The city was in effect supported to a large degree by the West Germans, who assumed this burden. Leisure The arts and cultural life were granted enormous subsidies. During the three decades of the Wall, Berliners maintained the feeling that their city was not just any German city. Berlin stayed alive by persisting in its hope. The arts gained an importance that they had never had in the olden days.
Berlin is worth a trip.
Besides all the traces of past imperial splendor, there are great art museums in West Berlin, and the theater is marvelous - if you know German. And the concert halls are accessible. The Philharmonic is first rate, as Herb Caen recently testified in his column. There are Jazz festivals with the best American artists. The Berlin Film Festival is big annual event.