I took my wife Sue to Berlin for her birthday. Berlin is one of our favorite European cities, although we'n not been there for several years. Some parts of Berlin have changed a lot since 'die Wende' and other parts have not changed at all. We stayed at the Hilton in Gendarmenmarkt where the friendliness of the staff was quite magnificant.
To Moritasan: True - every large city has such problems. You will see graffiti in some of my later images and a drunk in the fountain in Alexander Platz. However, the core of Berlin is cleaner than many other major cities and I did feel safe. I visited one working class district - but that is being 'gentrified'. From a photographic point of view, it is difficult photographing images of the poor - partially because you feel you are intruding and partially for reasons of personal safely. Some of the graffiti was bad - for example on the statue of Kathe Kolwitz. At the end of the day, I did love Berlin.
moritasan
24-May-2009 07:59
this is not realistic and misleading . the Berlin one will see.One sees dirt, graffiti, punks, srcatched tram windows , drunks , druggies and just more dirt at subway stations just look at Hermanplatz for instance. There is no progress.Even the all mighty Kurfuerstendamm around the Zoo station is filthy.