Walled In Berlin

Can America Learn from the Weimar Republic?

November 21st, 2022

Can America learn from the Weimar Republic? Having grown up in post-World War II Germany, I always wondered how an evil man like Adolf Hitler was able to destroy a democracy in such short order. The constitutional federal republic preceding Hitler was called the Weimar Republic and existed for only fourteen years (1918 to 1933). What persuaded Germany’s political leaders and the general population to believe and follow Hitler, a man who tried to satisfy only his own twisted needs rather than those of the nation he pledged to represent? Something like this couldn’t happen in America, could it? Or could it? Let’s examine the main reasons that caused the Weimar Republic to fail.

The Big Lie that brought down the Weimar Republic

At least three factors helped Hitler seize power toward the end of the Weimar Republic. It started with a “Big Lie.” The lie was that the German Army had not been defeated on the battlefield at the end of World War I. Instead, Jews, Marxists, Democrats, and Internationalists had betrayed the country by subverting the war effort, driving out Kaiser Wilhelm II, and signing the punitive Treaty of Versailles. Germany’s conservative right promoted this lie relentlessly. Hitler had calculated correctly that the masses would be more likely to go along with a big lie rather than a small one.

Conspiracy Theories helped to bring down the Weimar Republic

Hitler endlessly reiterated the Big Lie without offering proof. The message was designed to appeal to the emotions rather than the intellect. It was used as justification for violence, and in 1923, Hitler instigated the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. He hoped to take over the government with this insurrection. However, the coup failed. Hitler was arrested and put on trial for treason. While in prison, he continued to spread the Big Lie by insisting that the founders of Weimar Republic, not he, were the real traitors.

How did the conservative party and judiciary react?

Germany’s conservative right came to believe that they could not win an election without Hitler’s Nazi base. They needed him to stay politically relevant. Therefore, instead of getting rid of this dangerous man permanently, he was sentenced to only nine months in prison. Hitler used that time to strengthen his base even further. In the end, the conservative right appointed Hitler as chancellor, in the mistaken belief that they would be able to control him.

The Great Depression made Hitler even more relevant

Meanwhile, hyperinflation, high unemployment, social and political turmoil, and punitive reparations led to public discontent during the Great Depression and created a path for Hitler and his Nazi party. Within a mere five months, Germany had lost its democracy and become a one-party dictatorship and a police state.

During the hyperinflation in Germany in 1923, people used the back of 1 Million banknotes as notepaper. A new pad would have cost 3 billion Marks. Photo courtesy of Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00193/ CC-BY-SA 3.0, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license. www.walled-in-berlin.com

During the hyperinflation in Germany in 1923, during the end of the Weimar Republic, people used the back of 1 Million banknotes as notepaper. A new pad would have cost 3 billion Marks. Photo courtesy of Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00193/ CC-BY-SA 3.0, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Are there parallels between the Weimar Republic and the Trump Administration?

I think so. (1) Disseminating and repeating a big lie over and over again smacks of Trump’s stolen election rhetoric. (2) Just as Hitler instigated the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, Trump was behind the January 6 insurrection. (3) Neither coup resulted in swift punitive action. (4) In both cases did the conservative right align itself with a dangerous individual so that the party could remain in power. (5) Meanwhile, the public was deeply divided and willing to look the other way.

Hitler successfully used the electoral process of democracy to destroy democracy itself. Could similar actions bring down American democracy? Can America learn from the Weimar Republic? I hope it does.

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

Tags: Adolf Hitler, Big Lie, Great Depression, January 6 insurrection, Munich Beer Hall Putsch, Nazi base, Trump Administration, Weimar Republic
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A Halloween Gone Wrong

October 17th, 2022

Although observe now, Halloween was unknown in Germany in 1967. I suppose the German candy and costume industries had not yet discovered its additional income opportunity. I, a German citizen at the time, was spending a year in California to improve my English. Toward the end of my stay, the 31st of October came around. Germans were already putting on their woolens, but it still felt like the middle of summer in Southern California. Finally home after a long day at the office, I had just slipped into my bathing suit to take a quick dip in the apartment complex’s swimming pool when the doorbell rang.

