-For so many years Germany, Berlin especially, found ways to isolate itself from the rest of the world. That isolation was just furthered along by the building of the Berlin wall. The wall was more than just a way to separate between East and West Germany; it separated Berlin from the rest of the world. The wall has been gone for decades now, but that effect can still be felt. For the people that were alive when the wall was standing it can still be easy to immediately associate Berlin with the wall even though it no longer stands. I think the combination of the wall being removed and Germany joining the European Union has helped to dissipate the divide between Berlin and everyone else. The wall was removed before I was born, so I am aware of what the wall meant, but that is not the first association I make when I think of Berlin. I view Berlin as a large city within Germany and Europe and as a global focal point for scientific advancement and economic prosperity. The removal of the wall made Berlin open to the world again, which has been very evident over the past few years. I think now a days different narratives apply to Berlin depending on who you are talking to and where they are from. I do not view Berlin as a city of wall, but my grandparents might, since they were adults during that time.
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I am Hannah Lewis and I am a Biochemistry and Public Health major. This is the story of my journey before, during and after my stay in Berlin, Germany. Archives
August 2015
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