Teutonic Nights

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We could be Heroes, just for one Day. Miranda thought we were already heroes, having walked too far in the last 24 hours. If we walk down Potsdamer Strasse, we’ll soon come to where the Thin White Duke lived in the Berlin years ..........it’s just down the road, honest! The man in the middle cringed.

After the Ziggy years, a lad insane moved on to some young Americans and finally settled on what was West Berlin as the scene of his new inspiration. The result was Low, Heroes and Lodger, although apparently only Heroes was exclusively recorded in the city. Bowie’s apartment was in a block at Hauptstrasse 155, which is truly underwhelming as a venue although quite moving in a strange sort of way. Still, it had to be done and the visit has fuelled a burning desire to get a copy of the vinyl album. Bowie shared the flat with Jim Osterberg, better known as Iggy Pop. Iggy was in his idiot phase at this point and Bowie contributed to the album. They allegedly fuelled up on caffeine at Cafe Neues Ufer next door – alas it was closed, so we’ll never know whether the photos of the pair of them are still on the walls.

The Rathaus Schoenberg is also somewhat underwhelming as an iconic venue. On a miserable Sunday morning, the plaza in front was the setting for a vintage and flea market. A strange mix of interesting books, curios, second hand clothes and old pictures now fill the void left by crowds. In the absence of the Rotes Rathaus, (out of bounds in East Berlin), Schoenberg assumed the role of town hall for West Berlin. The plaza had already become the focal point of protest rallies with the Berlin Blockade, but assumed new importance with the rise of the Berlin Wall and J F Kennedy’s “Ich Bin Ein Berliner “ speech in July 1963.

We moved on to Templehof Airport. Described as the mother of all airpots by Sir Norman Foster, it was massively reconstructed by the Nazis to fit in as the gateway and a symbol for Hitler’s world capital, Germania. The building complex was apparently designed to resemble an eagle in flight with semicircular hangars forming the bird's spread wings. Eagles are very much in evidence today. The airport assumed significance in post war history as the focal point of the 1948 / 1949 Berlin Airlift. The huge monument outside today stands testament to the fatalities of that operation to keep West Berlin supplied after the Communist blockade.

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Photos

Schoenberg
Looking for a bargain

Hauptstrasse 155
Bowie's front door

Cafe Neues Ufer
Allegedly Bowie's preferred coffee stop

Flughaven Templehof
The former Main Terminal

Flughaven Templehof
The eagle has landed

Rathaus Schoenberg
The scene of JFK's famous 1963 speech

Schoenberg
Hertha BSC or Fenerbache? The local team ........

Hauptstrasse 155
Bowie's Berlin residence

Kardesler Grill
The Turkish catering arrangements

Berlin Airlift Monument
The monument to the airman killed in th Berlin Airlift 1948 / 1949