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Berlin
In the political history of the past century, no city has played a more prominent-though often disastrous-role than Berlin. At the same time, Berlin has also been a dynamic center of artistic and intellectual innovation. If Paris was the "Capital of the Nineteenth Century," Berlin was to become the signature city for the next hundred years. Once a symbol of modernity, in the Thirties it became associated with injustice and the abuse of power. After 1945, it became the iconic City of the Cold War. Since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has again come to represent humanity's aspirations for a new beginning, tempered by caution deriving from the traumas of the recent past. David Clay Large's definitive history of Berlin is framed by the two German unifications of 1871 and 1990. Between these two events several themes run like a thread through the city's history: a persistent inferiority complex; a distrust among many ordinary Germans, and the national leadership of the "unloved city's" electric atmosphere, fast tempo, and tradition of unruliness; its status as a magnet for immigrants, artists, intellectuals, and the young; the opening up of social, economic, and ethnic divisions as sharp as the one created by the Wall.
640 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
30 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
David Clay Large
26 books15 followersDavid Clay Large is a senior fellow at the Institute of European Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and professor of history at the Fromm Institute, University of San Francisco. He has also taught at Smith College, Yale University, and Montana State University.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 16, 2016
If any city has undergone radical transformations in the 20th century it must be Berlin. From the Kaiser era and World War I to the liberal Weimar era, and then under the Nazis – the East/West split and the “wall” – and finally reunification in 1990. All these volatile passages are here along with accompanying photographs.
The book begins in 1870 when Germany became a nation under Bismarck and Berlin the capital. There were strong attempts to make Berlin a world class city like London and Paris (and later New York). The arts and theatre flourished (like the DADA movement), there was a strong Bohemian presence and a liberal attitude towards sexual orientation. But under the surface there was always a pervasive violence and hatred – towards foreigners (particularly the East Europeans who were migrating to Berlin), communists, liberals and Jews.
This violence came to the surface after World War I, but was muted during the Weimar era. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 they ruthlessly did away with Berlin’s liberal facade. Gone were the nightclubs and cabarets, the gay scene, the communists, and the artistic avant-garde. Jews were labeled and banished from government and all social contacts – and finally and publicly, in front of all, forced out of their homes, sent to railway stations and then to camps far and wide. Some like Sachsenhausen, in the Berlin suburbs.
Then at war’s end came the divided city, with West Berlin eventually flourishing in contrast to the starkness of East Berlin with its ever present and growing Stasi. West Berlin did receive subsidies from West Germany, and East Germany (and East Berlin) subsidized themselves by arresting their own citizens – and then selling them off at a tremendous price to their relatives in West Germany. The author describes well the contrast between the divided city and how this permeated daily existence.
With the ending of the Cold War in the early 1990’s there was a brief euphoria that subsided after a few years. Initially West Berliners welcomed their Eastern counterparts with beer and good cars – but then there came to be almost nostalgia for the “old days”! The author also describes the anxiety felt by the rest of the world (particularly Europe) over German re-unification. The author also explores the German unease of moving the capital from the rather innocuous city of Bonn to Berlin where there were evil spirits lurking in every building and street.
To give a small example of the tensions, illustrated in the book (page 591) of when Marlene Dietrich died in Paris in 1992. She left Berlin in 1930 to become an American citizen, she detested the Nazis. She was buried in Berlin, beside the grave of her mother, and many Berliners expressed their respect for her. But others called her a “foreign whore”. There is a plaza in Berlin named after her. There was a plan to rename a street in her name, but that failed because of local protests.
This book was published in the year 2000 when many were still unsure of the trajectory of the “New” Germany and the “New” Berlin.
Page 618 (my book)
The quip by the American comedian Jay Leno on the Tonight Show in 1990. “I’m sure that you have heard that Germany has been reunited. The question now, I guess, is when it will go on tour again.”
Germany has more than behaved itself since – and it would be interesting to know how much Berlin has acquitted itself since the new Millenium.
This book provides us with a fascinating history of the city of Berlin.
The book begins in 1870 when Germany became a nation under Bismarck and Berlin the capital. There were strong attempts to make Berlin a world class city like London and Paris (and later New York). The arts and theatre flourished (like the DADA movement), there was a strong Bohemian presence and a liberal attitude towards sexual orientation. But under the surface there was always a pervasive violence and hatred – towards foreigners (particularly the East Europeans who were migrating to Berlin), communists, liberals and Jews.
