When in 330 BC the troops of Alexander triumphantly entered Persepolis, the fabulous capital of the Persian Empire which was ordered to build by Darius I, they must have found it difficult to acknowledge what was before their eyes.

On one hand, while they went up the wide, infinite rather, steps of the Gates of Xerxes, they were aware that they were taking possession of a symbolic object which was to justify all the Persian military campaigns, “the most hated city in the world” were the words of the feared Macedonian leader about the place that he’d come to destroy to avenge the distant memory of the Persian looting of Athens which had taken place fifty years before.

On the other hand, it’s not hard to guess that they probably felt totally astounded by the unprecedented wonder that they were facing. Every detail of the plains and the rooms of the royal palace (where they knew that up to 10,000 court members used to gather to welcome the Persian new year), was a witness of incommensurable wealth and glory, as well as magnificent engravings with golden decorations who used to astound the ambassadors from over 35 countries (including far away India, that they didn’t know that they would fatally go towards) which had queued up in those same rooms not long ago to present their valuable offering and receive blessings in exchange by the great King Darius and his God of Wisdom. To summarise, everything which has come to represent  Asian luxury in our imagination.

Nothing of it, however, could prepare them for the shock in the face of the magnitude of the treasure, which they found intact due to the precipitated escape of Darius III. A lavish treasure which went further than words could explain which would finance the campaigns of Alexander beyond the known world, just as he was told by his master Aristoteles when he was only a boy.

The surrender without resistance of the city, the fact that it didn’t make sense to destroy something which was now theirs and their usual strategy of always trying to win over a conquered population are reasons which don’t help to understand the near total destruction of Persepolis, ordered by Alexander a few months later, despite that classic sources have already aired the impulse to avenge what happened the previous century in Athens. What’s true is that, since then, one of the most legendary cities of ancient times were reduced to the regrettable condition of ruin and exposed to a wayward and accident prone destiny (thirty years, Islamic fundamentalists tried to obliterate what was left of it with bulldozers) despite the work of abnegated archeologists such as the members of the Teheran Departement of the German Archeological Institute, which was founded fifty years ago.

Regarding this anniversary, the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin has organized an exhibition until March 4th (http://www.smb.museum/smb/kalender/details.php?objID=31882) dedicated to the story of the trajectory and archeological findings (from the stone age to the Qajar dynasty) of the Institute in Iranian territory in the last five decades.

Paul Oilzum

It’s a thrilling exhibition which cannot be missed if you rent apartments in Berlin even if you’re not a big fan of archeology. It’s one which will create lasting hobbies.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Berlin is characteristic for having a community who is well aware of the goodness of recycling, especially now that global warming and the crisis make people look for creative ways to adjust spending. Hence that it has 100 vintage or second hand shops and many flea markets in the city, where you can buy antiques and used things at cheap prices, from clothes to electronic products  as well as interesting furniture and decoration objects.

Kleidermarkt is undoubtedly the best known second hand shop in Berlin, not only because it has three stores but also because it’s the best stocked one and it sells clothes by weight. Yes, you’ve read it properly, a lot of the clothes are not sold by units but instead you can take all the clothes and put them on scales and they’ll tell you how much they cost. In any case, a kilo of clothes costs 14 euros and, on Tuesday mornings, they have sales of 10 euros per kilo. They also have some designer labels and objects which can’t be bought by kilo, but still at a good price considering the quality and the exclusiveness, such as extravagant glasses and East Germany collectors items.

In the area of Mitte you can find a dozen second hand shops. Made in Berlin is one of them and it has all the vintage styles, with posters on the walls and thousands of clothes of all types hung from parallel bars awaiting a new owner. Him and her can leave with all their best 60s, 70s and 80s clothes of the best brands, but the style of chic recycling which is worn today. It has wonderful clothes made of leather and wool as well as shoes, bags and accessories which will leave you in the most pure fashionable style of the great cities and at affordable prices. This shop is located on Neue Schönerhauserstrasse 13.

