Faust's Metropolis: A History of Berlin

by Alexandra Richie

Berlin - called the Schicksal Stadt Deutschlands, the City of German Destiny - has been at the heart of the most important events of not only Germany, but also modern Europe. In this powerful historical narrative, Oxford historian Alexandra Richie follows Berlin from its Medieval foundation to the nation-building dreams of Frederick the Great and Bismarck. Most important, she concentrates on the city during the twentieth century's upheavals: the Weimar Republic's decadent capital; Hitler and Goebbels's fascist metropolis; the city divided by the Cold War. Published to international acclaim, Faust's Metropolis is history at its most enthralling. "Brilliant work . . . the material is all fascinating, and Richie is an excellent descriptive writer." - New York Review of Books "Thoroughgoing and engrossing" - Peter Gay, author of My German Question "Outstanding . . . brilliantly written" - Michael Howard, Times Literary Supplement "Magnificent . . . should be required reading for anyone with any curiosity about where Europe has been and where it is going" - Piers Paul Read, Sunday Telegraph "A compelling narrative" - Philadelphia Inquirer "Absorbing" - Wall Street Journal

Genres: History, Germany, Nonfiction, European History, Cities, War, 20th Century

1168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Alexandra Richie is an historian specializing in Germany as well as Central and Eastern Europe and defense and security issues. She is the author of Faust’s Metropolis: A History of Berlin which was named one of top ten books of the year by American Publisher’s Weekly, and Warsaw 1944 which won the Newsweek Teresa Torańska Prize for best non-fiction book of 2014 and the Kazimierz Moczarski Prize for Best History Book in Poland 2015. She is a Presidential Counselor at the National World War II Museum, New Orleans, U.S.A. and a Governor of St Michael’s University School In Victoria, Canada. She is Wladyslaw Bartoszewski Chair co-chair and she teaches History and International Studies at the Collegium Civitas.

Reviews

[carl theaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One cannot imagine a city on the planet in the 20th century that was embroiled in more growth, turmoil, and destruction, along with the overnight changes of image and purpose than Berlin, Germany. I have had this tale on the shelf for a few yrs. Though really interested, I suspect the 1200 pages of small print deterred me. After reading the compelling introduction, I’m sorry I waited !

Though the focus is on the 20th century, after all there are thousands of books written about Germany in those years alone, author Richie does take the reader back to the early sandy swamps of Northern Germany with the various tribes roaming the land. A little unusually, she started inserting family stories after a couple hundred pages. I had to reread the paragraph to realize that she was talking about herself. This becomes more common as she was a student in Berlin during the 80s. I appreciated her personal points of view, but I did think it was a different tact in such a scholarly history.

She expertly takes on a variety of myths about Berlin, such as it has been a city of resistance to dictators, and does a good job of curbing herself at times, after all, difficult to separate German history from Berlin, all too easy to go down many roads. And she definitely has her opinions, calling President Franklin Roosevelt criminally stupid for not having the Allies advance to Berlin during end of WW2. One can tell Berlin is like a loved one, she can criticize it, but if and outsider does, she’s also ready to defend !

It took me several weeks to finish, but I looked forward to it everyday. It became a family member of a sort. Published in 1998, it would be interesting to see a followup on the last 20 years.

[Henne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This post also appears on Medium and can be viewed here.

It seems like I should mention that this book is long, even though I don’t think I once noticed its length. That said, histories of entire countries have been written in less than half the length of this book; EH Gombrich’s A Little History of the World is nearly a quarter of the size. Just a fair warning.

I imagine that plenty of people fall in love with Berlin when they visit for the first time. The experience for me wasn’t exactly ‘love’ like you usually ‘love’ a place, as it’s not like you can snap a few pictures and make a few memories and that’s it. There was much about my first visit there which was intimidating, dark yet friendly, familiar yet guarded. This book takes you through history to give you the beginnings of an answer to where those impressions might come from. Berlin was at once an object of my affection and a mirror reflecting back at me my own worst qualities, my thoughts and dreams, a history of emotional scarring made concrete.

Richie’s book deserves a read even if you aren’t familiar with Berlin the place though, because no other city can claim to having such a front row seat for some of the most traumatic moments of twentieth century history. For many Europeans, Berlin is the visual icon of the twentieth century in all its miserable glory. This book then is a concise history of Europe along with an intimate portrait of a unique city. It is arguably much better written than similar books in its genre, e.g. Ackroyd’s so-called biography of London, and feels shorter and snappier than that book despite being quite a bit longer. After Ackroyd, I felt confused, after Richie, I feel like I’ve lived a hundred different lives.