This violence came to the surface after World War I, but was muted during the Weimar era. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 they ruthlessly did away with Berlin’s liberal facade. Gone were the nightclubs and cabarets, the gay scene, the communists, and the artistic avant-garde. Jews were labeled and banished from government and all social contacts – and finally and publicly, in front of all, forced out of their homes, sent to railway stations and then to camps far and wide. Some like Sachsenhausen, in the Berlin suburbs.
Then at war’s end came the divided city, with West Berlin eventually flourishing in contrast to the starkness of East Berlin with its ever present and growing Stasi. West Berlin did receive subsidies from West Germany, and East Germany (and East Berlin) subsidized themselves by arresting their own citizens – and then selling them off at a tremendous price to their relatives in West Germany. The author describes well the contrast between the divided city and how this permeated daily existence.
With the ending of the Cold War in the early 1990’s there was a brief euphoria that subsided after a few years. Initially West Berliners welcomed their Eastern counterparts with beer and good cars – but then there came to be almost nostalgia for the “old days”! The author also describes the anxiety felt by the rest of the world (particularly Europe) over German re-unification. The author also explores the German unease of moving the capital from the rather innocuous city of Bonn to Berlin where there were evil spirits lurking in every building and street.
To give a small example of the tensions, illustrated in the book (page 591) of when Marlene Dietrich died in Paris in 1992. She left Berlin in 1930 to become an American citizen, she detested the Nazis. She was buried in Berlin, beside the grave of her mother, and many Berliners expressed their respect for her. But others called her a “foreign whore”. There is a plaza in Berlin named after her. There was a plan to rename a street in her name, but that failed because of local protests.
This book was published in the year 2000 when many were still unsure of the trajectory of the “New” Germany and the “New” Berlin.
Page 618 (my book)
The quip by the American comedian Jay Leno on the Tonight Show in 1990. “I’m sure that you have heard that Germany has been reunited. The question now, I guess, is when it will go on tour again.”
Germany has more than behaved itself since – and it would be interesting to know how much Berlin has acquitted itself since the new Millenium.
This book provides us with a fascinating history of the city of Berlin.
March 6, 2011
I spent most of a month reading this 600-page monster, and went to Berlin at the end of it! It was fantastic, when I was there I felt like the city was an old friend - certainly a place whose (often painful) geography I understood very well. Reading a good history is a much better way of really unlocking a city than using a travel guide. And I thoroughly recommend this well-written and absorbing modern history.
December 18, 2020
This lengthy study of the city on the Spree is strongest when it actually focuses on Berlin and weakest when it becomes a survey of German history. Unfortunately, the latter is at least half the book, but there's still lots of good information here. I found the post-war and post-unification sections the most interesting, and the WWII section the least, but that's because so much has been written about Berlin during the war it's hard to avoid reworking familiar content. Lastly, there isn't a single map. Perhaps including printed maps is considered redundant in the internet age, but I found it irritating. How much you enjoy this book will depend on whether you want extra information with your Berlin history.
July 27, 2015
I have recently become interested in German history. I'm partly German and want to understand its history. I also have wanted to go to Berlin and felt I should understand its troubled history. This book was easy read and I enjoyed it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand Berlin and its troubled history.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand Berlin and its troubled history.
October 1, 2022
This is not light reading for the general public, nor is it a travel guide of any kind! David Clay Large’s work is a college textbook which takes a lot of mental energy to get through—but I managed to do it. For non-German speakers, a German-English dictionary and a huge wall map of Berlin would also be helpful to getting through it. That being said, I enjoyed reading this thorough review of Berlin from 1871-2000. Large discusses not just political history but also explores culture, music, architecture, food, the arts in general, and migration of peoples throughout that period.
The other historical works I’ve read of post WWII Berlin have focused on the foreign powers occupying the city and its place as one of the frontlines of the Cold War. Large focuses his narrative more on the affect those powers had on Berlin’s citizens and the German public.
The other historical works I’ve read of post WWII Berlin have focused on the foreign powers occupying the city and its place as one of the frontlines of the Cold War. Large focuses his narrative more on the affect those powers had on Berlin’s citizens and the German public.
June 18, 2020
Impressive and thorough, but reads like a college lecture series. Dull, flat and infinitely longer than is deep. Clay’s writing is expansive, but fails to convey any transportation to another time and place or to leave a sense of impression in the reader about Berlin through through the ages.
April 19, 2014
The book is uneven but very worthwhile with many insights about Berlin. I always enjoy history books that focus more on cultural history than military and political and this one has a nice balance in that regard. The chapters on the Weimar Republic period are excellent, as is the descriptions of just how Hitler engineered his rise to the top and the swift change that event brought to the tenor and woof and warp of daily life. The quality of storytelling drops significantly though for the war years. Here Large ties his own hands by really trying to write only about Berlin, as the story needs a wider focus to be well told.