Immaculate Heart is a vintage clothes shop which you cannot miss if you’re in Mitte. Nothing is random there, because its owners make a selection of the products to guarantee quality. There are all sorts of clothes, shoes, accessories and jewelry which you won’t be able to resist and you’ll end up getting your wallet out. Its address is Rosa-Luxemburg Strasse 28.

Also, there’s the second hand store Anasti-Luxus and Shop which sells Miu Miu, Furstenberg, Yamamoto and Cavalli clothes as well as accessories. TO buy shoes from the 20s, 30s, 50s and more, Calypso is for you. But there’s nothing like Tenderloin, which has the best and most beautiful of 70s fashion and it’s close to Hackescher Markt. But if you want variety and quantity, Garage is the ideal store for prices, where you can buy anything you want. It’s on Ahornstrasse 2.

Nancy Guzman

Don’t waste time, rent apartments in Berlin and make a tour around the most incredible second hand shops and come back with your new vintage style, which is trendy today in all big cities, and make the most of collaborating with recycling.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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A sign of rebellion, obsession, fashion, a radical move or just decorating taste, tattoos have evolved and today have become for many symbols that tell the story of their lives, the body becoming a kind of diary , a notebook where we write the names of those we love, our musical tastes, football teams with whom we sympathize, and much more, as many types and number of tattoos on the body that we  can have.

Perhaps one of the most tattooed persons we have is the famous “grandfather of a thousand tattoos,” a 69 year old man that has not left any part of his body without being  tattooed. For this man, named Tommy Wells, tattoos are more than an art, it is a way to reinforce your identity and tell your story. His last tattoo was done on his head, where he still had some space, in honor of his recently deceased wife. But not only normal characters of our daily life think this way, Johnny Depp himself said that each tattoo on his body is a page of his diary, and it is not the only one celebrity who thinks this way, the renowned Trussardi house designer , Umit Benan has tattooed the signatures of his parents, their birth dates and even the date of her first fashion show, aspects that remind him each day where he comes from and where he is are going.

Tattoos, as many may know, have different meanings according to the culture to which they are associated with , they are so old that they have been found in Egyptian mummies and other ancient civilizations of the world, but today, in our Western societies and in the global world we live in, they acquire different meanings for the bearer. Leaving aside all the negative charge that  can be based on social classes, distinctions or certain social circles that prohibit or otherwise, who use them as negative  identifications (mafia, prisons, etc..), Common people do them as a decoration motive  or to count and do not forget some fundamental aspects of their lives, this is the case of tattooing as a “diary”, where the body, which by itself without the use of tattoos, tells our story, our course, our current position according to the multitude of information displayed on it, it then becomes a real diary, the book of our lives.

To write events or information about our life seems to be the next step in tattooing today for the lovers of this ancient art. Show everyone a part of your personal history. Fad or not, the fact is that who takes the decision to write on his your body has to know it will be permanent, and as Tommy Wells said, “it will accompany you to your grave.”

Luz Obscura

In Germany diary tattoos are booming, so much that the Werder Bremen goalkeeper has tattooed his naked wife. Rent apartments in Berlin perhaps you will dare to get that tattoo you have had for a long time in your mind.

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Translated by: Marc
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Photography goes further than a simple portrait. With every photo they include singular historical moments, unexpected situations and spaces. Berlin is a city ready for photography. When it comes to ‘photogenic’ cities, Berlin is one of the capitals of the world, with a large variety of structures, spaces, population and means of transport and communication to make of this trip in this city an intense and varied photographic exploration.

Going on holiday with a camera in your hand is usually something essential, of course. But the vision of the tourist isn’t exactly the vision of the traveller. If we think about the ideas of ‘flâneur’ by Baudelaire that later Walter Benjamin would develop from Paris on the construction of discourses, identities and economic policies surrounding the structure of the city, we can’t stop considering photographic exploration of the public spaces, not only as the result of a touristic experience but also the exact diary of an experience of the subject facing new contexts. And so, photography, both in its doing as in its re-consideration, generates narrow visions of the world as well as wide cosmopolitan ones.

