I watched this short video from Kreuzberg in 1979 and wondered how much can a neighborhood change. I walk around the Kreuzberg streets in the video below without thinking about how different this neighborhood was less than 35 years ago. But everything was different back then.
Kreuzberg in 1979
The Berlin Wall used to stand across the Spree, and the Oberbaumbrucke was still in ruins between two countries that no longer existed. In the video above, filmed in 1979, you can see how empty Schlesisches Tor used to be.
Why would anybody want to live so close to where the action would happen in case of war? Also, remember that there was no Gorlitzer Park. Just the ruins of what used to be the Berlin Görlitzer Bahnhof. But now, everything is different.
Next time you go to that area to enjoy burgers at Burgermeister or some drinks at the bars, try to imagine how different it was just over 30 years ago. This is a short movie, but if you are interested in understanding how Berlin used to be, you will enjoy this one.
And this one from Berlin in 1991.
