Kultur Kap. 11

The articles that we were to read this week rose many questions about how close the new, modern Berlin is to that of years past. The first article, about how divided Berlin remains, even 14 years after the reunification of Germany, shows that even after years of living together, stereotypes about Westerners and Easterners are commonly accepted, at least in the older generation. It proves that even though progress can be made on a national level, on a personal side, people can still not be comfortable with the new reality. However, it is worth noting that experts on the subject suggest that the key to true unification is coming., but needs common values, not just economic and cultural equality.
The second article talks about how Berlin is a artistic Mecca in Europe, because the Bohemian lifestyle is still viable there. The musician who writes the piece talks about how it is possible to remain poor and still be comfortable and productive in Berlin, where you could not in a city like London or Paris. It is a "sexy" city, which possesses artistic neighborhoods, scenes and people. It remains in many ways the same as it was in the 1920s, when the Weimar republic allowed lots of freedom of self-expression.
Finally, there is an article about the divide between North and South, and the differences between the culture that lead to an inherent distrust and dislike. As the article says, the real divide is not East ans West, but North and South.