Berlin TalesHelen Constantine Berlin Tales is a collection of seventeen translated stories associated with Berlin. The book provides a unique insight into the mind of this fascinating city through the eyes of its story-tellers. Nearly twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the stories collected here reflect on the city's fascinating recent history, setting out with the early twentieth-century Berlin of Siegfried Kracauer and Alfred Döblin and culminating in an excellent selection of stories from the best of the new voices in the current boom in German fiction. They are chosen for their conscious exploration of the city's image, meaning, and attraction to immigrants and tourists as well as Berliners from both sides of the Wall. These stories also depict Berlin's distinct districts, not just the differences between East and West but also iconic sites such as Alexanderplatz, individual neighbourhoods (Jewish Mitte, Turkish Kreuzberg) and individual streets. There is an introduction and notes to accompany the stories and a selection of Further Reading. Each story is illustrated with a striking photograph and there is a map of Berlin and its transport system (a frequent motif). There is an introduction and notes to accompany the stories and a selection of Further Reading. The book will appeal to people who love travelling or are armchair travellers, as much as to those who love Berlin. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 5 | |
| 17 | |
| 23 | |
3 Evenings after Six | 31 |
4 Just a Sec | 37 |
5 Everyday History of a Berlin Street | 43 |
6 The Loan | 51 |
12 Remains of the Esplanade | 127 |
13 For a Handful of Loose Change | 139 |
14 Something for Nothing | 145 |
15 The Heart of the Republic | 171 |
16 factions | 193 |
17 Berlin City Guide | 205 |
18 Gina Regina | 209 |
19 Summertime | 225 |
7 Postscript on the SBahn | 63 |
Berlin | 67 |
9 Family Friend | 81 |
10 My Berlin | 97 |
11 Squatters | 107 |
Notes on the Authors | 227 |
Further Reading | 231 |
Publishers Acknowledgements | 235 |
Maps | 238 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexanderplatz asked Banciu Berlin S-Bahn building camera Christmas cigarette city’s coloured comes coVee dark David Constantine didn’t diVerent Do¨blin doesn’t door East empty everything eVort Fabian Frieda Friedrichshain Friedrichstraße front German Gina Gina’s Gordian Hackescher Markt hand Hanna hard house head heart HoVmann intentionally left blank Judith Hermann kitchen Kurt Tucholsky laughed light lived looked lying metres Monika Maron morning mother night no-one º º once oYce Palace past Platzker Potsdamer Platz reXected round Russian S-Bahn says Short Stories shouts sitting sleep smell standing station stay stood stop Straße street suddenly Swallow theatre Theodor Fontane there’s things Thorsten thought took translated traYc tree turned wait walked Wall wearing West Berlin Wgures what’s window Wladimir Kaminer Wnally Wnger Wnished Wolfdietrich Schnurre Wrst Xoor yard