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Originally uploaded by wnyc
Just a block behind our hotel, near Checkpoint Charlie, stood the Berlin Wall. The stretch above is located in a fascinating outdoor museum called the Topography of Terror. This was the site of buildings which were once the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS during the Nazi era. The Berlin […]

Finally, sun. This must be an extraordinarily beautiful city in the summer. Lunch is usually eaten outside the little sidewalk stand where it’s bought - which is barely tolerable today but which must be great when it’s warm. Spent a fair amount of time in the Turkish district of Kreuzberg/Neukoelln, including a recording with DJ […]

 
Originally uploaded by wnyc
Some of the gold records made at Hansa Studios include albums by Depeche Mode and Falco.
Built in a converted 1910 ballroom, “Hansa at the wall” stood 50 meters from Hitler’s bunker and was badly damaged during World War II. When Bowie moved to Berlin in October 1976 he spent three years in […]

 
Originally uploaded by wnyc
Since the 1960s, countless musicians from throughout Europe and U.S. have made pilgrimages to the legendary Hansa Tonstudio on Potsdamer Platz. The recording studio’s credits include major albums by David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Luciano Pavarotti, Nick Cave, David Byrne and U2, among many others. During the 1970s and 80s it was […]

Originally uploaded by wnyc
Cloudy but warmer. Our hotel, as mentioned earlier, is right by the old Checkpoint Charlie, and with the fall of the wall a lot of modern new buildings have gone up to make full use of some prime real estate. So it’s nice to get on the terrific subways and go to […]

Exec producer Gisele Regatao scopes out Berlin’s late-night scene (all in the name of journalistic reporting, of course).
Everyone says the nightlife in Berlin doesn’t start until 2am. But you know how skeptical and headstrong New Yorkers are, so we started our evening out much earlier than that. I’ve never seen the subways or the streets […]

 
Originally uploaded by wnyc
Deep in Berlin’s Scheunenviertel, a trendy neighborhood of galleries and shops, there was the site of a poster for violinist Joshua Bell. It’s not uncommon to find ads for classical concerts in Berlin plastered next to posters for techno DJ’s or the latest play or musical. The city is home to […]

Originally uploaded by wnyc
The Philharmonie, home to the Berlin Philharmonic, is a funky-looking building, with a 60’s orange-and-white color scheme and tent-like contours. No doubt it was pretty happening when it opened back in 1963.
Note: For more on the Berlin Phil’s history, WNYC’s Evening Music is taking an in-depth look from Nov. 5-9.

 
Originally uploaded by wnyc
France isn’t the only European country that has tried to encourage native-language music on the radio. For the past five years, Germany has been considering a radio quota for German-language music and music produced in Germany. If turned into law, this would be similar to France’s policy, wherein native-language music must […]

It is cloudy and cold - which is probably normal except that we just left an abnormally warm New York. Have to resist the urge to crash on the hotel bed (boy, does it look comfy) so a walk in the fresh air is in order.
Too bad the air smells like open sewers. Oh, wait, […]