There appears to be a few minor historical errors and typos here and there, as my copy seems to be an old proofreader’s copy before corrections were presumably made in later editions. But there’s so much content here I hardly think that makes a difference. Even one or two typos per thousand sentences is pretty good for a work of this length. I find the style and the energy of the writing to be much more important for overall impact, and this book delivers style as well as substance.

(I’ll include some quotes from various chapters that stood out to me; if you don’t care to read through them all you can skip to the end for my closing bit.)

“Berlin is rarely thought of as a centre of Romanticism; rather, the label is usually applied to regions like Bavaria with its Ludwig II fairy-tale architecture, or to the Rhine with its great ruins towering above the water and its legends of river gods or magic rings. This image is wrong. Despite Berlin's post-war attempts to distance itself from a movement now associated with everything from nationalism to Nazism it was in fact the most important centre of German Romanticism in the Napoleonic period.” (ch. 3, The Emerging Giant)

“The economic rise of Berlin throughout the nineteenth century is one of the most remarkable success stories in history, made all the more dramatic given the depth to which it had fallen under Napoleon. In the early part of the century Berlin had been an economic backwater languishing on the edge of western Europe; when Napoleon marched in it had only one steam engine in the Royal Porcelain Works, and even that did not work. Compared with the new English industrial cities like Birmingham and Manchester Berlin was little more than a village and, locked as it was in the midst of a sandy wasteland, seemed an unnatural place for an economic giant. And yet, within decades, it had become the mightiest industrial capital on the continent. No European city rose from obscurity so quickly, and none would be so drunk on its success.” (ch. 4, From Revolution to Realpolitik)

“Hard work now seemed to mean nothing; one could only get ahead through crime, black marketeering or prostitution. Berliners experienced an inversion of values and a new moral relativism far more acute than that seen after the 1873 crash, and by the mid 1920s many of the social ties which had bound the Berlin upper and middle class together had completely broken down. Retired generals or diplomats on fixed pensions could be seen rummaging in the streets for scraps of food. [...] Public monuments had to be removed from the city centre as they were plundered by scavengers, while door handles, mailboxes, garden rails, roof tiles and anything else that could be taken disappeared. Girls of twelve or fourteen prostituted themselves after school with their parents' approval.” (ch. 8, The Bitter Aftermath of War)

“That last birthday party was a turning point in the collapse of the Third Reich. Goebbels delivered his customary eulogy over the radio and Hitler held a conference at which he stormed: ‘You will see - the Russians are about to suffer the bloodiest defeat of their history at the gates of Berlin.’ [...] Eva Braun had managed to find a gramophone and one record - Red Roses - which she played over and over again while Bormann, Ribbentrop and the others danced around with the secretaries, trying to look cheerful. But behind the smiles many of Hitler's closest associates were plotting their escapes. Some tried to persuade Hitler to leave the Führerbunker and flee to Bavaria, where he might be safe. He refused, still insisting on victory. Speer was aware that the end was near and even tried to help some Berliners to escape the city. In the process he organized one of the most bizarre events of the Battle of Berlin - the final concert given by the Berlin Philharmonic. Speer had long been trying to persuade Wilhelm Furtwängler to flee to Switzerland but he had declined, saying: ‘what about my orchestra?’ As a result Speer promised that he would warn the musicians when the end was near by requesting Brucker's ‘Romantic’ Symphony as a signal that they should pack up and go into hiding. The request came on 12 April. Speer was determined to put on a last real show and despite the electricity rations lit up the whole concert hall: ‘Absurd, I know, but I thought that Berlin should see that lovely hall, miraculously still intact, just once more fully lit.’ Nicolaus von Below attended the extraordinary concert and remembered: “It was unforgettable. I sat with Speer and Admiral Dönitz and listened to Beethoven's Violin Concerto, the finale from the Götterdammerung and Bruckner's symphony. Can there ever have been such a moment, such an experience? Silently the three of us walked afterwards across the totally destroyed Potsdamer Platz back to the Reich Chancellery.’ At the end she noticed that ‘baskets [were] offered to spectators on the way out - cyanide capsules. Speer was just horrified. We never found out who organized it, but doubtless the party. The baskets were offered by Hitler Youths in uniform - children.’” (ch. 13, The Fall of Berlin)