The trip with a camera must not become naive. Berlin has a cosmopolitan community as well as a deep and diverse history which your camera can explore, as well as the daily things, the trails of the past in the day-to-day and the crossroads of contemporary history in photography itself. Diverse aesthetics mix in Berlin, from old buildings and housing which survived the Second World War bombings to new and modern ones, underground districts, graffiti, bars and museums. Tradition and modernity mix. If you also want to visit some of the best photography exhibitions in Berlin, here are some essential ones:

The Photography Museum is an unmissable stop for those who are interested in photography. Since 2004, it gathers fans from all over the world. The amount of visitors over the last few years surpasses 500,000, and its permanent exhibition is renown as one of the best in Europe. Today, the Helmut Newton Foundation intervenes in the organization of the exhibitions in this important museum. Therefore, a large part of the work of this fascinating photographer will be at your disposal when you visit this museum.

A gallery that you can’t miss also is Camera Work. Here they present the best in contemporary photography as well as the most famous classic photographers. This gallery was founded in 1997, and in its collection it presents classics such as Man Ray, Irving Penn, Horst P. Horst, Peter Lindbergh, Peter Beard, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus and Helmut Newton, as well as new and emerging artists, supporting the new talent in photography. Among these we find Silke Lauffs, Martin Schoeller and David Drebin.

Kicken Berlin is another of the important photography galleries in Berlin that you can’t miss. With a wide collection and exhibitions taking place for over twenty years, Kicken Berlin is a valuable reference point to have a perspective both of today as in historical terms of the aesthetic processes and exchanges of international photography which have taken place in the last few decades.

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the best in international photography.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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What to pack in your suitcase? The eternal question. Packing itself is A rather complex art. The question is what is indispensable? that that you should never forget, what is really necessary? Times are somewhat difficult to spend too much money so, to be prepared for any eventuality on you trip, it is important to take in consideration these ideas. You can save quite a bit as well as saving some mishaps on the trip. The unexpected is always just around the corner.

Berlin is a city that can be explored in three or four days, to really delve in Berlin and all its dimensions, remember that you need at least ten days of constant activity, long walks, visits to museums and for sure, a weekend or two in your travel plans to enjoy it at its maximum, along with  the exciting nightlife that the city offers. Of course,  there is a different  event every night in Berlin, parties, concerts or other activity to attend. But as you know, globally, the weekends are  when everyone leaves everything on the dance floor, bar, or on the streets.

Some essentials on your trip in Berlin, of course, are conditioned by the climate and season when you visit this city. In these winter month that are rather cold, you can explore Berlin with the same intensity if you’re prepared and have enough enthusiasm to let yourself be devoured by the German capital. Here are some essentials for your trip:

Camera: Any corner of Berlin is photogenic. You can not lose the chance to portray a door, building, graffiti, people and cars moving. There is no way to stop taking photos on your trip.

Map of public transportation: Do not explore the city with an ordinary map. Be guided only by the routes that the public transport system in Berlin offers. There are many connections and possibilities: buses, metro, tram. If you have to go somewhere in particular, be guided by nearby stations and walk as much as possible, or lose yourself in the same routes you travel. Take a train or bus to anywhere and get lost it is exciting and healthy.

Flask: Exactly, these lightweight aluminum containers in which you can carry alcohol with you,  Rum, whiskey, vodka, the drink of your choice. In cold cold weather, nothing is better to warm the body that a shot in the street. And you need not worry, unlike other European cities, Berlin people drink freely. A beer is a Coca Cola, no one will be scandalized to see you drinking on the street.

Appropriate shoes: If you go in winter, comfortable and warm boots are essential. Also, a pair of lightweight shoes to wear at night if you intend to dance or party. Heels are not recommended, too much walking, lots to see. You can be sexy without bulking too much your suitcase.

