Kultur 11- Eric Fix

            I thought it was interesting that a decent amount of the German would rebuild the Berlin Wall if possible. It is strange to think that there are some East and West Germans who do not want their country to be unified. I can understand the part about the stereotypes that each side has of the other, but that happens everywhere, especially here in the United States. It is also interesting that one of the people interviewed said he felt a greater sense of freedom under the old East regime when the wall was still up. Likewise, reading about the Ostalgie was almost entertaining in a way. The fact that people have nostalgia for the way things used to be when Germany was divided is amazing, and I cannot fathom why this is the case for Germans. Reunification was supposed to have positive effects and the fall of the Berlin Wall was supposed to be a good thing, but I guess there are some Germans today who would think otherwise.

             It was interesting to read about the fact that popular opinion would entail that the real divide in Germany is between North and South, rather than East and West. This is understandable, but I was surprised to read the statement that said if the Berlin War had been placed to divide North and South Germany, it may very well still be standing today. Of course, we will never know if this is actually true, but it is still something to think about. Regional divides can have powerful effects, and Germany is a prime example of this.

            The NY Times article about Berlin was probably my favorite to read. It gave some insight to the side of Berlin that I did not really know. I was previously unaware of the fact that Berlin is not necessarily a rich city. This is probably due to my thinking that all major cities are expensive and flashy, just like New York City. In NYC absolutely everything is expensive, so it is in a way good to know that this is not the case in Berlin. It’s amazing that in Berlin “you can be superpoor for years and still live comfortably.” That is difficult for me to imagine, but it is also good to know that you won’t really go broke living in Berlin. I definitely plan on visiting Berlin at some point, and I look forward to seeing this “cheap” Berlin that is displayed in the article.