Berlin History

One aspect of Berlin history that I found interesting was the diversity of the city. I was not aware of how diverse the city had become throughout the 20^th century. As Matt Frei explained in the BBC documentary, “East Berlin became a place of asylum for North Vietnamese communists.” He explained it as a dreamland and a paradise for the Communist North Vietnamese, as they were welcomed with opened arms by the Communist East Berliners who shared the same political views as them. Another hint of diversity was present in West Berlin, where Turks were invited to help rebuild the city. Frei said that over 100,000 Turks now call themselves Berliners. Also, not only is Berlin diverse in foreign peoples, it also has a diverse German population. During the 1970’s, West Berlin authorities offered a free pass from military service to young German men who moved to Berlin. In this time, Berlin became a city of anarchists, political radicals, and all kinds of outsiders. Berlin had become a diverse city with a mix of foreign nationals and domestic outcasts.

Diversity in Berlin is still extremely prevalent. Turks form the largest ethnic minority group living in Berlin, with numbers nearing 200,000. Berlin holds the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey.

A second aspect of Berlin history that I found interesting was just how exceptionally rich, yet extremely tumultuous its past has been. However, Berlin seems to bounce back and rebuild, no matter how destructive its past has been. Following the Second World War, Berlin was in ruins. Much of the city was ruined by the destructions of war. As Matt Frei states, “the war was over, but so was Berlin.” Also, British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder compared Berlin to a ruined classical city, and in his opinion, the city would never be rebuilt. Citizens of Berlin had a different opinion. Following the war, Berlin began a reconstruction that would last decades. Immediately after the war, Frei explains “control of the city had been divided, with the Russians in charge of the east, and the west controlled by the Americans, the British, and the French. In effect, there were now two Berlins, east and west.” Both sides began reconstructing their city, in competition with each other. Again, Frei explains the city’s determination to rebuild, “Berlin is a city that simply won’t give up. A succession of new, old buildings keep appearing. They acknowledge, rather than deny, their history.”  Both deconstruction and reconstruction seem to be a basic part of Berlin’s past, and one is just as “politically charged” as the other. Matt Frei says this demolition is the curse of the city, as we have seen from its ruinous past.

An aerial view of Berlin, with the Brandenburg Gate in the foreground. The city lay in ruins following the conclusion of World War II.

German women doing their part in helping rebuild Berlin. It would be many years before Berlin would recover from the war-times destruction, but it could not have been done without the hard work of many of its citizens. 

Finally, the third aspect of Berlin history that I have found interesting includes East Berlin and the Berlin Wall. Berlin, 1961, construction of the Berlin Wall began. Its purpose was to separate East Berlin, communist Berlin, from West Berlin, capitalist Berlin and to keep refugees from fleeing to West Berlin. Berlin became “suspended between two regimes, two ideologies, two halves of the world.” East Berlin would exist under communist Soviet rule for several decades. Finally, on the night of November 9, 1989, Berliners began dismantling the Berlin wall. The bringing down of the wall and the opening of East and West Berlin put an “end to the cruelties of the Cold War.” That night in November was unplanned, unanticipated, and unknown to those running the country. It was a completely unexpected event that would change the world. Since that night of the destruction of the Berlin Wall, Berlin has been put back together as a city, and Germany as a country. As one interviewee states, “The division of Germany was all the division of Europe, and the unification of Germany was the unification of Europe.” With the destruction of the wall came a consolidation of East Berlin and West Berlin, and hostilities between the two was over. Further incorporation would take place as the German government would work to reintegrate the two halves of the city. While it is still possible today to tell East Berlin from West Berlin, the two have formed together to create one the most beautiful, thriving cities of Europe.

Ampelmännchen, or “little traffic light men” are one of few East Berlin symbols that have survived the unification of Berlin. These symbols can be found not only on traffic lights, but also on T-shirts, key chains, and the like as a commemorative and symbolic type item.

*All quotes are used from the Berlin History BBC Documentary

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Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary

Martin Luther quickly and almost unintentionally became a leading revolutionary of his time. His rise as a revolutionary was almost an accident on his part, as he did not realize how much of an impact his 95 theses would have. The Catholic Church felt attacked by Luther and he was quickly sought after by the church to be punished, later to be excommunicated. By this time, Luther, along with his 95 theses, a “revolutionary manifesto”, had already begun a religious revolution. Thousands of people read his sarcastic, yet witty, rousing, and inspiring writings and began to follow his beliefs, steering away from the Catholic Church. Luther quickly obtained a large following. However, in the winter of 1520, Martin Luther was excommunicated by the church and in 1521 traveled to the city of Worms for a hearing which would determine his fate. On his journey to Worms, Luther was able to witness the true impact his 95 theses had had. The city of Erfurt held a party for him, and citizens of Frankfurt presented him with gifts. It was becoming clear to Luther how widespread his revolution had become. It was also becoming clear how much of a religious revolutionary Luther himself had become. His cultural, political, and religious revolutionaries were an extremely important event in the history of Germany, and one that can be seen in many positive ways. It challenged the church, which had a lot of power at the time. With opposing forces and challenging beliefs, both the church and the revolutionaries had to fight for their beliefs, resulting in stronger and more determined followership for both sides. Without the opposing force of Martin Luther and his followers, the Catholic Church would be unchallenged, free to do what they thought was best, which may not have been best for many of their followers. To compare to modern times, Luther’s revolution can be seen as somewhat of a checks and balances for the Catholic Church, meaning Luther was the one who assured the Catholic Church was staying in line and acting in a proper manner.

This painting is a depiction of Martin Luther at the Edict of Worms in 1521, where his fate would be determined by head political and religious leaders, with Emperor Charles V presiding.

Martin Luther is shown burning the papal bull of excommunication, an official letter informing Luther that he has been excommunicated by the church. On the outside are paintings of other major figures from the Protestant Reformation.

I believe Martin Luther was important to German-speaking lands because he was one of few religious revolutionaries who were brave enough to stand up against the church; to point out that what they preached had possible flaws. He allowed others to see that there were other ways to see things, and that the people had the ability to obtain, create, and form their own views and beliefs. Martin Luther was also the revolutionary for new religions which would spread world-wide, having an impact on thousands of people throughout the world. These religions had such strong followership that they still exist in large numbers today.

The Luther Rose, a symbol of Lutheranism.

Martin Luther nailing the 95 theses to the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenburg on October 31, 1517.

As one interviewee from “Martin Luther: Reluctant Revolutionary” states, “The emphasis on the individual, the courage of the individual, and the willingness of the individual, to undergo death for his profession, for his beliefs, in this way, Luther has to be ranked with the great emancipators of human history.” His creation of emancipation from the grip of the Catholic Church, for some, led Martin Luther to be known as a religious revolutionary who is comparable to other great emancipators of our world’s history.


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