30 BERLIN CURIOSITIES

We love to investigate and look for the curiosities of each destination before stepping on it. In a way, knowing these anecdotal facts makes you better understand the character of the city and those who have grown there. Although good, there are some that are simple horny data that make you smile or leave your eyes wide. The capital of Germany is a city full of them, here we tell you 30 curiosities of Berlin.

1. The Berlin Wall It was built in one night, which goes from August 12 to 13, 1961. At first it was a simple barbed wire.

2. Why was the Berlin Wall built? After the end of World War II and the consequent occupation of Germany, the city ​​was divided into two blocks: the Soviet (German Democratic Republic) and the western side (German Federal Republic). Contrary to what is usually thought, the wall was not built only for an ideological issue, but for a more practical one: the eastern side wanted to prevent its inhabitants from stopping to emigrate to the western side (where there was more work and better living conditions) .

3. In total they were 270 people who lost their lives trying to cross from one side of the Berlin Wall to the other. The first victim was named Peter Fechter and was shot at after crossing to the western side. He bled to death while asking for help that never came (neither from one side, nor the other).

4. Along the wall there were 3 different control points: Alfa, Bravo and the famous Charly checkpoint that you can visit today.

5. In November 1989 the Wall fell, it was the same inhabitants of the city who knocked it down and today the largest section that remains standing is the East Side Gallery, which is full of graffiti and precious paintings, in what is considered the longest outdoor gallery in the world.

6. The urban art It is present throughout the city, and we love it! But apparently the town hall is not so clear and spend some € 35 million annual in restoring the facades "invaded" by these paintings.

7. David Hasselhoff He sang the song "Looking For Freedom" on New Year's Eve in 1989 in Berlin and ... flares almost caught him in full (he didn't even notice XD).

8. The Berlin symbol is a bear. The reason is not well known but many point to the etymology of "Berlin" that would refer to the word "bär" which means "bear."

9. Berlin has about 180 museums. The most important are concentrated in an area called Museum Island. They say there are more museums than rainy days!

10. In recent years, many areas have been invaded by huge colored tubes, which meander between the streets and buildings. This solution, which has become a new icon of Berlin, serves to drain the water from the underground and lead it to the canals. In this way floods are avoided in the construction of tunnels and works. Pink was chosen after a psychological study, because it was the color that most attracted children.

11. The city is full of photo booths where you can get one of the best souvenir souvenirs: a strip and 4 black and white photos.

12. In 1963 John F. Kennedy He visited the Berlin Wall and pronounced the famous phrase: “Ich bin ein Berliner! ”(I am a Berliner). The anecdote is that the word "Berliner" was interpreted as the stuffed donut, instead of the citizen of Berlin. Here you have the story.

13. The bunker where Hitler (supposedly) committed suicide ... today is a parking.

14. Another of the icons from Berlin is the Ampelmännchen, the famous silhouette of the man who appears at the traffic lights of the city. He was about to retire and give in to others younger and more modern, but luckily we can still enjoy him.

15. And 180 are the kilometers of navigable channels In the whole city. And it seems that Berlin has more channels and bridges than Venice, Amsterdam and Stockholm. We have not counted them but ... it can be.

16. You will soon realize that Berlin hosts a huge amount of Turkish immigrants. What you may not know is that it is probably the city ​​where more kebabs are eaten daily: They are estimated to be about 60 tons a day ... that's a lot of kebab. And they are very good.

17. Another typical city meal is the Currywurst: German sausages accompanied by a ketchup and curry sauce. Sounds very weird but we guarantee that it is requetebueno and is addictive!

18. Berlin is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe (and the world!). Under their sky they live together people arriving from 180 different countries (Only 25% of Berliners were born and raised in the German capital).

19. This being so open and cosmopolitan was one of the reasons why Hitler did not finish connecting with Berlin. In fact it is said that one of the objectives he had at the end of the war (for him losing was not even an option) was to modify it completely.

20. One of the false flag operations best known in history was the fire that caused the Nazis (led by Hermann Göring) in the Reichstag. Why did they do it? To blame and stop the communist opposition. This allowed the beginning of the Nazi era: Hitler hardened the penalties, limited freedom of the press and opinion ... among others. It was also when he called elections and the party took the majority of votes. The Third Reich was already underway.

21. The Fernsehtturm, the emblematic Television Tower of the city, it was built on the Soviet side during the separation to show that communism was stronger than ever ...

22.… But a joke of fate left them “ridiculous”. When he sun reflects on its dome a kind of cross. Many call it the "revenge of the Pope" effect. Curious, right?

23. During World War II, Berlin suffered numerous shelling and many of his buildings were destroyedcompletely. After the war, most were rebuilt, but it was decided to leave one as he was: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, with the intention of never forgetting what this terrible chapter of history meant for Germany.

24. Berlin is one of the greenest capitals in EuropeDid you know that a quarter of the city is occupied by green spaces? If you like parks, you will enjoy it!

25. And of them, one of the most curious parks is Tempelhof that once was ... a airport! Berliners (and tourists, of course) can walk, run, skate freely for what used to be an airstrip.

26. If you want to know where the Berlin Wall was built, you just have to look carefully at the ground: its old location is marked by a double row of cobblestones (often accompanied by a plaque that says "Berliner Mauer 1961-1989").

27. If you walk along the shopping street Kurfurstendamm, you will not find the portals with the numbers from 1 to 10, they do not exist!

28. It is a city totally bike-friendly: There are hundreds of km of cycle tracks and the only thing that is missing is how will cyclists survive in the cold of winter?

29. Berlin is one of the few cities in the world that has different operas: There are 3 (Berliner Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper).

30. Berlin and its inhabitantsthey love dogs: There are more than 100,000 living in the German capital.

These are 30 curiosities of Berlin Surely they encourage you much more to travel to the capital of Germany. Do you know any more?

Video: Curiosities about the Berlin Wall (April 2024).