The book covers Berlin from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the unification of Germany in 1989. The lead up to the fall of the wall hits the bases, but is covered much, much better in the recent book "1989."
If you love Berlin and its history, you should like this book.
The book covers Berlin from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the unification of Germany in 1989. The lead up to the fall of the wall hits the bases, but is covered much, much better in the recent book "1989."
If you love Berlin and its history, you should like this book.
May 31, 2007
everything you ever wanted to know about berlin between the two unifications! i really enjoyed the chapters on weimar berlin and on the culture wars under kaiser wilhelm. the author is engaging and gives equal time to discussing politics, music, art, cimena, literature and the world events that shaped berlin's destiny. it's a hefty tome (700 or 800 pages i think) but a worthy read. after reading this book, there are about 50 related topics/people i'd love to read up on! so stay tuned...
September 16, 2009
Large does a pretty good job of approaching the "personality" of this misunderstood metropolis. The grand sweep of history, from Bismarck's Reich to the present, is examined in the context of culture, political conflict, and especially Berliners' self-consciousness. My only real complaint is that Large was a little too fascinated by Berlin's seamier side. I expected a turgid read but Large pulls off a narrative that's brisk and informative.
June 17, 2016
Energetic and entertaining. One star off for an occasional outburst of annoying cultural conservatism. In all fairness, though, it appears to stem from ignorance of popular culture rather than from some reactionary dislike of it. To wit: Bowie is not really a "punk crooner" and Kraftwerk were NOT a West Berlin band.
Otherwise, a wonderful and informative book about a lovely and fascinating city.
Otherwise, a wonderful and informative book about a lovely and fascinating city.
November 24, 2012
Excellent history. Just enough social history, just enough political history, very astute observations of the cultural scene and astute urbanistic / architectural observations. The book particularly shines in the last 3 chapters - covering the creation and fall of DDR as well as post-unification. I only wish he'd put out a revised version re-writing and extending the last bit of the coverage.
March 26, 2016
An excellently written book about Berlin's history from German reunification to the late 1990s. The author writes in an engaging and easy to understand way, thus providing one with a great introduction to the city of the history. The author covers a range of historical areas too so one has a broad understanding of the most pivotal moments in Berlin's history.
August 4, 2011
Anyone who teaches history needs some fun stories to occasionally liven up lectures with, and this book is full of them. I am really enjoying this book, and learning a lot about Berlin in the process. Someday I'll make it back!
July 2, 2012
An excellent history: massive, with 600 pages, making my brain ache with the incredible detail, but immensely readable and enjoyable. I'd thoroughly recommend it for those who want to learn about German history generally. A superb read.
January 18, 2015
Thoroughly excellent; a cultural history of Berlin that is balanced across the decades and not overwhelmed by any particular event or set of events.
This would be a great book to read if one were spending a couple of weeks in the city.
This would be a great book to read if one were spending a couple of weeks in the city.
May 15, 2007
Berlin. Kreuzberg. Yale Summer 2003. Meral knows what's up!
June 15, 2007
1/4 way through - David Clay Large makes alot of value statements on gaudiness and the Berlin capital in it's youth - which as a historian I am surprised. Love his tone of voice so far.
September 8, 2007
a comprehensive look on the history of a reluctant city; i took this one with me on my last trip to Berlin, made the experience come alive for me.
January 23, 2008
Large makes history accessible. He has a great dark sense of humor, something necessary when writing about modern German history.
May 7, 2009
Extremely readable, comprehensive history of a city that has gone through incredible changes.
July 8, 2009
Very useful for me as a tour guide
July 12, 2012
A 900 page biography of a city? Yes! As you can imagine, it occasionally goes into more detail than you asked for, but it's fascinating.
October 30, 2012
The best kind of history writing!
Here is a link to a talk Prof Large gave on the book - in case you'd like to watch it to "whet your appetite".
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Be...
Here is a link to a talk Prof Large gave on the book - in case you'd like to watch it to "whet your appetite".
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Be...
October 22, 2013
A massive but absorbing history of the city (and hence much of modern Germany), vividly written and meticulously researched. I could not have asked for better preparation for visiting Berlin.
January 7, 2015
It's a good book, a bit dense at times but a piece if work that is written in a breezy way. In some of the sections, it reads like he's conversing with the reader.
October 9, 2020
Comprehensive history of my favorite city.
Currently reading
March 25, 2008Mammoth history of my beloved city. I'm talking phonebook size. Delicious!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews