultural awareness on Berliners v Germans.
I talked to some of my family who resides in Germany and asked them to explain their views on Berliners versus Germans.
"When I think about the difference between Berlin and Germany as a whole, the first thing that comes to my mind is that Berlin is hip and many people try out their mentality and style. Everything is allowed. Germany as a whole is rather conservative. In other cities it often happens that people don't greet each other or just walk past each other. In Berlin it is different. Everyone is open and interested in meeting new people." - Clara Rheinboldt
"I'd say that Berlin is like its own world. It's big, loud, diverse, open and inclusive. A lot of people from all over the world come to Berlin." - Anna Rheinboldt
This defends what I experienced as well between Berliners and Germans. People from all over the world come to Berlin for numerous reasons. It is a place for opportunity and growth, and to this day is still growing from its history. One of my professors in Berlin was Finnish while another was American. It is a young and upcoming city with a big part of it being LGBTQ+. This also relates a lot to religion. There is a heavier influence of the younger generation in Berlin which transfers into 60-70% of Berliners being atheist. House of One is currently being designed, which will be the world's first house of prayer for 3 religions containing a church, a mosque and a synagogue.
I found this picture on the right to be very helpful in my description between the "typical German" and a "Berliner." This picture shows Germany being split in mostly 3 religions: Protestant, Catholic and Non-religious. I find that this plays a big role in not only the language, but the people that reside there. As I described in my Language tab, Southern Germany has a different greeting than the rest of Germany. The greeting in this area literally translates to Greet God. Also on Sunday's everything is closed besides 1 bakery in the area you reside, with limited hours. This was such a shock to me, especially compared to American culture where Sunday is the day you run all your errands for the week. In comparison to Berlin, grocery stores were the only places closed on Sundays. Some restaurants were also closed but I found that when I went to dinner on Sunday nights everything in my area was open. This translates directly back to religion because as the picture shows most of Southern Germany is Catholic, meaning mass services on Sunday.
On the right is a picture of a bakery in Münster. This is one of many, and shows the importance of good bread in the German culture.
Club Culture
Club culture began when the wall fell in Berlin. "It was a process of coming back together as one," says Dr. Motte, DJ and founder of the Love Parade, about the creation of a "new culture" on the dance floors of reunified Berlin." Love Parade is an electric dance music festival that takes place in the center of Berlin. It has not occurred since 2010, due to a tragedy involving a stampede, but will be returning this year.
Club culture is so important to Berlin for numerous reasons. After the fall of the wall there were numerous abandoned buildings throughout the city. It is a place for people to be sexually open while also being safe.
A special part of Berlin clubs is you can not take any pictures or videos. They strongly believe in privacy. Berliners do not want to pop up on social medias pages, which could cost them their jobs, family or dignity. They want to follow the ideals of libertinism. An example I journaled about was attending a club named Wilde Renate. A picture is included below of a sign they have outside their door. When my friends and I entered the bouncers put stickers over both our cameras. This came as a shock to me because I was not aware of the views on privacy.
This specific graphic shows the importance of clubs needing to stay open in Berlin despite noise complaints and gentrification.
Many clubs in Berlin are being forced to close down due to noise complaints. Pictured on the left at Wilde Renate is an English sign. This proves my point of Berlin being such an international city that is changing so much. The rest of Germany would never have a sign written in English. This shows how international Berlin currently is and how it continues to strive in this direction. An experience I had in Berlin similar to this was at a café. Everyone who worked there was German but did not speak any while working. A Berliner ordered after me in German and the barista responded "for here or take away." This was such a strange experience and is something that the Germans do not like. This has a lot to do with how many international people are moving to Berlin making English become the common language to communicate.
Museums & Open Spaces
Given Berlin's history, the entire city is surrounded by monuments and museums. In the center of the city there is an island, literally called Museum Insel. It is home to 5 museums and 2 other structures located on the island. The five museums have a variety of collections from prehistory to 19th century art. This island is also home to the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), Berliner Schloss, which was formally the Royal Palace and much more. Behind Museum island there is the iconic Tv Tower.
Berlin has honored its history so well considering everything it has been through. Tempelhofer Field, which used to be the Tempelhof airport starting in 1923, was reopened to the pubic in 2010. This was somewhere I went very frequently in Berlin because it was right near CIEE. Hitler used this airport throughout the war, so because of this it was never destroyed, along with the surrounding area of Berlin being Kreuzberg. Given its "rough past" it is now a recreational area open to all. People skate, ride bikes, grill, fly kites and more. There even is an interactive art installation that was turned into a miniature golf course. They combine nature, science and technology in a unique way. It is supposed to represent the ecological issues of the future.
The actual airport is protected a historical site, and for a while was used as a place for refugees to stay. It was used as an emergency place for refugees, for about up to 72 hours, but this can change depending on the person and their situation. I could not find any relevant information on if it is still used for this but from 2015 to 2017 the number of refugees declined rapidly.
This video clip on the left is at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This is located near the Brandenburg Gate and is very special. This is a public space for anyone to walk through. When you start at any end the blocks are very low to the ground and you can see around you. The further you go in the more you cannot see out. In this video you can see how it is impossible to see the exit. The uneven ground throughout the whole memorial is supposed to give you a feeling of uncertainty but also lets you comfort the topic in your own personal way.
Located in the center of Berlin is a strip remaining of the Berlin Wall. It is outside of the Topography of Terror Museum and has a total of 15 informational stations of the rise of the Nazi's through propaganda. It is also the longest surviving section of the wall. I walked through this outside exhibit with my father, and it was a chilling experience. You must confront yourself with the evil that took over Germany. It is used as a way to remind us to never let it happen again.
Döner
Döner's originate from Turkey. The presence of Turkish people in Berlin is the highest over any other nation. These döner kebab stands are located all throughout the city and are insanely popular. I even learned about döners through my Elon classes as an "awesome drunk food." The word "döner" comes from the Turkish word "dönmek" which translates in English "to turn or rotate." This is how they are made at their stands. The meat, usually veal or another sort of meat, rotating on a stick which is stuffed into pita bread with a bunch of toppings.
Döner's are special to Berlin. Considering these are traditionally Turkish it shows how international Berlin is, and how it continues to go in this direction. When I was in Heidelberg, which is a college town, there was one Döner restaurant located near all the bars. In comparison to Berlin you can find them on almost every street.
To conclude my Cultural Awareness page, I want to wrap up how all these play a role in German culture today. I never would have thought that I would learn so much about Berlin during my time there. The class I found the most interesting and gained the most information from for this page was Reinventing Berlin's Economy. This class took a different approach. We had to look back at Berlin's history and what brought the economy back. This is done through the club presence, and a big part of this is made up of a younger generation that moved to Berlin once the wall fell down. The presence of clubs, museums and even döners is what makes Berlin so special to me and those that live there. It is unlike any other city in Germany. A lot of this is due to it being the capital of Germany but also how international and welcoming Berlin is.