Kings Journal: Berlin (Patreon)

Berlin is Germanys capital and with a population of 3,6 million people it is the biggest city of the country. Berlin is also a federal state. A city state.
Germany consists of 16 federal states and each one has own traditions, history, architecture, food, dialect and mentality.

This information will be very important to understand this Journals issue and why I dislike Berlin. Why the city fails in many ways and does not reflect German culture.

Kingdoms of the past
Unlike France or England Germany did not exist in the past.
There were many different kingdoms and duchies and the only thing they had in common was speaking German. The kingdom of Bavaria, the kingdom of Saxony, the duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt to name a few.
Each one with a unique culture and a unique capital.
While all had a certain interest in influence and power only one kingdom became more and more ambitious:
Prussia
The rulers of Prussia dreamed of a huge kingdom, true power and control in Europe. So they founded a city called Berlin, because other european nations already had famous capitals like Paris and London.
But founding a capital ain´ t that easy and Prussians only mentionable strength was military. Strict order and obedient people.
Prussia and Berlin grew fast thanks to simple laws and accepting every kind of people. Religious Refugees from France and other countries.
Berlins main interest was growth. Growth at any cost.
After a while Prussia was noticed by other kingdoms. England, Sweden, France, Spain, Austria... Many started observing that new opponent.
Meanwhile Berlin started copying ancient architecture to express that they are sophisticated people like the ones in ancient Greece and the architecture should reflect their protestant belief of simplicity, because playful architecture was considered as catholic and not Prussian.
The architects of Berlin built spacious streets of enormous size and buildings that are massive but clumsy without sensitivity. Stone boxes with windows.

Expanding
During the industrialization Prussia was very powerful and started absorbing other German speaking kingdoms although the most did not really want to be a part of Prussia. Just a few kingdoms and duchies refused to join Prussia. Probably the most famous one is Bavaria.

WW2:
The Nazis saw Berlin as their capital and it served as their headquarter.
Berlins spacious streets were perfect for military parades.
After WW2 most German cities were ruins and the allies founded the federal republic of Germany and they founded the federal states based on former kingdoms and duchies.

East and West-Germany:
Shortly after the foundation of Germany the country was separated into East-Germany under communism and free West-Germany with capitalism.
In Berlin that was located completely in East-Germany a wall divided the city. One half for the DDR and one half under American protection for the West.
Bonn became West-Germanies capital.

Reunifictaion:
After a peaceful revolution the wall fell and East and West Germany could reunite to Germany as it is known today. The former East was extremely poor compared to the West and in very bad condition. The government created a special tax to support and to restore the new federal states in the former East.
There is also another tax in Germany. The wealthy states pay and the money is shared for the ones who need support. The most money is absorbed by Berlin, that became the capital again.

Today
Berlin loves to advertize itself for being poor but sexy and exciting.
The city would be perfect for creative people and open minded ones.

So here we go with my personal opinion and the historic stuff I mentioned above becomes alive.

I visited many sights: Brandenburger Gate, Gedächtniskirche, Gendarmenmarkt, Unter den Linden, Dom, Zoo... all the regular tourist stuff. And I am very desillusioned.
Berlin is spacious indeed, but it so spacious that most streets and squares are just empty places with a dull, lonely atmosphere.

This picture shows the square in front of the Brandenburger Gate and it is just empty and people feel nearly lost.

Same feeling in front of the Reichstag - the government building - Huge square and emptiness. Simple, huge architecture without any love for details and a field that is so dry that it already is half a desert in May.

This is the square in front of the university. There is a church and a theatre, too, but it feels so sad and the only people around were tourists who all seemed very tired of walking those endless dull spacious streets.
And wow - I heard Berlin is so green with nature. Indeed there is a single tree on a huge square. So much nature... I can not take all this green. xD
The only thing green in Berlin is a single park in the center, but most streets and quarters are just concrete and stone with few tiny trees.

