Berlin New Arrival: Language, Culture, Art
Molecule Men on River Spree
The wheels of the airplane finally touched ground, Berlin, here I am! CarpeBerlin would like to help to make your arrival here as smooth as possible...
a. Language
The German language is exciting for non-German speakers. It is a partly nerve-racking mixture of various mediaeval dialects, having found its peak in today’s Berlin dialect. The tone is sometimes rough and sometimes very rough, but always heartfelt! It’s not as out of touch with the real world as Low German („Plattdeutsch“) and a whole lot less incomprehensible than Bavarian, so, Berliners insists resolutely on the pronunciation they’re used to.
In spite of all the cosmopolitan attitudes, alternative styles are deliberately ignored. The designation of certain objects is not open to discussion (see: baker’s shops, restaurants etc) and may jeopardize communication with old-established inhabitants of Berlin. The slightly military undertone does not exist just by chance (see: history) and can be assessed as a sign of sympathy.
As a visitor, you enjoy many liberties; however, there is one thing you shouldn’t do, and that’s imitate the Berlin dialect! Any such attempts will be regarded as mimicry and will not be appreciated. (You won’t hear slogans like „Ick bin een Berliner“ in this town...) The best strategy is to talk naturally, even if German is not your mother tongue. Most people in Berlin speak English, and they are proud to be able to help a Welshman or a Swabian in their town.
b. Culture
It’s an indisputable fact that Berlin’s cultural life is one of great abundance & diversity. Its spectrum ranges from world-famous concert halls such as the Philharmonie or the three operas - the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Komische Oper and Deutsche Oper – or for those with more mainstream tastes -, the big theatres such as the Schaubühne, Deutsches Theater, Berliner Ensemble, Volksbühne and Maxim Gorki Theater, in addition to the numerous off-theatre projects. It also covers more than one hundred cinemas spread all over town, as well as galleries, innumerable nightclubs and establishments for sophisticated literature and poetry slams.
Staatsoper: www.staatsoper-berlin.de
Deutsche Oper: www.deutscheoperberlin.de
Komische Oper: www.komische-oper-berlin.de
Philharmonie: www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/home/
Schaubühne: http://www.schaubuehne.de/start/index.php
Deutsches Theater: www.deutschestheater.de
Berliner Ensemble: www.berliner-ensemble.de/index_aktuell.htm
Volksbühne: www.volksbuehne-berlin.de
Maxim Gorki: www.gorki.artemisium.de/141-0.htm
c. Art
Berlin’s most important museums are the Gemäldegalerie (art from the Early Middle Ages to the late 18th century), Alte Nationalgalerie (19th century art), Neue Nationalgalerie (mainly 20th century works as well as regular extra exhibitions), and the Brücke-Museum with its exhibits by the most significant artists’ union of German Expressionism. Apart from that, there are innumerable independent gallery projects, many of which settled in and around Auguststraße (Mitte) in the 90s. This model quarter still exists, but nowadays interesting galleries can also be found in any part of the city, although Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, and Kreuzberg still have the most considerable gravitational pull. The style in Friedrichshain tends to be rougher, and galleries in Charlottenburg are aligned to their local visitors, which means that things are generally a bit more prosperous there.
More info on museums in Berlin and links to home sites: www.smb.spk-berlin.de/smb/index.php
Keywords: gemäldegalerie, alte nationalgalerie, neue nationalgalerie, brücke museum, philharmonie, staatsoper, deutsche oper, komische oper, schaubühne, deutsches theater, berliner ensemble, volksbühne, max gorkim theater, theatre, theater, berlin culture, art in berlin, museums in berlin
