An Ex-Pat's Berlin Years

"Twenty years have now passed. The skin heads still roam much of the far eastern parts (just mention Marzahn to any foreigner), now joined by the more menacing Russlanddeutsche contigent who joined the scene thanks to the quirks of Germany's past (Catherine the Great, no less, played a role here). The heart of the city is now firmly in the hands of west Germans, who have transformed much of the derelict east into a vibrant, if somewhat generic, playground. And, after all those years of isolation, it is now even possible to seek refuge from the crushing uniformity of German gloom. New and innovative architecture is sprouting up around the city, unlike the path taken by Manhattan to create its very own Charlotte-on-the-Hudson. Some mistakes have been made, like the current attempt to relive past imperial glory in rebuilding the Stadtschloss on the site of East Germany's former parliament (itself built on the ruins of the Kaiser's former residence), but overall the city has done an admirable job.

"For an American, the most amazing part is the level of solidarity with which all was accomplished. For all the comments and complaints about the German lack of social graces, they did something this country will never accomplish: form a cohesive and (somewhat) unified national identity, while leaving aside gripes about the tremendous costs involved to raise up a poorer neighbor. To sum it up, the city gave me a decade of entertainment where, had I stayed here, I would be complaining that my Wall Street bonus was down 10% off last year's number. For that I will be ever thankful."