In Berlin, the city divided after World War II, everybody knows about the Brandenburg Gate, Hitler's bunker, Kennedy's speech, red and green beer, splendidly broad boulevards, and numerous lakes. But this metropolis, once again the capital of Germany, encompasses many clandestine niches characteristic of a heterogeneous city without a beginning and without an end between its famous backyards, nature parks, and bridges. It is often these miniscule witnesses that tell authentic history. Besides the larger attractions, this unusual guide presents Berlin's other side - such as a tower so ugly that no-one wants to open a restaurant in it; a library offering its books in the trunks of living trees; the monument for the inventor of the currywurst; a residential settlement in a former East German prison; the place where the Nazis concealed the so-called "degenerate art" which they had confiscated; the house where David Bowie lived; an automat out of which maggots can be pulled; a museum for things used for purposes for which they were not created; the reception camp for refugees from East Germany - and, in a completely unexpected spot, the most romantic place in Berlin. AUTHOR: Lucia Jay von Seldeneck was born in Berlin in 1977 and grew up there. She experienced the fall of the Wall, and is fascinated by the city and its incessant change. She studied public relations and Latin American studies in Berlin and Valencia, and works as a freelance journalist today. Since the foundation of Heimathafen Neukolln in 2007 she has managed the press and public relations work for this theatre in Neukolln. Verena Eidel is a freelance photographer and graphic artist. She has always been fascinated by the idiosyncratic charm of the city where she was born: following the fall of the Wall, Berlin redefined itself completely at a breathless pace. As so often before. A city in permanent flux - which is why, even as a dyed-in-the-wool Berliner, Verena Eidel never tires of making journeys of exploration there. Carolin Huder has lived in Berlin since she was a child and has always been aware of the enormous potential of the city. She studied Geography and Culture Management, and has made numerous contacts and participated in exciting cultural projects during many years of work in the Berlin art scene, where she is impressed by the people and their ideas. 115 colour illustrations
