Berlin: Narratives of metropolitan transition and national unity

Abstract

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany in 1990 profoundly changed the role of Berlin. The move of the capital from Bonn to Berlin was to take nearly a decade. In the process, the complex national agenda of reunification was projected onto a city rich in meaningful landmarks and cultural developments. In the 1990s, carefully orchestrated building and marketing strategies focused on urban revival at select locations, including the new government quarter and Potsdamer Platz. Today, however, 1990s Berlin is remembered for the contemporary countercultures that serve to epitomize the city’s creativity over time. This article explores how Berlin developed post-Wall narratives of new beginnings that affirmed a sense of identity well beyond that of the role of national capital.