“The single worst feature of the Soviet occupation was the rape. All women were treated as the soldiers' rightful property. Attacks were particularly vindictive in the last days of April and the first week in May, although they continued long into the occupation. Soldiers came into cellars brandishing revolvers and dragged the women into hallways or half-bombed rooms; there they were taken by individual soldiers or gang raped and sometimes murdered. Regina Frankenfeld remembered that ‘as the Russians came, they just raped the women. They lined them up against the wall, they dragged my mother and my grandmother out... they raped her, too... just like they did me, dear God... as they stood there with their machine guns, my mother said, “Well, now we'll probably be shot.” And I said, “It's all the same to me.” It really was all the same to me. I mean, we had nothing more to lose.’” (ch. 13, The Fall of Berlin)

“The stuttering economy affected morale in the GDR. Although East Germans had the highest GDP per head in the eastern bloc the people measured their success not against Albania but against the images of West Germany projected into their homes every night via western radio and television. By comparison, East Germany looked poor. The people of the GDR worked hard, but how could they improve their lot when over half of their goods were exported to the Soviet Union while the rest went to West Germany for hard currency? Local people had to wait years for simple household appliances like washing machines and refrigerators; it sometimes took twenty years to get a telephone.” (ch. 16, East Berlin)

“The counter-culture which developed in West Berlin in the 1970s made it a much more complex and interesting city than its bland West German counterparts. By the time I lived there the city contained a huge assortment of punks and gays, intellectuals and artists, communes and anarchist groups like the Spontis, who lived in self-contained ghettos shielded from the rest of the world. The city attracted artists and writers, playwrights and sculptors, who hung around alternative cafés and clubs discussing Walter Benjamin, going to the latest ‘Happening’ or listening to anarchic punk bands. [...] As the housing shortage grew worse, ever more young people became squatters. Attempts to stop the illegal settlements sparked off waves of protest and the streets became the setting for more violence.” (ch. 17, The Walled City - West Berlin)

“Although it is an apparently unified nation state Germany still contains deep prejudices which were exposed by the Berlin/Bonn question. Some echo past conflicts rather like the nineteenth-century debate about the merits of Berlin over Vienna as the ‘true’ German capital. As before, southerners often described Berlin as the home of stiff northern Prussian Protestants who were unimaginative, cold, militaristic and generally unpleasant. Berliners dismissed the south as backward, weak, disorganized and Catholic.” (ch. 18, The New Capital)

This book might be the one to finally make me appreciate history for history’s sake, not read to warn us about what not to do in a rapidly approaching future, but read because it’s just interesting in itself. Great books ought to inspire as well as inform. You can find characters in the history of Berlin that reflect a bit of all of us in some way, and presented together these stories make for an emotionally moving portrait of the human condition.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a splendid history of Berlin but I can't help thinking that it may not be the history of Berlin that a 21st century reader would or even should read. Although I read it in 2012 I am a product of the 20th century. I knew Berlin as the haunted landscape of mid-twentieth century film, fiction and fact. For me the death of Peter Fechter (google him) in reality and Alec Leamas in the film 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' were of a piece - a nightmare of nonsense that had to be ignored unless you wanted to be driven insane. Mine was the Germany of the wall, of the old restored Reichstag which had no purpose, like Berlin, except to exist as a challenge to the bizarre world on the other side of the wall were there was no traffic but pedestrians never disobeyed crossing signals. It was a city of ruins and absences and so overwhelmed by metaphorical meaning that it was hard to imagine how anyone could live there. Alexandra Richie's 1998 history comes from that time, Berlin was Faust's city, it was the centre of the Faustian bargain that nearly destroyed Europe. in 1988 the Berlin of Wim Wenders 'Wings of Desire' still existed in our imaginations no matter how much reality was changing on the ground.

Potsdamer and Alexanderplatz, the Stadtschloss and Neue Synagoge are all part of today's Berlin they were not parts of the Berlin that haunted my childhood, that Berlin is not the Berlin we know today and maybe we need a history to reflect not what has happened in the 20th century but what has happened to us in the 21st century. After all I live in a country that still defines itself by WWII metaphors while acting with ever greater disregard for human rights and decencies.

[Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is massive, so if you're not totally into Berlin history, don't attempt it. Assuming you are, it's completely readable, and a good comprehensive introduction to a lot of lesser publicized historical areas. The older history gets off to a somewhat slow start (I thought so, at least) but if you can stick with it until Frederick the Great shows up, the rest is completely worth it.