Condoms: You never know what might happen at night in Berlin. take the adequate preservatives. People in Berlin are always in search of action and romance, do not hold back. If German is a problem English is your best tool to link or meet the love of your life!

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy days of art, museums, tons of dancing and action in one of the most interesting cities in Europe.

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Translated by: Marc
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Until the 9th of January 2012, the Martin Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin exhibits ‘Side by Side Poland – Germany. A 1000 years of Art and History’. The exhibition is organized by the Berliner Festspiele, financed by the Federal Government Commission for culture and media and the Polish Ministry of Cultura and National Heritage.

The exhibition is presented in a parallel way at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and in the Martin Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin, and they frame the interest to revise the real borders and the art and creation borders, which are of the interest of both the EU Council and the Polish Government.

The curator of this interesting exhibition which revises a common history which surpasses borders is the Polish art historian Anda Rottenberg, who was the director of the National Gallery in Warsaw for many years, as well as the curator of the Polish exhibitions in the Venice, Istambul and Sao Paulo Biennials.

This exhibition made up by 800 historical pieces and contemporary art objects mark a turning point in the history of the two nations which have lived very cruel, rapturing and dividing moments, such as the invasion of Warsaw in 1939 by the Nazi troops and then the Cold War with the Berlin Wall which separated Europe in two. Through it we can clearly see the relation between both nations during 1000 years of history.

The exhibition is spread around in 19 spaces and it has 22 chapters which are ordered by themes in order to help the understanding of the relations between Poland and Germany. The exhibition begins with the historical story which shapes the relations between the two countries with the arranged marriage of the Polish prince who would be King Mieszko II with Richeza, daughter of the Count Palatine Ezzo, which would enhance his power and domain in 1025. This union for State reason, made Richeza become Queen of Poland and it consolidated the ties of interests and politics between Germany and Poland in the 11th century.

It continues with the arranged marriage of Landshut, Duke of Bavaria, with the daughter of the Polish king Casimir IV, Jadwiga, in 1475. This arranged wedding had the aim of uniting them against the expansion of the Turkish Ottomans. For this purpose, the Krakow embassy made the arrangements and the Prince of Brandenburg, Albert III, compared the wedding with a mission of a divine fate and the result of Christianity and the empire.

It’s inevitable to deal with the Second World War and its tragic consequences, not only for those who were transported to the concentration camps and the resistance of the Warsaw Ghetto. but also because the end of the war lead to the Cold War and the division of the world, where Germany was divided in two and Poland became part of the socialist block.

To show the Second World War and the suffering of the Poles, they will present the film ‘Kanal’ (1957), made by Andrzej Wajda.

For more information:

http://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/de/aktuell/festivals/11_gropiusbau/mgb_aktuelle_ausstellungen/polen_deutschland/mgb11_polen_deutschland_1000jahre.php

Nancy Guzman

‘Side by Side Poland – Germany. A 1000 years of art and history’ is a great exhibition which cannot be missed, so rent apartments in Berlin in good time and make the most of enjoying interesting proposals in restaurants and underground cultural activities that the city offers which is the modern trend in tourism.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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And the end of year is here ladies and gentleman! At this stage of the year, I remember when my grandmother used to say “This year has flown by!”. And it’s true, it flew by, but there are still a few days left of good parties and, especially, good festivals, and what better place than Germany with its lively capital Berlin for that.

These are two end of year festivals which celebrate a new edition in Berlin, the Neuwerk Festival and the already famous Christmas Ball festival, both with excellent lineups to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The Neuwerk, which this year is coming on strong, will take place on the 26th of December at the Fritzclub in Berlin, with this year’s selected bands being: VNV Nation, Nitzer Ebb, Suicide Commando, Diorama, Haujobb, Reaper and X Divide, and the entry price is low at the moment so I recommend that you buy anticipated tickets and make sure of renting your apartment in Berlin, because the Neuwerk will move onto Christmas Ball quickly, because there are barely three days in between one another.

