The Coolidge examiner., 1937-12-09

exclusive OF the parHS-totalS half
a million.
The Berliner's love of trees is
so deep that in many cases, where
city appropriations have not pro-
vided the necessary funds, private
citizens have paid for the planting
of their own streets.
Venerable, and in many cases un-
beautiful, landmarks of a bygone
day are being sacrificed to the de-
mands Of traffic.
Scaffoldings Chamber over the
facades of many old buildings which
do not have TO suffer demolition
but are going through much-need-
ed face-lifting operation. The town
hall, mammoth red-brick struc-
ture, has recently emerged. rubi-
cund and bit garish, from an
all-over bath performed by steam
and cleansing acids.
Many Old Buildings Saved.
Where possible, worthwhile old
buildings are being preserved. The
march of time has not yet intruded
on the neighborhood of the Nikolai
church, where one comes across
such architectural oddities as the
Knoblauch Haus-literally Garlic
House"-with its vivacious rocco
exterior, and its pretentious con-
temporary, the Ephraim house.
One learns from the archives Of
the Markisches museum that this
latter was built by one Veitel Eph-
RAIN, an enterprising racketeer of
Frederick the Greats time. He
aided an embarrassed state and
likewise amassed his own fortune by
coming debased "thalers," nick
named "Ephraimites," which he
struck from copper with only an
onion-skin thickness of silver sur
face.
The most striking change OBJ
served in the physical aspect Of the
city is that on Inter den Linden.
This wide avenue, because of build
ing the new subway. has been de-
nuded Of its famous shade trees.
Their roots we're too deeply sunk in
tradition and earth to make their
lot tenable when the human moles
began their burrowing.
These dignifed patriarchs were
carefully dug up and placed in other
more hospitable locations. Their
place has been taken by a quad
ruple row Of fresh little upstarts.
Shockingly callow and insufficient
they look.
1t was Dorothea, wife Of the Great
Elector, who caused the wide boule-
ward to be laid out, and who her
self planted the first linden tree in
1881. Perhaps it would have been
only fair for her generation to name
the avenue for the electress instead
Of for the tree she planted How
ever, they made amends by giving
her name to the street which parral-
lels Inter den Linden one block
north.
In 1890 an ordinance was passed
by the Elector Frederick III forbid
ding the burghers of the neighbor-
hood to allow their hogs to root
around on the public street as they
were injuring the trees!
Changes in Latter Days.
Berlin did not escape the west
ward-pushing urge which has pos
sessed continents. countries and
cities.
Oldsters of today tell of open fields
and woodlands in western areas
where now stretch illimitable acres
of concrete streets and business
blocks. The inexorable thrust of
building enterprise has encircled
lakes and linked once widely sep
arated communities into an urban
entity.
In the galloping twenties of the
postwar period came the realization
of the realtors dream of a Berlin
Broadway-"Berlin in Light" The
Kurfuersten-Damm soWed its wild
oats in the lurid early day of Jazz,
but has now settled down to a SNUG,
bourgeois middle age
The Emperor William Memorial
church Quilt as a monument to
Kaiser william the First and his
wife, Kaiserin Augusta, which
forms the root of the West Berlin
section. is as out of place amid its
surrounding cafes, restaurants, and
movie palaces as Trinity church is
in the hubbub of lower Broadway.
Neon signs make vivid imprint
on the night aspect Of the city. Step
gayly up the Kurfuersten-Damm or
Friederich-Strasse at any time aft
er d. ark and you will find yourself
wooed by the variegated, pulsing
effulgence of a host of dance halls.
ball houses and cabarets.
Haus Vaterland on the Potsdamer
PlatZ, twelve years after its much
advertised construction, is popular
with travellers. They flock in OF
evenings-visitors from abroad ano
from the provinces Of Germany.