[Legens · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very excited to pick this up – I’m highly interested in Berlin, Faust, and German history. Sadly, the book fell far short of the praise it seems to have universally received. For that reason, I did not finish it (gave up after around 140 pages). Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good: As reviewers have noted, Richie writes engaging prose. It did not feel like work to read this, and for a 1,100 page survey study of history, that is remarkable. The author also has a keen sense for amusing little anecdotes and witticisms from history.

The Bad: Richie seemed unprepared to write such a big survey study. Even the earliest events in the history of Berlin and its surroundings, going back to the early middle ages or even the Germanic tribes at the border of the Roman empire, are viewed through the prism of the 20th century – and the particular prism of the Sonderweg school of German historiography. So, the alleged German Sonderweg does not begin in the 19th or 18th century, as other proponents of the idea have it, but rather in the most ancient times: Berlin and Germany have always had a tendency to violence, Berlin has even been founded in an unnatural way in the middle of nowhere (although the author does not elaborate what has been more „natural“ about the founding of Rome, Paris, or London (my guess: Situated on bigger rivers? But even that seems questionable)), Berlin and Germany have been militaristic at least from the Prussian kings on, while the Hohenzollern rule has been conducive to pursuits of the mind, Berlin has never been as much of a cultural center as London, Paris, or Vienna (notwithstanding that these cities were much bigger and the centers of much more powerful realms at the time), whichever outputs the Berlin enlightenment (both of the intellectual minds and of the enlightened absolutist king Frederick II) has produced were nothing remarkable, as others have done the same (which is the only way in which Richie does not see Berlin as a special outlier case), except that the German enlightenment was not subversive like its French or British counterpart, but rather affirmative of absolutist rule. The last argument might in fact be true (although I have doubts, given at least Kant’s proposition of a peaceful world of republics), but after Richie has spent over a hundred pages fitting every single aspect of Berlin history into her Sonderweg narrative, I am weary of it. Not only does she see everything through that prism, she also leaves out everything that does not fit it: Berliners and Germans, she contends, fled into the emotionalism and nationalism of Romanticism – a literary movement to which she dedicates several pages without mentioning its predecessor classicism, which is contrary to that emotionalism and nationalism, even once.

The Ugly: It is okay for the writer of such a big survey study not to be an expert at everything. It should not be too much asked, however, that they have a firm grip on the basics and good proofreading to make sure errors are avoided as much as possible. The book falls short in both regards: The terms quoted in German are riddled with errors, and – at least in the part I read, which roughly covers the time until the early 19th century – many small factual errors remain (often, wrong dates which might be typos or ignorance).

If it has not been clear enough: Faust’s Metropolis is the daring attempt to construct a skyscraping Sonderweg of two millennia on the sandy ground of lack of research. It fails.

[Zelmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only become interested in German history recently. I have read another book about the history of Berlin, Berlin and so was already familiar with Berlin's history. This book went further, starting in the Middle Ages, when Berlin was founded. The chapters I most enjoyed were about the First World War, the Golden Twenties, and the Nazis. I also enjoyed the chapters about the Second World War, the Battle of Berlin, and the Cold War. I was disappointed that the book ended before Berlin became Germany's capital again.
After reading this book, I intend to read more about German history, especially about the aftermath of the Second World War and how Germany (West Germany in particular) picked itself up and became a successful democracy for the first time in its long history.

[Bryan Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating if not long read, plenty of things to learn. Good book for those interested in history, but not for the faint of heart.

[Andrew Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faust’s Metropolis is a well-organized and thorough history of Berlin. We are given some basic information on peoples who inhabited the area as early as 55,000 bc, but the real “habitation” of Berlin begins with the Lausitzer tribes around 1300 bc. Richie moves on to the Slavs and other proto-
Berliners, but the information is sparse before roughly 1200 ad. I would have liked more detail about the earliest days of the region, but this book focuses heavily on the 20th century (as you might expect).

I was most impressed with the author’s ability to characterize a city which for me eludes definition:

“Berlin is a city which has never been at ease with itself.”

Berliners “cannot do without [their city], but neither can they come to terms with it. And least of all can they comprehend it.”

Nothing “can truly capture the essence of a place whose identity is based not on stability but on change.”

And this absolute gem which showcases why we all love Berlin: “Horizon narrow, air polluted, clouds down to the ground, ugly buildings grey and monstrous, no home and the streets broad and ordered but without life.”

