As our time to leave Berlin approached in 2021, I held out hope that the city might finally finish two building projects that had been under construction for the entire three years we lived there. The Berliner Schloss, a reconstruction of a former Royal Prussian Palace, and the external building works of the Pergamon Museum. The Pergamon won’t be done for years yet, but it appears the Berliner Schloss has been completed.
Not that that doesn’t come with a heavy dose of skepticism and criticism from Berliners, including accusations of “suspicious nostalgia”. Known as the Stadtschloss, a palace has sat at the heart of the city since the 1440’s. It was rebuilt and expanded in the 17th century. A grand Baroque palace emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming the seat of power of the German Empire from 1871.
The Stadtschloss was badly damaged in the Second World War, and after the war the East German authorities decided to demolish this reminder of Prussian militarism and replace it with the Palast der Republik, or the ‘People’s Palace’. I remember this monumental structure with its mirrored glass exterior from a visit to East Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was quite the socialist statement.
Following unification, that was a problem. For many Germans, it represented socialist dictatorship. A campaign to tear down the People’s Palace and … rebuild the Baroque Prussian palace that had stood here for centuries prior to 1945 was launched. The decision was controversial, most Berliners wanted to keep the People’s Palace, and the government were accused of trying to obliterate the past.
The final price tag of €680m did not sit well in a city that was cash-strapped, but far more controversial was the man and motivation behind the campaign to “restore the historical urban landscape”. Ehrhardt Bödecker is today accused of having far right ‘tendencies’. He questioned the extent of the Holocaust and criticised the Allies for imposing a “victors’ justice” on Germany. He referred to denazification as “brainwashing”.
Bödecker was clearly a fan of Prussian militarism, his obsession with resurrecting this enormous symbol of the once powerful German Empire is dubious at best. While that debate continues to rage, what it has resulted in is a giant lump of a building in the middle of the city. I’d like to say it is a graceful addition to the cityscape, but in truth it’s quite ugly and looks horribly out of place.
I had arrived at the palace after a long walk through central Berlin. This was my first visit to Berlin since we left over three years ago. Staying in Kurfürstendamm, on a bright sunny Sunday morning I strolled in the Tiergarten, tree leaves turning bright orange, red and yellow, to the River Spree close to Schloss Bellevue. It was a beautiful day, the walk to the Reichstag was peaceful and provoked lots of memories.
I continued along the river to the Bode Museum, then walked up to the New Synagogue. Next door is Heckmann-Höfe, one of the few left. More importantly, behind here is one of my favourite Berlin restaurants, Mogg. Serving the best pastrami sandwich this side of New York, I arrived hungry and left disappointed. Mogg had closed down.
Coming on top of the closure of my favourite bar, Gagarin, during the pandemic, this was a blow. I made do with a currywurst and a beer from a street stall instead. I wandered along the river mulling over the inability to return to a much loved city and recreate the past. In this contemplative state I arrived at the Berliner Dom and the Stadtschloss. Alas, a rebuilt palace will never replace the loss of a good restaurant.
I crossed back over the river and slipped into the compact streets of Nikolaiviertel. This old Berlin district centres around the medieval Nikolaikirche, which was rebuilt in the 1980s and is surrounded by traditional half-timbered houses. It’s a pleasant area and the Brauhaus Georgbraeu makes a good spot for a beer and some people watching.
Finally, I arrived in my old neighbourhood close to Spittelmarkt. It was getting cold and dark, but I went to see Gendarmenmarkt before hopping on the S-Bahn for the 50 minute ride to Lehnitz, and dinner with friends on the outskirts of Berlin.