Who might that be? Shall I put on a robe first or just open the door clad in my bathing suit? Oh, what’s the heck? Who hasn’t seen a bathing suit before? I opened the door and found myself staring at the cutest cluster of little pirates, princesses, witches and kitty cats. They could not have been more than five or six years old. Her teeny Highness even wore high heels. As I eyed the pint-sized assembly in surprise, eight tiny faces smiled up at me jabbering something in unison.

Halloween witch. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2022. www.walled-in-berlin.com

As usual, I did not understand a word. Almost nine months into my stay in San Diego, I still had trouble assimilating speech when more than one person spoke at a time. While I searched the recesses of my brain to make out what they were saying, the princess and the kitty cat stretched up their arms, holding out small buckets with candy. They want to share their goodies. How sweet of them. I didn’t care much for candy, but how could I disappoint the kids. Complimenting them on their costumes, I dutifully reached into each bucket and took a candy from each little goblin.

The kids stood rooted to the floor. I thanked them again, and then one more time. Finally, I just smiled and closed the door. There was some chatter outside, and then I heard them move on and ring my next-door neighbor’s bell. I had just resumed getting ready for the pool again when the doorbell rang a second time. Peeking through the kitchen curtain now instead of opening the door, I saw another group of kids, all dressed in costumes, standing on my doorstep. Something is wrong here. I called my girlfriend. “Sonja, a bunch of kids in costumes keep ringing my doorbell and offering me candy. Why do you think they are doing this?”

Sonja laughed hysterically, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Tonight is Halloween. That’s when children put on costumes and go from house to house to ask for candy. Didn’t they yell, Trick or Treat?”

“Maybe. I have no idea what they were saying. What does it mean anyway?”

“It means that if you don’t give them a treat, they’ll pull a trick on you. The kids expect you to give them some candy on Halloween, not take it. You’d better prepare for some mischief.”

“Mischief?”

Tags: halloween candy, halloween costumes, mischief, trick or treat
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Learning from the Soviet Union is Learning to Win

September 19th, 2022

“Von der Sovietunion lernen heisst siegen lernen” the inscription reads (Learning from the Soviet Union is learning to win).” The German words are chiseled into a plaque at the foot of a large bronze that stands in the open field that surrounds the Military History Museum at Gatow airport in Berlin, Germany.

History of the Statue

Created in 1970 by East German sculptor, Gerhard Thieme, and commissioned by the command of the air defense of the National People’s Army of East Germany, the sculpture stood in Strausberg, a city east of Berlin, until 1994. Four years after German re-unification, it was relocated to its current location.

Meaning of the motto “Learning from the Soviet Union is Learning to Win”

Named “Waffenbrueder” (Brothers in Arms), the statue depicts two men: A Soviet comrade and a German pilot or astronaut. Judging from the body language, the Soviet brother is explaining something. In the 1970s when the bronze was created, East German leadership often portrayed East Germany as the little brother in awe to its big brother, the Soviet Union. “Learning from the Soviet Union means learning to win” was an East German doctrine until Mikhail Gorbachev came into power.

Created by East German sculptor Gerhard Thieme, the Waffenbrueder statue depicts the little East German brother learning from his big brother, the Soviet Union. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2019. www.walled-in-berlin.com

My reaction to the Brothers in Arms statue

When I saw the bronze for the first time, twenty years after German re-unification, I scoffed at the slogan. “Learning from the Soviet Union is learning to win” is pure propaganda, I thought. I had grown up in West Berlin during the Cold War and was inoculated against communist propaganda at an early age. Hadn’t the East German leadership maintained that East Germany’s standard of living would exceed West Germany’s living conditions in short order? Hadn’t they proclaimed that the goals of each successive five-year economic plan had not only been met but had been exceeded every time? All lies. In reality, the East German state was close to bankruptcy and completely collapsed in 1989.

We need more critical thinkers

While I was inoculated against East German propaganda since I was a little girl, I never noticed, until years later, that the West promulgated its own propaganda, and West Berliners saw in America their big brother. Years later, American propaganda moved to a whole new level when ex-president Trump spread lies about his election loss and many believed them. Regardless of the political system, leaders often activate the propaganda machine to influence the citizens. Only a population of critical thinkers, rather than followers, can thwart those efforts.