How can Berlin be the political heart of Europe’s economic powerhouse and be disliked by everyone in Germany? How can the city pride itself on its rebellious attitude, yet have a history of participating willingly in such destructive regimes (not only serving as the administrators of Hitler’s government, but also spying and reporting on each other mercilessly during the brutally repressive years of the DDR)? Why is such an ugly, poor, barren city so beloved by everyone who spends any time there? Richie definitely seeks to engage with and understand these dichotomies.

Richie weaves together the broad historical narrative with personal anecdotes from her time living in the divided city, and this makes for satisfying, approachable reading. Overall, I enjoyed Faust’s Metropolis, but wanted more detail of the city itself and less of the same WW2 history we find in every other book about Germany.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth in advertising - I only read through 1871.

I am curious about the history of Prussia, since that is where about ALL of my ancestors come from, and I stumbled across this tome in the local public library. This book is a THOROUGH study of all aspects of Berlin and it's importance in European history. It had many rises and falls, but it's big break came in the 19th Century because of the confluence of Bismarck, the Industrial Revolution and...the railroads.

They attempted a revolution in 1848 with the rest of Europe, but the Prussian Army was too strong and crushed the rebellion within 3 days. So the Germans adopted their attitude of realpolitick, and this led to....well, Kaisers, WWI and ultimately to Hitler and WWII.

I stopped at 1871 because that is when my ancestors came over from Prussia. During the 1840s, there were several crop failures and people were starving. Also, due to the Industrial Revolution, the country didn't need as many farmers or weavers. Combine this with a rising population and the result was a large number (greater than 2 million) a Germans emigrating to North America (including my great grandfather Adolf, in 1871 :-)

I would have read the entire book, but it's pretty long and I've got lots of other things that I'd like to Read!!!!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and well informed history.
Good for anyone interested in the Weimar period in Germany.

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeśli podobnie jak ja znacie Berlin jedynie z wizerunku Reichstagu i Bramy Brandenburskiej polecam Wam serdecznie książkę autorstwa Alexandry Richie – „Berlin. Metropolia Fausta”. Wprawdzie nie miałam możliwości sięgnięcia po tom I tej monografii i zaczęłam zgłębiać historię niemieckiej stolicy dopiero od drugiego tomu, ale w żaden sposób nie wpłynęło to na jej lekturę, ograniczając jedynie zakres tej podróży w czasie do schyłku Republiki Weimarskiej śledząc dalej losy miasta przez okres powstawania i triumfowania III Rzeszy, po jej upadek, a dalej przez podział miasta na alianckie strefy okupacyjne, okres zimnej wojny, powstanie Muru Berlińskiego aż po jego upadek. Ten symboliczny moment kończy też historyczne spojrzenie na Berlin pozostawiając współczesne czasy ocenie przyszłych historyków.
Jak na znawcę dziejów przystało, a warto tu odnotować, że Autorka, prywatnie synowa Władysława Bartoszewskiego, wie o czym pisze, a jej wiedza o historii niemieckiej metropolii jest imponująca. Z niezwykłym pietyzmem, właściwym dla badaczki historii, rozprawia się ona tak z przyczynkami, które legły u podstaw upadku Republiki Weimarskiej, jak i stały się powodem szybkiego rozwoju III Rzeszy. Sięgając w czeluścią tego miasta krok po kroku odkrywa przed czytelnikiem zarówno historię charakterystycznych dla Berlina miejsc, jak i zamieszkujących to miasto ludzi. A że jest o kim pisać, zważywszy na to, że dzięki staraniom Józefa Goebbelsa miasto to upatrzył sobie za swą główną siedzibę Adolf Hitler, nie brak w książce licznych odniesień do obu postaci. Ta część książki, która odnosiła się do przedwojnia i czasu II wojny światowej zrobiła na mnie największe wrażenie. Równie ciekawe są rozdziały poświęcone funkcjonowania Berlina w ramach schizmy Wschodniej i Zachodniej, kiedy wpływy radzieckie w Berlinie Wschodnim uczyniły z niego satelitę komunistycznych oddziaływań, podczas gdy po drugiej stronie muru w Berlinie Zachodnim jego mieszkańcy wiedli życie miodem i mlekiem płynące.
Autorka snując swoją opowieść o Metropolii Fausta odziera Berlin ze złudzeń i mitów, w jakie sam obrósł. Nie brak zatem w książce krytycznego spojrzenia na jego mieszkańców, którzy nie mogą się pochwalić bohaterskimi próbami walki z faszyzmem, troski o naród żydowski czy chęć stania w kontrze do czerwonej zarazy. Oczywiście, jest to pewnie w dużej mierze uogólnienie, ale odziera ono Berlin z otoczki miasta poprawnego politycznie, z szeroko rozwiniętym ruchem oporu. Z resztą kult Hitlera i popieranie jego polityki pokutuje chociażby w rozmowach Autorki ze współczesnymi Berlińczykami, którzy po tylu latach od zakończenia wojny wciąż wierzą, że Hitler miał dobre intencje, a wybuch wojny i prześladowanie Żydów, to efekt nacjonalistycznych wpływów i antyniemieckiej polityki państw ościennych w tym zwłaszcza Polski.
Niezależnie od tego jakich historycznych momentów dotyka Autorka książkę wręcz pochłania się, a kolejne strony, mimo obszerności tego tomu – liczy on ponad 800 stron czyta się z zapartym tchem. Dzieje się tak dlatego, że Autorka ma niezwykłą lekkość w przekazywaniu historycznej relacji, co sprawia, że mimo nagromadzenia faktów czytelnik nie ma wrażenia przytłoczenia nadmiarem dat, wydarzeń czy treści. Zdaję sobie jednak sprawę z tego, że nie jest to lektura dla każdego, jednakże pasjonaci historii, zwłaszcza tej nowożytnej z pewnością będą tą lekturą ukontentowani, poszerzając swoją wiedzę o współczesnej historii, choć widzianej z perspektywy jednego miasta, to jednak sięgającej w rzeczywistości daleko poza granice administracyjne Berlina. Polecając ten fascynujący reportaż pozostaje mi tylko zaplanować własną podróż do stolicy Niemiec, aby przekonać się na własne oczy na czym polega fenomen tego miasta.

