| Black Travels.com An Original Guide to Exploring the World for the Adventurous Black Traveler |
| One Week in Berlin. by Michelle Middlebrook |
I went to Berlin, Germany from March 25 to April 1, 2003. I'm a
30-something Black woman who had never been on an airplane, let
alone outside of the United States. I had always wanted to travel to
Europe and Berlin seemed like a good choice for me.
Prior to taking my trip, I went online to get information about being a
Black traveler in Berlin. Some of the advice that I was given was very
discouraging, like warnings not to go to certain areas of the city.
Needless to say, I was a nervous when I set out.
30-something Black woman who had never been on an airplane, let
alone outside of the United States. I had always wanted to travel to
Europe and Berlin seemed like a good choice for me.
Prior to taking my trip, I went online to get information about being a
Black traveler in Berlin. Some of the advice that I was given was very
discouraging, like warnings not to go to certain areas of the city.
Needless to say, I was a nervous when I set out.
I needn't have worried. I was treated fine and had a good time. While it's true that Germans aren't
warm fuzzy people, they are polite and helpful. One example of this was when I got on the bus from
the airport to the hostel. As I sat down and tried to remove my backpack purse, I found that it was
caught on my jacket. A man behind me reached over and unstuck the strap. I thanked him in German,
he nodded and smiled.
I stayed at the Circus Hostel, in the Mitte district of the city. There are two locations of Circus, only a
few blocks apart. I was at the Rosenthaler Platz branch, the larger of the two. The staff was friendly
and helpful and made my first stay in a hostel a positive one. The cafe served good, inexpensive
breakfasts and dinners. Goldman's Bar, in the basement, served the BEST screwdriver that I've ever
tasted. There are brochures from companies offering different tours of Berlin and if you prefer to
strike out on your own, the hostel staff is really informative.
Mitte, where I stayed, and Prenzlauer Berg, the next district, were behind the Berlin Wall until it's
destruction in 1989. They are largely working class and much of these two districts were
underdeveloped during the communist era. After the Wall came down, both neighborhoods
experienced something of a renaissance. Mitte was re-established as the geographic center of Berlin
and Prenzlauer Berg attracted attention from artists, musicians and others in the avant-garde. Contrary
to one of the most common bits of information that I gathered pre-trip, both of these neighborhoods
are diverse. There were Afro-Germans and Blacks from various parts of the world and, surprisingly,
many hispanics. A lot of the Afro-Germans didn't speak much English but the brothers and sisters that
I spoke with from the other parts of the world felt comfortable living in Berlin. I will tell you one odd
thing. For some reason, many white Germans thought that I was German. This happened throughout
my trip and was a real surprise, although a pleasant one, to me. However, I was told to avoid the
outlying Eastern districts of Lichtenberg and Marzahn, especially after dark. Since these are mainly
residential districts with little of interest to travelers, this isn't a big problem.
Mitte and especially Prenzlauer Berg are on the left of the political spectrum. My trip was at the start
of the war in Iraq and I saw some anti-war and anti-Bush signs and a few demonstrations. Aside from
one guy at a snack stand asking my opinion of George Bush, I was not treated differently or badly as
an American.
The Mitte district is perfect for sightseeing. Downtown Mitte, the historic district and Museum Island
were a five minute walk away from my hostel. There are so many museums in Berlin that I really only
had time to see one, the Pergamon Museum. It is considered to be one of the best archeological
museums in the world. It houses several collections of antiquities, mainly from the middle-east, and
was outstanding and I definitely recommend anyone visiting Berlin to go there. The museum is named
for the Pergamon Altar, which dates from 170 BC. Originally from what is now Turkey, the altar was
dedicated to Greek gods Zeus and Athena. The other outstanding piece in the museum is the market
gate of Miletus, also in Turkey. Two stories tall, it was built by the Romans in 120 AD.
I really enjoyed Berlin and wish that I had more time to spend there. I would definitely go back again
and I recommend it to other Black travelers. I do wish that I had brushed up a little more on my
German. Many of the people in the eastern part of the city do not speak much English and my
German is very basic. However, this isn't necessarily a big barrier, just something that would have
made talking to German people a little easier.
Smiles are always appreciated.
warm fuzzy people, they are polite and helpful. One example of this was when I got on the bus from
the airport to the hostel. As I sat down and tried to remove my backpack purse, I found that it was
caught on my jacket. A man behind me reached over and unstuck the strap. I thanked him in German,
he nodded and smiled.
I stayed at the Circus Hostel, in the Mitte district of the city. There are two locations of Circus, only a
few blocks apart. I was at the Rosenthaler Platz branch, the larger of the two. The staff was friendly
and helpful and made my first stay in a hostel a positive one. The cafe served good, inexpensive
breakfasts and dinners. Goldman's Bar, in the basement, served the BEST screwdriver that I've ever
tasted. There are brochures from companies offering different tours of Berlin and if you prefer to
strike out on your own, the hostel staff is really informative.
Mitte, where I stayed, and Prenzlauer Berg, the next district, were behind the Berlin Wall until it's
destruction in 1989. They are largely working class and much of these two districts were
underdeveloped during the communist era. After the Wall came down, both neighborhoods
experienced something of a renaissance. Mitte was re-established as the geographic center of Berlin
and Prenzlauer Berg attracted attention from artists, musicians and others in the avant-garde. Contrary
to one of the most common bits of information that I gathered pre-trip, both of these neighborhoods
are diverse. There were Afro-Germans and Blacks from various parts of the world and, surprisingly,
many hispanics. A lot of the Afro-Germans didn't speak much English but the brothers and sisters that
I spoke with from the other parts of the world felt comfortable living in Berlin. I will tell you one odd
thing. For some reason, many white Germans thought that I was German. This happened throughout
my trip and was a real surprise, although a pleasant one, to me. However, I was told to avoid the
outlying Eastern districts of Lichtenberg and Marzahn, especially after dark. Since these are mainly
residential districts with little of interest to travelers, this isn't a big problem.
Mitte and especially Prenzlauer Berg are on the left of the political spectrum. My trip was at the start
of the war in Iraq and I saw some anti-war and anti-Bush signs and a few demonstrations. Aside from
one guy at a snack stand asking my opinion of George Bush, I was not treated differently or badly as
an American.
The Mitte district is perfect for sightseeing. Downtown Mitte, the historic district and Museum Island
were a five minute walk away from my hostel. There are so many museums in Berlin that I really only
had time to see one, the Pergamon Museum. It is considered to be one of the best archeological
museums in the world. It houses several collections of antiquities, mainly from the middle-east, and
was outstanding and I definitely recommend anyone visiting Berlin to go there. The museum is named
for the Pergamon Altar, which dates from 170 BC. Originally from what is now Turkey, the altar was
dedicated to Greek gods Zeus and Athena. The other outstanding piece in the museum is the market
gate of Miletus, also in Turkey. Two stories tall, it was built by the Romans in 120 AD.
I really enjoyed Berlin and wish that I had more time to spend there. I would definitely go back again
and I recommend it to other Black travelers. I do wish that I had brushed up a little more on my
German. Many of the people in the eastern part of the city do not speak much English and my
German is very basic. However, this isn't necessarily a big barrier, just something that would have
made talking to German people a little easier.
Smiles are always appreciated.
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