Tags: Berlin, Gatow Airport, Gerhard Thieme, Learning from the Soviet Union is Learning to Win, Military History Museum, propaganda, Waffenbrueder sculpture
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Konrad Schumann Paid High Price for Freedom

August 15th, 2022

Konrad Schumann (also referred to as Conrad Schumann in English speaking countries) leapt to freedom in the blink of an eye. It happened on 15 August 1961, the third day of construction of the Berlin Wall. Ordered to guard the beginnings of this newly created barrier, he made a split-second decision and jumped into West Berlin.

Konrad Schumann’s Early Years

He was born in 1942 and grew up in a small town between Dresden, and Leipzig, both located in East Germany. Following high school, he apprenticed as a shepherd. Because the military offered better pay and greater promotional opportunities, Schumann enlisted in the East German border police (Grenzpolizei) soon after his 18^th birthday. Following a brief training period, he was posted to a non-commissioned officers’ college in Potsdam. In early August 1961, he volunteered for service in East Berlin, the capital of East Germany. That’s how he came to be in East Berlin on the fateful day in August 1961.

Berlin Crisis

The East German state had been in crisis mode since November 1958. At that time, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had given the three western occupying powers an ultimatum. He had demanded that they transform West Berlin into a demilitarized free city within six months or the Soviets would sign a peace treaty with East Germany and allow the East Germans to control the access routes between West Germany and West Berlin. In spring of 1961, Khrushchev repeated his demands. He believed the free city concept to be a solution to East Germany’s people drain. Between 1950 and 1960, 2.4 million East Germans had fled to the west, pushing the East German economy to the brink of collapse. If West Berlin was a neutral city, however, East Germans might not be so eager to migrate into the west.

Konrad Schumann’s Decision to Jump

At 11 p.m. on August 12, a Saturday, Schumann’s unit was ordered to help seal the border between East and West Berlin at Bernauer Strasse. There were no incidents the first night, but by morning, 1,000 West Berliners had gathered in protest. The demonstrations continued for the next couple of days. The crowd grew more and more menacing. By Tuesday, August 15, they yelled profanities. Schumann was nervous and chain-smoked one cigarette after the other. This was not the kind of job he had bargained for. When he casually pressed down a section of barbed wire with his foot, West Berlin bystanders shouted, “Komm rüber, komm rüber” (come across, come across). When one young man came too close to the border, Konrad Schumann bellowed “Get back at once”, then whispered “I’m going to jump!” The young man alerted the West Berlin police, who soon arrived in a van.

Konrad Schumann’s Leap to Freedom

All of a sudden, Sergeant Schumann threw his machine gun over his shoulder and jumped across the knee-high concertina wire. The act took no more than a couple of minutes, and Konrad Schumann stood on West Berlin soil. He was immediately ushered into the police van and driven off. Eventually, he was flown to West Germany, where he settled in Bavaria. He was free. He felt relief. But fear and grief lurked not far behind. What if the East German Stasi, the secret police, located him? His desertion was punishable with death in East Germany. Would he ever see his family and old friends again?

Konrad Schumann leaps to freedom across the Berlin Wall on 15 August. 1961. Photo: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, <https:/creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0> walled-in-berlin.com

Life goes on in West Germany

In West Germany, Konrad Schumann picked up the pieces. At first, he worked as a caregiver, then as a worker at a winery, and later at Audi car factory. He married a local girl and seemed content until … the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. He was elated. Now, he could visit his family and friends again. But it turned out to be more difficult than that. Some members of his family and former friends no longer accepted him in their circle. In their minds, he had lost the right to belong with his desertion. As time went on, Schumann got more and more depressed, and nine years later, in 1998, he took his life. The price he paid for freedom had been too high.

Schumann was only three years my senior. We both were in Berlin when the Berlin Wall went up: he on the East side; I on the West side. I saw his escape on film. A few years later, I too, left Berlin for greater freedom, but under very different circumstances. I left for adventure and independence. Would I have had the courage to do what he did?

Tags: 15 August 1961, Berlin Crisis, Berlin Wall, Conrad Schumann, fall of the Berlin Wall, free city berlin, Konrad Schumann, Stasi
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Was “Dallas,” the TV series, a turning point for America?

July 18th, 2022

Dallas was an American prime time television soap opera that aired in the United States from April 1978, to May 1991. Intended as a miniseries, it was initially broadcast in a time slot for programs with low ratings – late Sunday nights. But Dallas quickly became a viewers’ favorite. In fact, it became so popular that it ran for 14 seasons and a total of 357 episodes.