The Christmas Ball is in charge of beginning the dark celebration of the new year in Berlin, and it brings a lineup to light up the night and begin to dance until January 1st. The bands that will shake the night are: Hocico, Front 242, Combichrist, The Klinik and Solitary Experiments so, therefore, as you might have imagined, there’s no rest. Also, after the festival, like tradition says, carry on partying with the best DJs. The ticket price is 35 euros and the doors will open at 5.30pm at Huxleys Neue Welt, at Hasenheide 107-113, 10967, Berlin-Neukölln. I just have one more piece of advice left: start preparing the trip, rent your apartment in Berlin and celebrate Christmas and New Year in the German capital!

Luz Obscura

Rent apartments in Berlin now! The year is ending and you can’t be left out of the celebrations. Start with Neuwerk Festival and carry on with Christmas Ball, and then… well, that’s just part of the surprises which await you this December in Berlin.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Although the „Gemäldegalerie” (Old Masters Paintings) has probably the most important and most valuable pictures of Berlin, it’s not too well know among the visitors. The reason may be in it’s location – close to the Potsdamer Platz, at the so called “Kulturforum”.  But most of Berlins famous museums are concentrated on the Museuminsel (museums island), the Old National Gallery, the Old and the New Museum, the Pergamon Museum and the Bode Museum – all in buildings that have their own history and are pieces of art themselves and on top of that some of them like the Bode and New Museum have been renovated with much time, effort and expenses so their recent reopenings were highlights in the art world and drew the attention to this space.  Also the whole area around –  “Unter den Linden” – was planned (18. /19. century) as a center of  art and knowledge. So apart from the museums island the nearby Humboldt University, the Staatsoper and the first public library next to it  – founded by Frederic the Great – belong to this complex.

The Gemäldegalerie was also a child of it’s time: just before the wall came down – in1986 – the competition for a new museumsbuilding that should contain the old master paintings was held and the construction continued during the process of the reunification. 1998 this modern building opend it’s doors. From the outside nearly unvisible is the inside with it’s clear proportions and the quiet elegance stunning. There is huge empty hall in the middle with columns and a fountain based on the geometric elements that are also used to create a clear and calming atmosphere that is the perfect surrounding for the enjoyment of the art pieces.

The Rooms are located in a centric circle around this main hall so that two wings are created that go in chronological order starting with the oldest paintings at the entrance and end up with the 18.century at the other side. What is even more astonishing is that we have the south alpine tradition starting with Italy on the left hand the north alpine tradition on the right hand so that there is not just a chronological but also a geographic order what makes the orientation really simple.

And the art pieces are a feast themselves. They have masterpieces of Giotto and Botticelli, Caravaggio and Canaletto but also Lucas Cranach and Rogier van der Weyden or Rembrandt. In quality – although not quantity – this museum is to compare with such as the National Gallery in London or the Prado in Madrid. The smaller size is more an advantage since one has at least the feeling might be possible to see the main part in one day, but the biggest advantage is the lack of tourist – so one can enjoy all the treasures almost alone.

Mara Maroske

Enjoy some of the most important old master paintings like Caravaggio’s “Amor” in an almost private atmosphere together with all the other museums of Berlin. So don’t hesitate to rent apartments in Berlin and meet also its vivid contemporary art scene.

Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Not always do we have the luck to find, for Christmas, a place where they have interesting cultural events and parties of a certain level. Also, sometimes, going home for Christmas means leaving the big cities where we live in to go back to those small towns that we left a long time ago precisely because there was nothing to do there. If this year you’re lucky enough to find yourself on holiday in Berlin for Christmas, we recommend that you don’t miss a great concert which will take place on the 26th of December.

The band is called Suicide Commando, but don’t be fooled by the name: it’s not death metal or verbal contents with references to death and the such, but a band made up by a single self-ironic member, the great Johan Van Roy, who founded it in 1986. That year, when Johan was very young, he began to experiment with electronic music, putting a lot of passion and dedications into his creations. The result of his artistic investigations was one of the best known industrial electro projects of today.

