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Culture
In many respects, Berlin is the least ‘German’ part of Germany. Not only because of its cosmopolitan, big-city ambitions and large communities of ethnic minorities, but due to its lack of stifling and uptight attitudes (Spießigkeit), which are prevalent elsewhere.
During the Cold War, West Berlin became a magnet for people wanting to drop out and do their own thing. Young men hoping to get out of compulsory military service fled here in droves because the city’s residents were exempt (they were apparently doing their bit as a bulwark against the Communist threat by helping populate the western sectors).
Following reunification in 1990, the city remained a liberal stronghold with a live-and-let-live attitude. The relaxed outlook towards soft drugs is in many ways more liberal than in Amsterdam, and the seemingly non-stop clubs have helped cement Berlin’s world-class party reputation. Such are the attractions that many Germans now consider their capital to be overrun by lefty, work-shy, creative types.
One trait, however, that unites all of the city’s inhabitants – east and west, left and right, German and Turkish – is Berliner Schnauze. Literally translated as Berlin Snout, it’s the attitude that outsiders consider gruff and abrasive. It frequently is just that, but once you know what to expect from Berliners, their Schnauze can be a refreshingly frank and even humorous take on city life.
During the Cold War, West Berlin became a magnet for people wanting to drop out and do their own thing. Young men hoping to get out of compulsory military service fled here in droves because the city’s residents were exempt (they were apparently doing their bit as a bulwark against the Communist threat by helping populate the western sectors).
Following reunification in 1990, the city remained a liberal stronghold with a live-and-let-live attitude. The relaxed outlook towards soft drugs is in many ways more liberal than in Amsterdam, and the seemingly non-stop clubs have helped cement Berlin’s world-class party reputation. Such are the attractions that many Germans now consider their capital to be overrun by lefty, work-shy, creative types.
One trait, however, that unites all of the city’s inhabitants – east and west, left and right, German and Turkish – is Berliner Schnauze. Literally translated as Berlin Snout, it’s the attitude that outsiders consider gruff and abrasive. It frequently is just that, but once you know what to expect from Berliners, their Schnauze can be a refreshingly frank and even humorous take on city life.