Dallas conquered the Western World

Not only American viewers were hooked on Dallas, an estimated 300 million people across 60-90 countries (depending on the source you consult) tuned in every week to follow the Ewing-family saga. In Germany, the show aired for the first time in June of 1981. Soon, up to 42% of Germans gathered around their television set every Tuesday night to second-guess J.R. Ewing’s next move.

The Plot of the TV Series

The Ewings are a wealthy Texas family and live on Southfork, a cattle ranch, and own an independent oil company, Ewing Oil. They have three sons. J.R., the eldest, is as unscrupulous, greedy and scheming as his father, Jock Ewing. Bobby, the youngest has the integrity and morals that J.R. lacks. Gary, the middle child, is mostly absent. Throughout the series, the Ewings put their immense wealth on display while disregarding the law. Rules do not apply to people of their standing. Each episode is packed with feuds between family members, business partners and the outside world. Power struggles, sex, conflict, and extravagance are the driving forces of the show.

Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family in the TV Series Dallas fictional TV series “Dallas.” In real life the ranch is a conference and event center in Parker, Texas. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Good Versus Evil

At a time when family shows, like “The Waltons,” portray people as being inherently good, Dallas swerves in the opposite direction. While virtue, honesty, decency, and integrity always win out with the Walton family, ruthlessness, deceit and immorality triumph in Dallas. As J.R. puts it, “What I do isn’t always honorable, but I do it in the interest of our family. If that means I have to get my hands a little dirty in the process, so be it. My Daddy built this company, and I am going to do whatever I can keep it profitable. If “Good” wins in the Waltons, “Evil” wins in Dallas.

Dallas May Have Been the Beginning of a New Era

Today, our society no longer agrees on much of anything. Behavioral norms have largely given way to the pursuit of power, notoriety, and riches. Whatever it costs and whomever you have to buy through lies and bribery – it is all justified in order to get what you want. Integrity and honesty often have to fall by the wayside. These days, that mindset is apparent in the political arena, but also increasingly in personal life. Was Dallas an experiment in Social Darwinism? Did Dallas waken a slumbering giant within us?

Tags: Bobby Ewing, Dallas, Dallas the TV series, Ewing-family saga, good versus evil, integrity, J.R. Ewing, power, Social Darwinism, Southfork Ranch, wealth
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The Strandburg (Beach Castle) – A Thing of the Past

June 20th, 2022

A Strandburg, which is German for “beach castle,” used to be an integral part of every German beach holiday. It is distinctly different from a sand castle. While the latter is intricately designed, the Strandburg is only a low, circular wall of sand that surrounds another German invention, the Strandkorb, or beach basket. The beach basket serves as the vacationer’s home away from home, and since it swivels, it also provides an excellent windbreak. The Strandburg demarcates the territory. Whenever you happen upon a Strandburg, you can be sure to find a German inside.

Typical Strandburg (Beach Castle) at the Baltic Sea around 1950. Photo © J. Elke Ertle. www.walled-in-berlin.com

History of the Strandburg

Until the end of the 19^th century, only the elite could afford to vacation at the beach. However, these upper-class lords and ladies did not stretch out in the sun or frolic in the waves. Instead, they stepped into a bathing cart, a contraption akin to a cabin on rollers, which was pulled into the water by a horse. Once knee-deep in the ocean, a servant opened the cabin door, and the beach goer jumped into the water. After a few strokes, he or she got back into the cart and was wheeled back onto the strand.

Once the general public could afford a beach holiday, the beach culture changed, and the entire family vacationed together. Now mother, father, and child spent all day at the beach. Upon arrival, the family rented a beach basket for the duration of their vacation. It didn’t take long before, the patriarch got bored with sitting in the Strandkorb with nothing to do. That’s when he reached for a spade and built a wall around his family’s beach basket. A new trend was born.

The decline of the Beach Castle

Until the 1960s, the building of a Strandburg remained a cherished pursuit. Children gathered sea shells, tiny rocks, and seaweed and decorated their beach castle. Sometimes, they adorned it’s rim with small paper flags. Spa towns sponsored contests, and the prettiest Strandburg won a prize. The beaches along the Baltic and North Sea soon looked like a moonscape due to the countless castles dotting the beach. While the building of a Strandburg was prevalent throughout the 1960’s, its popularity diminished in the 70’ and 80’s. By the 1990s, it had become a rarity. These days, no more than 5% of beach goers in Germany build a beach castle. Even fewer decorate it. Beach castles have become a rare gem on German beaches.

