Marlene-Dietrich-Platz is the place for me!

Duty called last week and took me to Berlin, Germany (yes, on business!).  It was a "client event", and I was one of the clients.  Spouses were graciously invited and so there was a vacation element to the trip as well.  :)

Berlin is a city that defies definition - it's as if there were four cities there simultaneously: 1) Medieval Berlin, the historic center of Slavic trade in the middle ages, where Celts and Germanic tribes crossed paths, crossed swords, and eventually crossed purposes with the Austro-Hungarian rule of the Habsburgs, as the Kingdom of Prussia rose to prominence.  2) Pre-WW2 Berlin, its trendy, sophisticated arts & culture juxtaposed with its beastial brutality to non-Aryan "tribes" of people.   3) Post WW2 divided Berlin, occupied by 4 different countries (none of them German), with West Berlin being an island of prosperity in a sea of communist impoverishment.  4)  Modern united Berlin, gleaming with brilliant architectural design and clean as a whistle.

What follows are photos without comment, but I trust you can see the different sides of Berlin in the images below: