How to Experience Berlin Through Two Books, a Movie, and a Series

While many cities aspire to the honorary title of European cultural capital, few can compete with the German city in terms of cultural magnetism. A meeting point of international modernity, Berlin has been, and continues to be, one of the main creative epicenters of the continent, serving as inspiration for writers, filmmakers, and musicians of all nationalities.

This appeal has been enhanced by the allure of the Cold War stories during the division of the city into a Western side and a Soviet side. This focus of modernity is not a product of our times; Mark Twain perceived it when he visited in 1890: "Berlin is the newest city I have found. Even Chicago would seem old and gray in comparison."

On the VIAJAR magazine's Spotify profile, you will find a playlist with evocative songs of the German capital.

'Berlin Alexanderplatz' by Alfred Döblin (Cátedra)

It is important not to deceive the reader. In 2024, an era dominated by 280 characters, reading Berlin Alexanderplatz (1929) is a demanding task. It is one of the pinnacle works of 20th-century German literature. However, it is also true that we are talking about a transgressive text that requires time. Once you overcome the initial hurdle, the effort will be rewarded. Alfred Döblin's novel (1878-1957) centers around the character of Franz Biberkopf, a man newly released from prison trying to rebuild his life in Berlin in the 1920s. However, his plans will be weighed down by the feeling of being eternally tethered to his criminal past. Part of the modernist literary movement, Berlin Alexanderplatz offers numerous narrative viewpoints and even incorporates song lyrics and journalistic texts from the era.

'Violets of March' by Philip Kerr (RBA)

In the 1930s, during the Nazi rise in Germany, the concept of "violets of March" was applied to the opportunists who joined the National Socialist party in the wake of their rise to power. This term inspired Philip Kerr (1956-2018) for the title of the first novel featuring Bernie Gunther. This German detective, a former police officer, tries to make a living in the tumultuous 1930s. The plot of this first adventure focuses on the investigation of a couple's murder linked to the SS. What initially appears to be a simple crime related to the theft of a valuable necklace and its subsequent sale on the black market devolves into a dangerous conspiracy among the various factions of the Nazi Party. Following the initial success of this novel, Kerr published 13 more novels centered around Bernie Gunther. The first three, which are the critical favorites, are known as the Berlin Noir trilogy.

'Run Lola Run' (1998) by Tom Tykwer

Lola has 20 minutes to secure 100,000 German marks to save her boyfriend, who is in debt to a violent local mobster. From this simple premise, this innovative action film presents three alternate stories in which Lola achieves different outcomes in her pursuit of the money. But always with Berlin as the backdrop.

'Babylon Berlin' (2017-present) on Movistar+

Berlin, 1929. Detective Gereon Rath has just joined the vice and morals unit of the German capital. The city is a hotbed where anything can happen - culminating in 1933 with the rise of the Nazis to power. One of the best European series in recent years.