Tags: Baltic, beach castle, Germany, North Sea, sand castle, Strandburg, Strandkorb
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Kaiserschmarrn – Sweet Dish Fit for Emperor

May 16th, 2022

Kaiserschmarrn is the name for a delicious torn pancake topped with fruit compote or fresh fruit. It is my all-time favorite on Sunday morning for brunch. Others like it for dessert or sometimes even as the entire meal.

History of Kaiserschmarrn

It is an Austrian dish, but there is a German connection. Kaiserschmarrn was conceived during the reign of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and of a slew of other states in the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1848 to 1916. Franz Joseph was a member of the royal Austrian House of Habsburg married Elisabeth of the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. That’s where the German connection comes in.

Many stories circulate about the creation of Kaiserschmarrn. Elizabeth, or “Sisi” as she became known, paid close attention to her lovely figure and asked the royal chef to prepare only small, non-fattening desserts for her. When the chef first served the dish, Franz Joseph, quipped, “Let’s see what kind of ‘Schmarrn’ the chef has created for you this time.” It was still too fattening for Sisi, but Franz Joseph became very fond of it. A new dish was born that became very famous across the entire German-Austrian empire.

Kaiserschmarrn, a sweet dish fit for an emperor, you and me. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2022, walled-in-berlin.com

Meaning of the word “Kaiserschmarrn”

There is no perfect translation in English. The first part of the word, “Kaiser” means “Emperor” in English, but “Schmarrn” is more difficult to translate. It means jumble, silly thing, or heap, which refers to the fact that the pancake is intentionally torn before serving. Kaiserschmarrn is a type torn pancake, served topped with fruit compote made from fresh stone fruit or strawberry, blueberry or apple sauce and sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
My favorite Recipe for Kaiserschmarrn

Ingredients (4 servings)

For the Pancake: 3 eggs (divided) 3 T melted butter, 1 t vanilla extract, 2 T granulated sugar, 1 c flour, 1 c milk, pinch of salt. (Optional:1/3 c raisins and enough rum to cover them in a small jar)

To Caramelize: 2 T butter, 2 t granulated sugar

To Serve: 2 T confectioner’s sugar

Cooking instructions

In a small bowl, soak raisins overnight in rum.
When you are ready to make the pancake, beat the egg whites in a mixer until stiff peaks form (about 2-3 minutes). Remove them to a separate bowl.
Combine the egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar & the pinch of salt in the now empty bowl of the mixer.
Alternately add flour and milk, one tablespoon of each at a time.
Once added and mixed, fold in the stiff egg whites.
Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter into skillet and cook for about 6-7 minutes.
After 3 minutes sprinkle the drained raisins over the batter. (reserve the rum for other uses).
When the pancake is golden brown underneath, divide it into quarters and turn each piece with a spatula. Add a little butter to the pan while turning the pancake pieces. Cook for 3-4 min until the quarters are gold brown underneath.
Using two spatulas or forks, tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the pieces. Gentle toss for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar has caramelized.
Remove to serving plates. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with your favorite fruit compote or sauce.

Enjoy!

Tags: Austrian House of Habsburg, Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, Emperor Franz Joseph I, Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), Kaiserschmarrn
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Berlin Zoo – Most Visited Zoo in Europe

April 17th, 2022

The Berlin Zoo (Zoologischer Garten Berlin) opened in 1844 and is located in the district of Tiergarten. It houses one of the most comprehensive collections of species in the world. The first animals were donated by Frederick William IV, King of Prussia. After the division of Berlin, the Berlin Zoo became part of West Berlin, and a second zoo, the Tierpark Berlin, was subsequently built in East Berlin. Visitors can either enter the Berlin Zoo through the Elephant Gate on Budapester Straße or through the Lion Gate on Hardenbergplatz.