The first recording that Johan made under the name Suicide Commando was in 1989, when he also appeared on the ‘Electronic’ compilation. Back then, Johan was producing his records himself, relying on his capacities and in the possibility of achieving future results. Time, evidently, proved him right. And so, years later, he began to release his music under the Belgian label Kugelblitz Records. However, it was only in 1994 that, finally, the first true CD appeared, called ‘Critical Stage’, and released under another label (the German Off-Beat). ‘Stored Images’ followed in 1995 (which contains ‘See You in Hell’, one of his most popular tracks), ‘Contamination’ (made for the 10th anniversary of the project of the American label Electronic Death Trip, which has disappeared since), and ‘Construct-Destruct’ (1998). From that moment, Suicide Commando had imposed himself on the international music scene as one of the most successful electronica projects.

For that reason, in 2002, a compilation of his greatest hits was published, ‘Anthology’, on the ‘dependent’ label, created by Johan himself who, also, is a tireless worker and artist, always searching for new stimulations and ideas.

His last work is called ‘Implements of Hell’ (2011), and it’s worth a listen, especially if you love this musical style and if you wish to get to know the sound development of a band which has over 25 years artistic experience.

Suicide Commando will be playing at the Postbahnhof in Berlin on the 26th of December 2011 at 8pm. For more information: http://www.suicidecommando.be.

menschauser

If you’re not in the city and you want to give yourself a Christmas trip, we recommend that you rent apartments in Berlin and come to enjoy this concert and the many other attractions that the German capital offers.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Even among the most fanatic defenders of Coldplay, band that in its world current domination campaign will give a concert in the impressive O2 Berlin on 21^st of December (http://www.o2world-berlin.de/ShowEvent/505/Coldplay.html), maybe it would not be too difficult to find people willing to accept that originality is not exactly perhaps their greatest virtues. After all this is a band that has been accused of plagiarism in their last two albums.

Determining whether something is plagiarism, tribute, homage or something similar, is a too complex issue and delicate as to have here the temptation to set ourselves up as judges of any kind. Picasso himself seems to have once said that great artists copy while the geniuses steal directly. After all, theft is one of the most difficult and delicate arts and the value of the action does not consist in the thing itself but in how it is done, or what it is stolen. Here is where the true excellence of which Greek philosophy speaks -at least before the Presocratics and Sophists discredited started with the trend, though very beautiful, Platonic dialogues-offering, by the way, their own grand and spectacular catalog shoplifting.

Therefore, perhaps this is matter without any importance in that history, because we are talking about an album-concept, Coldplay’s latest album sounds so familiar to us: The Rebellion, with a happy ending where love conquers all, miraculously, against the abuses of an oppressive regime set in futuristic dystopia vague starring wild and rebellious kids inspired by the power of rock music. Perhaps the important matter here is that Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay (like the rest of the band members, he is the prototype of well-educated guy and properly sensitized, ie just as in Aristotle, that every parent of what is da-called moderate center-left would like as a groom for their daughter, or even forcing some things, child) is significantly out of register giving voice to the leader of this group of young and dangerously subversive indomitable cars stealers, filling the city with riots and burning,  making a mess the streets with their uncontrollable riots.

Or the fact that the story comes served by the usual collection of clichés, generalities and common places that populate the lyrical universe of the musical group, concerned, in its recent statements about having to compete with the young energy of the certainly impressive emerging talents Adele and Justine Bieber.

Of course no one is likely to go to a Coldplay concert or buy one of their records hoping to find the essence of rebellion or poetry, or other hook melodies clothed in some textures able to pass through sophisticated and stylish, even at his most pretentious moments that will be always present.

Paul Oilzum

Xyloto Mylo, album in which most important song, has the brightest dazzling appearance of Rihanna, in a successful electro-pop called Princess of China has a good portion of them, for Coldplay fans to feel adequately satisfied. If you’re one of them, rent apartments in Berlin and do not miss their highly anticipated concert.

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Translated by: Hans
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