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Top 10 curiosities about West-Berlin during Wall Time

With its over 100 years the Amstel House building has undergone a lot of history, many of which during the Wall time. Located in the area, we have prepared a list of the Top 10 curiosities about West-Berlin during Wall Time

1- Islanded by the wall

CC BY-SA 3.0
CC BY-SA 3.0

Based in the middle of the Soviet territory the West-Berlin was a capitalist island in communist land. Surrounded by 155 km of wall, there were 302 Observation Towers guarded by more the 11.000 soldiers from the GDR.

2- Jure capital, not the government’s seat

CC BY-SA 2.0
CC BY-SA 2.0

The isolation of the West Berlin made it unattractive to many and complicated to manage. Besides plenty wealthy and middle class families that left, from 1949 to 1990 the capital was transfer to Bonn, leaving a lot of empty spaces.

3- Low taxes, no Army

CC BY-SA 3.0 - Berlin Kurfuerstendamm 1967
CC BY-SA 3.0 – Berlin Kurfuerstendamm 1967

Residents of West Berlin were exempt from military compulsory service, what attracted many young men recently graduated from high school. As incentive for people to stay favorable tax both to individuals and businesses were given. This meant, between other things, a reduction of up to 30% of income tax.

4- Housing of the underground scene

CC BY-SA 2.0 Studentenrevolte 1967/68, West-Berlin /
CC BY-SA 2.0 Studentenrevolte 1967/68, West-Berlin /

Low taxes and empty spaces attracted a crowd of young free minded people and libertarian activists, turning West-Berlin in the late 1960s in one of the epicentres of the student movement. Kreuzberg, not long after, was already known as the cradle of the alternative scene, precursor of Squatting Movement and one of the main centers of the subculture in the world.

5- Nest of artists

CC BY-SA 2.0
CC BY-SA 2.0

Such crowds wouldn’t be so without the artists it always carries with. And West-Berlin had plenty of them. From political and scandalous cabaret shows at Zoo and Kurfürstenstraße to the memorable punk concerts at SO36, it was latent the freedom of expression and the bubbling creativity all around. Berlin was thus also refuge for world-wide famous artists. David Bowie and Iggy Pop, for example, created here their most acclaimed albums.

6- The coloured side of the wall

CC BY-SA 3.0
CC BY-SA 3.0

While on east the wall was gray and often mined, the western turned into world’s biggest canvas. Artists from all around came to leave their work – mostly unclaimed and anonymous – in those iconic walls, covering its inside completely.

7- Sweepers under the rug

Part of the western population was – shall we say – irresponsible and opportunistic. Many used the wall as garbage deposit, throwing old furniture and trash constantly to the other side.

8- Stage of an iconic speech

CC BY-SA 3.0 de 26.6.1963 Besuches des US-Präsidenten J.F.Kennedy in Berlin
CC BY-SA 3.0 de – 26.6.1963 Besuches des US-Präsidenten J.F.Kennedy in Berlin

In June 26, 1963 the emblematic and then US president JF Kennedy gave what is considered one of his best speeches to an audience of 450.000 people in front of the Rathaus Schöneberg. The famous quote “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner) was said at this moment as an underline of the support from United States to the West Germany, less than 2 years after the construction of the Berlin Wall.

9- Settling of the Turkish immigrants

In 1961 Turkish government and the Federal Republic of Germany signed an agreement to allow Turkish citizens to move to West Germany and increase workforce. By the end of the decade entire families were moving in to Kreuzberb and Neukölln, beginning to form the neighbourhoods as we know now. Legend has it that in the beginning of the 1970s the first Döner-Kebab shop was open on Kottbusser Damm.

10- West German Mark

CC BY-SA 2.0
CC BY-SA 2.0

During the Cold War the West German Mark could be exchange in the black market for 4 to 6 East German Marks. With the Wall Fall and the adoption of Western money, currency was 2 to 1. Seen by many as the easiest way to reunify the two Germanys, economists argue that the disparity of values wasn’t fair, positioning eastern industries in a less competitive start.