Berlin Zoo - Elephant Gate on Budapester Strasse. www.walled-in-berlin.com. Photo © J. Elke Ertle

Berlin Zoo Badly Damaged During World War II

The first Allied WWII bombs hit the zoo area in September of 1941. The damage was relatively minor. But two years later, bombardments resulted in horrific damage. In less than 15 minutes on the first day, 30% of the zoo animals were killed. Of the eight elephants, only one survived. He lost his entire harem. The 2-year-old hippo bull, Knautschke, was saved by teenage boys who helped him escape from his enclosure. But the most damage was done during the Battle of Berlin between 22 April and 30 April 1945 when the Berlin Zoo was under constant Red Army artillery fire. On 31 May 1945, following German capitulation, zoo personnel counted the animals that had survived the war. Only 91 of the 3,715 animals had survived.

WWII Survivor – Knautschke the Hippo

Knautschke became the darling of the public and produced 35 offspring during his lifetime. He was born in the middle of the war and trapped in his hippo shelter – a building made of bricks – when the zoo was bombed. Debris blocked the exits, and the young hippo tried in vain to escape. He was already a fairly large animal, and his head got stuck in the exit. Glowing tinder and burning pieces of the roof were falling on him when several teenage boys saw what was happening and managed to work some boards free so that Knautschke could fit through the opening. They were successful. Knauschke jumped into the water basin and survived.

Knut – Famous Polar Bear Cub at the Berlin Zoo

The Berlin Zoo became known around the world when Knut, a polar bear, was born in captivity on 5 December 2006. He and his twin were rejected by their mother at birth and were subsequently raised by zookeeper Thomas Doerflein. Only the size of a guinea pig, Knut spent the first 44 days of his life in an incubator. Then Dörflein began to hand-raise the cub. The baby polar bear required 24-hour care, and Dörflein sleep on a mattress next to Knut’s sleeping crate at night. He played with, bathed, and fed the cub daily. When Knut was almost one year old and too strong for his human companion, the Berlin Zoo decided it was time for Doerflein to stop physical contact with the cub.

Berlin Zoo - Zookeeper Thomas Doerflein with Knut, the Polar Bear Cub. www.walled-in-Berlin.com. Image licensed under Creative Commons- Share Alil a2.5 generic license

Berlin Zoo – Zookeeper Thomas Doerflein with Knut, the Polar Bear Cub. www.walled-in-Berlin.com. Image licensed under Creative Commons- Share Alila, a 2.5 generic license

Tags: Battle of Berlin, Berlin Zoo, Elephant Gate, King of Prussia, Knautschke, Knut, Thomas Doerflein, Tiergarten, Zoologischer Garten Berlin
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Berlin’s Rotes Rathaus – Red City Hall

March 21st, 2022

Rotes Rathaus is located near the Alexanderplatz in Berlin’s Mitte district and occupies an entire city block. The moniker “red” was inspired by the town hall’s red brick facade and not by the political leanings of its occupants. Although during the Cold War, many associated East Berlin’s Red City Hall with Communism.

Pre-WWII History of Rotes Rathaus

Berlin’s Red City Hall was constructed in the second half of the nineteenth century. The neo-renaissance building was designed as a multi-winged complex with three inner courtyards and a just under 250-foot tower. The architecture of the tower is reminiscent of the cathedral tower of Notre Dame. The building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. Until 1948, the Neues Stadthaus, which survived the bombing, served as a temporary city hall for the post-war city government for all four sectors of Berlin. After 1948, and until the completion of the reconstruction of the Rotes Rathaus, the Neues Stadthaus housed only the city government of the Soviet sector.

Post-WWII History of Rotes Rathaus

Between 1951 and 1956, the Rotes Rathaus was reconstructed to the original plans. Due to the division of Berlin, Red City Hall was located in the Soviet sector, and the East Berlin magistrate held its sessions there. Meanwhile, the Rathaus Schoeneberg, where John F. Kennedy spoke in 1963, served as the town hall for West Berlin, where the West Berlin senate met. Since the German Reunification, Rotes Rathaus is the seat of Berlin’s governing mayor and Berlin’s city government of the entire city of Berlin.

Berlin's Rotes Rathaus as seen from the television tower. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2019. www.walled-in-Berlin.com

Also Of Historic Interest

The Rotes Rathaus contains many rooms of historic interest. State visitors are generally received in the armorial hall, which is decorated with the emblems of Berlin’s districts. Equally impressive are the great ceremonial hall and the 30-foot high pillared hall with its orange rib-vaulted ceiling and busts of famous people. The gallery on the third floor holds the portraits of honorary citizens of Berlin.

