Berlin jottwede - The Berlin environs

Wenn der Berliner über die Randbezirke oder das Berliner Umland redet, dann ist das meist jottwede. Also janz weit draußen. Und das stimmt dann auch, denn als Berliner ist man Strecken gewöhnt. Deswegen war es umso spannender zu erleben, mit welchen Wünschen und Vorstellungen sich so mancher Bonner, aufgrund des Hauptstadtbeschlusses in Berlin auf Wohnungs- oder Haussuche machte. „Das Regierungsviertel soll mit dem Fahrrad erreichbar sein“ – Auch wenn das Tucholsky Zitat „das Ideal“ bereits siebzig Jahre  zu früh geschrieben wurde, beschreibt es die damalige Anspruchshaltung ziemlich perfekt.

„Ja, das möchste:

A villa in the green with a large terrace,

the Baltic Sea in front, Friedrichstraße in the back;

with a beautiful view, rural-monday,

from the bathroom you can see the Zugspitze -

but in the evening you don't have far to go to the cinema.

Das Ganze schlicht, voller Bescheidenheit…“

Full of modesty and humility, some subsequently learned to appreciate the advantages of the surrounding countryside, thus jottwede. Also us it has driven in the last days out of the city. Because not only I, but many of our friends have moved out in the nineties. A good decision. Back then, the surrounding area was still affordable. Today, it's not only a good investment, it's still green. So it drives us to Vehlefanz, Oranienburg and the day after to Rangsdorf. In between, however, we keep going back to Moabit. Here in the Spreebogen has for decades, my friend Uwe his residence. Thus BUTCH becomes now and then times the lantern parker.

But besides friends, we also meet Max. We met him by chance in a 4×4 group. Max also drives a T6, which was modified by Terranger. He lives directly at the former Tempelhof airport. When I think of Tempelhof, I think of the stories about the airlift and the raisin bombers, and their contribution to the free city of Berlin. Today we park BUTCH there, where once. Red Army soldiers snapped their victory photos. Right next to the eagle's head, which traveled from Berlin across the Atlantic and back again.

We chat a little gasoline and exchange ideas about technology.

Later we walk a little through Berlin. Along the Spree, to Bellevue Palace, the official residence of our Federal President. From there through the Hansa Quarter, located between the Spree, Bellevue Palace, the Great Tiergarten, the Street of June 17 and the Royal Porcelain Manufactory. For me, this is always an architectural highlight. Here there are not only the Academy of Arts, the Eternit House, various Bauhaus villas, as well as the model settlement Südliches Hansaviertel. Since the settlement is close to the residence of my friend Uwe, many a walk led through here, but there is always something new to discover.

In between, we stop at the Buchwald confectionery. For 160 years an institution for Baumkuchen, but not only, because everything we order is delicious.

Zurück an der Spree, schauen wir uns noch die Neubebauung vom Wilhelm-Caspar-Wegely-Platz an. – „Eine Oase im Zentrum der Stadt, ein geheimes Juwel für alle Berliner und Neuberliner“. Diese Beschreibung des Bauträgers trifft nicht überall auf positive Resonanz. – Ein Sprayer hat Haus und Spreemauer mit „100% Bonzenhass“ verziert. – Halt Berliner Schnauze.

In the evening, Uwe and I switch to whiskey. I have a lot to digest today. A long-time work colleague, one could almost say a friend, has passed away far too early. Dark thoughts are best drowned that way.