[Vic Lauterbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography of a city that reads much faster than its length promises. There were some typos in the ebook version I read and a few passages that showed sloppy research, but these minor errors do not detract from a book that's well written and highly informative. Not visiting Berlin before German reunification is one of my few regrets. Happily, Ms. Ritchie's concluding chapters convinced me there is more continuity with Berlin's history to be found there today than was lost in the massive rebuilding following the dismantling of the Wall. Berlin fascinates like no other city because it reflects the best and worst of humanity's aspirations and accomplishments channeled through the glorious excesses of Prussian nationalism. Adenauer famously stated that de-Nazification wasn't his goal, but rather de-Prussification, as one preceded and empowered the other. Why German merchants built a trading post on an island in the Spree, how it survived repeated invasions to become the seat of Brandenburg whose electors made a Franconian nobleman their Markgraf, and how his descendants grew their tiny principality into the Kingdom of Prussia is the core of this book. I read the criticism that too much of this book is devoted to a mere twelve years of the Third Reich, but I believe that a large section is justified given that the NSDAP regime essentially destroyed the city. Ironically, Berliners never truly embraced nationalistic dreams after their terrible experiences during the Weimar depression and they remain the least stereo-typically German citizens of the Bundesrepublik to this day. Berlin beckons to anyone interested in modern history as it's the epicenter of the cataclysm that shaped Post-War Europe and it still evokes strong emotions. From the Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin remains the most poignant symbol of the Twentieth Century with its tumultuous mix of scientific progress and technological barbarism. If you have any interest in how Western Civilization got to where we are now, this book is a great place to start.

[Renate Deutsche Oma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1998, in 18 chapters Alexandra Richie researched Berlin from the birth of the city to the new capital after the Fall of the Wall. A great resource as I research my family tree. As a retired German teacher who was born in Berlin, I was fascinated by the historical facts in Chapters 6 - 13. Chapter 6 Imperial Berlin, Chapter 7 The Road to the First World War, Chapter 8 The Bitter Aftermath of the War, Chapter 9 The Golden Twenties, Chapter 10 The Betrayal of Weimar, Chapter 11 Nazi Berlin - Life Before the Storm, Chapter 12 The Second World War, and Chapter 13 The Fall of Berlin.

My German grandfather passed away in Berlin in February 1918 from a WW1 war injury. My father was born in Berlin six weeks later. One interesting fact from Chapter 8 p. 309 The obsession with death increased as the ghastly influenza pandemic made its fearsome way through the population: 4,732 Berliners died in December 1918 alone.