This is the Gendarmenmarkt. There are two similar towers with domes (one is on the image). They look like churches, but they aren´ t. These buildings are empty shells simply build to impress someone. There are also rarely any locals around. You will not hear much German in Berlin.

Hurray for more boxes with windows. This time "modern" ones and a public toilet were everyone can watch you peeing, because there are no doors and you can simply look through the whole construction. Next to the "public pee fun" is the Gedächtniskirche. A ruin to remember war and an ugly concrete box church next to it.

The only good thing was the zoo with rather big areas for the animals. But Germany has so many zoos that I can watch animals anywhere else and needn´ t go to Berlin. ^^;

A list of bad things:
I spent four days in Berlin and I did not simply check the comfortable tourist locations where they only show you the nice parts. I discovered Berlin by feet to see more, more honest daily life situations.
There was a retirement home where they simply put old people outside on the sidewalk and these poor souls sat there in the heat of the sun and the noise and smell of cars at a four-lane street corner at each site of the building. There was a hobo whose skin was black from dirt, his arms, his legs, his face. He was covered in dirt. There was that nude man who crossed my path and he only wear underpants and shoes. He pushed an office chair with a white pillow on it and around his waist was a bag for his pee. I also used the subway. The dirtiest I have even seen. The yellow ticket machine was covered in black dust and my fingers became black too after touching it. The subway stations were extremely shabby and the subway train was also in a very bad shape with grafiti, dirt and smell.
Actually it smelled everywhere. The whole city literally smells like shit. Like diarrhea to be precise. The smell is made worse by the poluted air of tons of cars and buses and there are no true pedestrian areas like in other German cities were cars are not allowed. The noise in Berlin is horrible.

I also felt very unsafe in many areas and streets. Also at the tourist areas.
There is security personal in each shop. Most times two or more. Also in the supermarkets. On one big shopping street was a group of thimbleriggers. That is not allowed in Germany, because it is all about cheating and those guys had their own watchmen at several street corners who loudly screamed when they saw a policeman to warn their group.

During my whole stay I mostly saw poverty, dirt, clumsy architecture and people who live inside an illusion of a city. Seriously there is nothing in Berlin you can not get, buy or see in any other (German) city. The difference is that other German cities are much cleaner and have an identity.
Other cities reflect their past better. They have strength in art and culture, because they developed naturally while Berlin was driven by a dream of power and military and that is all I can see there.
A need for craving and a total lack of creative power.

There is nothing German in Berlin. It is is too dirty, self-regarding and can only exist, because other federal states keep this place alive with their money and that makes me furious. Berlin absorbed money during the DDR while other areas suffered and today it still absorbs money and is totally unable to change anything for good.

I have been to Dresden last year and other cities in the former East and all of them did and do their best to restore their beauty to restore economy and they do brilliant and each day they try their best to move on.
Except for Berlin where they are not even able to build an airport.
After my stay in Berlin I totally understand why there is no ability or idea to achieve anything at all.

Actually many Germans do not like Berlin.
Conclusion
There are very nice cities in Germany. The ones that look like living fairy tales reflecting thousands of years of history. Birthplaces of famous composers, writers and artists. But as far as I know none of them came from Berlin. Military and culture do not work together well. Nowhere.

Germany is very diverse and no city could reflect this diversity.
So I do not blame Berlin for that.
The only thing I consider as sad is that from all (fun) stereotypes and all good existing things we have in German culture not much comes from Berlin. There is just Currywurst and lost people from many different cultures. The only thing that came from Berlin in all centuries is war.
Just watch the photos I took and imagine military parades of Prussians or Nazis.
I do not like this city, because I see its attempt to rule everyone.

What a negative Journal. xD
At last I want to stress that perception is always subjective and a place I do not like can be your favourite one or the other way round.
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Did you ever visit a famous place and you were disappointed?
Did you aver visit the capital of your home country and does it reflect your culture?
Tell me in the comments.