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holds. If not, they'll
use a crane. No one's explained the use of the aging Bavarian in the
unveiling though the use of a crane would be a nice nod to Berlin in the
'90s - even illegal bauarbeiter are sick of the construction. After the
disrobing, Jose Carreras will sing. Imagine the excitement.
Since November 2000, the
Brandenburger Gate has been covered in a giant Deutsche Telekom ad.
Germany's state-run phone company (only about half has been privatized)
coughed up 3.9 million euros for the refurbishing, which included repairing
100,000 bullet holes. The ads sported a life-size photo of what the gate and
surrounding Pariser Platz usually look like and were tolerated as a good way
to get cash from a bad company - the IPO was an embarrassment, after all.
While Telekom can't manage to install a phone line on time, they were able
to doctor the picture regularly to fit the occasion - the columns formed a
heart for the Love Parade while football players' shins supported the gate
during the World Cup. Heck, the covering was even manipulated to
congratulate the tabloid Bild on its 50th. The final advertisement was the
only hint at what Berlin's really about - it pictured a Schöneberg
apartment block that's been the scene of many a demonstration.
But since no German ceremony is
complete without the blessing of a U.S. politician, Bill himself will be on
hand Oct. 3. Clinton'll share the stage with Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's party
boy No. 1 and occasional mayor, though no word yet as to whether the former
president will speak. The city's always loved Bill - during a 2000 visit he
got Prenzlauer Berg talking about something other than itself by deciding at
the last minute to eat at Kollwitzplatz's Gugelhof. Grab a beer on the
restaurant's patio and you can still hear passers-by whisper, "That's
where Clinton ate!" They never mention Chancellor Schroeder was there
too. Clinton may not be as historically significant as certain other
Democratic presidents, but he was the first post-war president to stroll
through the gate. And, speech or no, he'll certainly bask in the
overpowering antipathy for his replacement.
Before the unzipping, the area
around the Brandenburg Gate will be turned into a music fest and bizarre
fashion show of winter clothes. Berlin's leaders think cold-weather gear is
what we should celebrate after 12 years of unity. Fair enough. Dwindling tax
revenues and double-digit unemployment sometimes make Berlin a cold, cold
place. The Day of German Unity isn't really a cause for celebration anyway.
"We caused the division in the first place," Germans are quick to
offer.
The Brandenburg Gate was built in
1791 and is the only remnant of the first Berlin wall, constructed mostly to
keep soldiers in after dark. It's been expanded a couple of times and has
been co-opted by everyone as a symbol of their Germany. On coming to power,
the National Socialists lit torches and hiked through to announce their
arrival while Reagan stared petulantly at it from the Reichstag ruins to
demand Mr. Gorbachev "tear down this wall." Luckily, Mikhail was
listening. During the post-war years, the Gate officially belonged to East
Germany but sat in the no-mans-land separating the two Berlins, a symbol of
the division.
The gate is topped by the Quadriga,
a sculpture of Victoria, the goddess of victory, piloting a four-horse
chariot and carrying a staff with the German eagle and Iron Cross. You'd
think she'd be there to welcome visitors but she's not. She's got her back
to the outside world and instead is congratulating Berliners on, well, being
Berliners. The Quadriga had to be rescued from Paris early in the 1800s
after Napoleon claimed it as his own. Later, the DDR stripped it of the
eagle and cross.
And since no German ceremony is
complete without a little controversy, there had to be discussion about the
unveiling too. It seems car drivers are sick of making a detour past the
Komische Oper and Aeroflot office each time they go from Strasse der 17. Juni
to Unter den Linden. They want to be able, once
again, to speed through the gate. However, landowners on Pariser Platz have
gotten used to inhabiting a pedestrian zone. The Berlin senate compromised
and now only buses, taxis and U.S. presidents are allowed through. Well,
pedestrians too. Car owners, unfortunately, will still have to zip around
the Komische Oper, wondering each time what in the hell it actually is.
Regardless, at least we get a shiny,
restored Brandenburg Gate, thanks to Deutsche Telekom. No, they don't know
why your phone wasn't hooked up last Wednesday, and you called the wrong
number to ask anyway. Ah, the true Berlin.
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