[Jim Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had wanted to read this book for sometime, but now I feel I've been cheated. Much of the treatment is a more general history of Germany and of Central Europe, especially during the period from 1848 to 1990. I thought the author concentrated too much on the Holocaust, considering the socpe of the work. While it is true that Berlin was "the brains," of the operation, it would have also been helpful to see a larger focus on the day to day impact of the war.

The author, or her editors, made sloppy mistakes such as the date of the Normandy Invasion and the intellig ence provided by Richard Sorge which makes me question the vericity of the material in sections that I was not as well read.

The book is long, but reads quickly due to the author's clear style. it also is well documented.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of Berlin, from its medieval beginnings until the reunification, well-written and with plenty of interesting detail (though some mistakes, both factual and in German spelling, really ought to have been caught). Fascinating stuff, especially if you're familiar with the city. The largest part of the book deals with events of the 20th century, not surprising given how much ground there is to cover during that period. Nevertheless, I'd have liked a little more time spent on the preceding centuries which were dispensed with comparatively quickly.

[Nog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Maybe a little too much of the Nazi era of 1933 to 1945; that ground has been covered elsewhere, i.e. the pieces that aren't directly related to Berlin.

The addendum gets a little preachy for my taste. Also, you'd think Helmut Kohl was a genius. It is revealed that either the author's father-in-law or husband was a friend of Kohl's (mostly likely the former).

Having lived in Berlin for a season (thankfully, that season was summer!), I disagreed on some of her observations on Berliners (see, all my in-laws are Berliners and almost all of my wife's friends...).

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive and very readable history is sadly dated (1999) and marred by several curious errors, ie: the synagogue on Oranienburgerstr. was not burnt to the ground during Kristallnacht (p430); the Hansaviertel is north, not south, of the Tiergarten (p704); the details of the first Wall victims are incorrect (p723); most of the hostages were not killed during the Mogadischu hijack rescue (p783).
This potentially brilliant work needs updating and correcting.

[Peveril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a rather long preview, the opening (from 1999) about what will Berlin become now very outdated. The next cgapters about movement of people's around the area which became Berlin very interesting. I dont now know if I will have patience for the next 900 oages.

[Ben Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible work for its perceptive insight, quality of writing, and well-proportioned breadth. Do not be intimidated by the length of this book. The pace is steady and the content is fascinating and relevant.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely shocking. People have not changed at all and once again history is repeating itself.
Hate and suffering are upon us because of ignorance and indifference.

[Jason Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It’s incredibly dense, but written in a way that it never gets boring. An amazing window into the history of a place that we don’t learn enough about in the US.

[Solor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work. The ultimate reading for any substantial student of the city.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly detailed historical account of Berlin from beginning to present day.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, immersive and gripping!

[Alessandro Nicolai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bella disamina sulla storia di berlino, interessante soprattutto la parte della WW2 e della divisione del muro

[Wayne]

I'm sure this is going to be a BIG meaty read!!!!

Taking some German lessons a few years ago began to draw back the veil of mystery which has always
made this language incomprehensible even though it is akin to English.Prior to that I had begun attending the German Film Festival in Sydney and still do, a great way of getting a feel for a people and place.
Presently Nancy Mitford's "Voltaire in Love" is giving me an excellent introduction to Frederick the Great and his relationship with that French philosopher.

And then there are my series of 16 lectures at the Art Gallery of New South Wales(AGNSW) on the artistic ferment in every area of the arts in Germany, particularly Berlin, between 1910 and 1937 in conjunction with an exhibition of prints, posters, etchings, paintings, photography, Bauhaus designs, Dada, Constructivism etc plus 12 feature films and shorts from the period over the next 3 months.
Sydney is hosting plays, films and exhibitions in conjunction with the AGNSW...so we will have become a mini-Germany, Berlin or Weimar Republic by November!!!

My self-contribution will be to get my teeth into Faust's Metropolis.

* * * * * * *

THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN IN 2011.

Sydney seemed to have swallowed Berlin, become Berlin.
Then in 2016 Berlin had swallowed ME!!!
I was doing my own self-inflicted "Walk and Talk" Tour, despite My Hotel's Helper selling me a cheap Train Ticket that would speed up my tour, I found that once I started to walk that was ALL I wanted to DO !!! My week and a bit in Berlin had been reduced to 3 days because my roof in Sydney had sprunk a leak and I'd had to delay departure to my first stop - the Czech Republic - where Sonia, my only English Student in Sydney, was now holidaying. DRAT IT !!!
But I'd read Chapter One of "Faust's Metropolis".
Now no books were needed. I WAS ACTUALLY THERE !!! Ever so briefly. And I was going to TALK !
TALK TO BERLINERS !!!