Tags: Berlin, Cold War, Division of Berlin, German reunification, Red City Hall, Rotes Rathaus, World War II
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American Barbie and German Bild Lilli Share History

February 21st, 2022

Did you know that the American Barbie and German Bild Lilli are more than a little related? That’s right. Bild Lilli had her start as a sexy cartoon character in 1952 and was first marketed as a doll in in Germany in 1955. Aside from a few minor modifications and without obtaining copyright and patents to produce Bild Lilli, the American toy company, Mattel, began to manufacture almost identical dolls in 1959. They just named their dolls Barbie. Mattel acquired the necessary copyright and patents only after the German manufacturer sued. Therefore, Barbies were not legally produced until 1964.

Birth of Bild Lilli, the German Cartoon Character

When German caricaturist Reinhard Beuthien was asked to draw a cartoon for the 1952 inaugural issue ofWest German tabloid Bild-Zeitung, he first drew a baby. His editor didn’t care for the sketch, and Beuthien created a sexy, pony-tailed blonde instead. The first Bild issue shows Lilli sitting in a fortune-teller’s tent, asking, “Can’t you give me the name and address of this tall, handsome, rich man?” The cartoon was an immediate success and became a daily feature.

Bild Lilli Became a Sexy Call Girl

With Lilli, Beuthien portrayed a post-war sugar baby who seduced wealthy men. She was called Bild Lillie after the newspaper that popularized her and resembled a blue-eyed bombshell with arched eyebrows and large breasts. She wore red lipstick, blue eyeliner and had red finger nails. Her feet were molded into black stilettos. Lilli was sassy, coquettish and independent. At a time when women were supposed to be subservient to men, Lilli spoke her mind. That endeared her to women. But she also epitomized the male ideal of femininity, which popularized her with men. In short order, Lilli became a sensation.

Birth of Bild Lilli, the German Doll

In 1953, Bild-Zeitung decided to market Lilli as a doll in addition to a cartoon character. One hundred thirty thousend dolls sold between 1955 and 1964. Each one carried a miniature copy of the Bild-Zeitung. The doll was originally intended as a joke or gag gift and was marketed to adults. Men were the primary purchasers. Lilli was sold at kiosks, and tobacco shops and in bars. Although never designed as a children’s toy, Bild Lilli eventually became a popular children’s toy as well because she looked like an adult woman, vastly different from the dolls most little girls owned.

German Bild Lilli doll made its debut in 1955. photo courtesy of www.dar-alktab.ort and Pixabay. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Ruth Handler, a Modern American Innovator

Along came Ruth, born in 1916, married to her high school boyfriend, Elliot Handler, and residing in Los Angeles since 1938. After trying their hand in a small furniture enterprise, the Handlers started the Mattel toy company. The company’s name is a combination of a part of Elliot’s first name and part of Harold Matson’s, last name, partner in the Mattel company. In the beginning, Elliot made toy furniture for Ruth to sell.

Birth of Barbie, the American Doll

In 1956, the Handlers took their two teenagers, Barbara and Ken, on a trip to Switzerland. Fifteen-year-old Barbara fell in love with the German Lilli doll. Ruth saw a business opportunity and purchased three Lilli dolls to take back to California. Then she made very minor modifications to the design. The changes were so minimal that some say that she outright “stole” the Lilli design by retaining Lilli’s physical shape, but giving her real feet with tiny toes and removed her earrings. Ruth Handler then named her modification “Barbie” after her daughter. Barbie became an American icon and a multibillion-dollar business.

American Barbie doll made its debut in 1959 and legally in 1964. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Barbie is Produced Legally

In 1960, the Handlers took Mattel public. But having practically copied Bild Lilli’s design was not without consequences. In 1961, the manufacturer of Bild Lilli sued Mattel for infringing on its rights. Lawyers settled the suit out of court two years later, and in 1964 Mattel acquired the copyright and patents for Bild Lilli and began producing Barbie dolls legally. At the same time, production of the German Bild Lilli stopped. American Barbie and German Bild Lilli share much history. Today, Lilli is as much of a collector’s item as Barbie. Both dolls eventually became extremely popular with children and dollhouses, doll house furniture, and clothing were manufactured along with Barbie dolls.

Tags: Barbie Doll, Bild Lilli, Bild Zeitung, Mattel company, Reinhard Beuthhien, Ruth Handler
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