[Mikko]

Asiallinen katsaus Berliinin historiaan keskittyy ymmärrettävästi 1800-luvun jälkipuolen ja 1900-luvun tapahtumiin, jotka kiinnostivat itseäni vähemmän. Vain silmäilin toista maailmansotaa käsittelevät kaksi laajaa lukua lävitse; lukemani perusteella Richien teos ei tuo mitään lisää esimerkiksi Kolmannen valtakunnan nousun ja tuhon kaltaiseen laajaan selvitykseen tapahtumista. Myös ideologisesti Faust's Metropolis on William L. Shirerin klassikon linjoilla.

Kuitenkin kirja on hyvä yleisselvitys Saksan ja Euroopan historiasta kiinnostuneille; asiat on kerrottu tiiviisti ja selkeästi. Erilaisia alahuomautuksia ja lähteitä on parisataa sivua, joten jatkotutkimuksia varten on helppoa etsiä lisäluettavaa. Yllättävä on lähes jokaisen luvun lopusta varattu tila Berliinin taiteen kehitykselle, josta luodaan eräänlainen minihistoriansa poliittisen kehityksen rinnalle. Wikipedia-artikkelinsa ja yleistajuiset Euroopan historiansa lukeneille kirja sisältää vain vähän uutta.

Poimin kirjan luettavaksi siksi, että siinä on lukuja mielestäni harmittavan vähälle huomiolle jääneestä vaiheesta Saksan historiassa eli Weimarin tasavallasta, joka jää historiankirjoituksessa yleensä natsi-Saksan ja kylmän sodan jakaman kahden Saksan aikojen varjoon. Kiinnostavinta antia olivat kuitenkin Fredrik-nimisten kuninkaiden edesottamukset ennen teollista aikaa.

Jos haluaa, huonona puolena voi pitää historioitsijoiden yleistä tapaa korostaa eri ideologioiden katastrofaalista pahuutta lähes nolostuttavuuteen asti, ikään kuin lukijalla voisi olla vaara tulkita teos jotenkin diktatuureille myönteiseksi, jos niitä ei tuomita joka kerta ne mainittaessa. Tässä tapauksessa tylytyksen kohteeksi joutuvat siis kommunismi ja kansallissosialismi. Jankutus on kuitenkin vähäistä ja vain pieni harmi kauttaaltaan kiinnostavasti kirjoitetussa opuksessa.

[Human Being · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent in depth history of the German people without excuses. This is a bold bald post mortum of the german people set within the guise of telling the birth of Berlins evolution on the Mark Brandenburg. Alexandra Richie holds nothing back in her devestating indictment of their passivity that pervades throughout their history all the while claiming the opposite character in order to shield their quilt. The German people are perhaps uniquely the least individualistic of all the European nation peoples. They have historically been the most willingly herded into submission by strongmen to their ultimate detriment. This sets them apart from the more common European puritan characteristic of fiercely independent citizens who stood for personal freedoms and opportunities which helped create great nations. So Germans resemble more their Asian neighbors to their east then their Western Europe neighbors in this regard. Asians have historically been known to be far more of a herd mentality then European people; but German prove to be the exception.
The very gist of Richies near 1000 pages is excellently summed up starting on page 883. She doesn't blink as she goes down the list of indictments that history will hold against the German people. It is breathtaking to read such honest clarity. But please don't skip ahead. Read this incredible work from page one. There isn't anything you will want to miss because she supports her conclusions on every page leading up to number 883.

[Albert Lusnia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It didn't strike me as a history of the city per se, but rather more like a history of Germany/Central Europe through the prism of the city. Mostly very good overviews. The author seemed a little weak on Roman history, and probably could have just as easily started a little later than that. I thought her first hand experiences and the information about Cold War Berlin, the DDR, and the immediate post-Cold War period were very interesting.

The book can also be used and an introduction to various topics, such as Imperial Germany, Germany's role at the start of WW1, the immediate aftermath of WW1, Communism in Germany, and the lingering problems of Nazisim and WW2 in Germany.

[P. D. Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although interesting, this is a very dense historical reference chronicling the history of Germany and Berlin. You have to be strong of heart, or very very interested to be able to get through this enormous book.