A walk in search of freedom and the cabarets of old Berlin

BarcelonaOne of the most beautiful moments of summer is when you select the books that will travel with you, packing them in your suitcase. One thick one or a few small ones? Your vacation destination can influence the movies you watch or the songs you put on your playlist. If you're one of those who want to see the world while on vacation, this summer we'll suggest readings, music, or films that might help you better understand your trip's final destination.

Just like with Christopher Isherwood's books set in Berlin a century ago. A city that still has a lot left, even if it doesn't seem like it. Following in the footsteps of writers from the past allows you to escape the tourist centers without having to wait in lines under the sweaty sun. In Berlin, surely few people would go to the Nollendorfplatz neighborhood, where the British writer lived. In Berlin, he was looking for work, but also a city that during the 1920s and 1930s was one of the most progressive regarding homosexuality. While some Germans were donning brown and black shirts and defending hate speech, others respected everyone's right to live, dress, and party as they wished. It's no coincidence that theirs Goodbye to Berlin be the inspiration for the famous musical CabaretIsherwood was able to enjoy that Berlin of debauchery and modernity, with pubs where men could kiss men and women could kiss women. The city where the Institute für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute of Sexual Science), an organization founded by physician Magnus Hirschfeld to defend gay rights. And where the first film featuring a love story between men was made in 1919.

At the house where Isherwood lived, at 17 Nollendorfstrasse, a plaque commemorates his time there. The neighborhood has become a modern and fun place, very open to the LGBTQ+ community, a triumph over the hatred that sent many of its residents to the extermination camps. Some of the theaters where those nightly dances took place still remain, such as the elegant Metropol. It's a shame that the building where it was Dorado, the most groundbreaking cabaret, was bombed. The place where a young Marlene Dietrich and Jean Ross, Isherwood's roommate who would inspire the character of Sally Bowles in CabaretNollendorfplatz is a lively and optimistic neighborhood. You can't help but think Isherwood would like it the way it is now. But it's not a bad idea to head downtown to Bebelplatz and look for a kind of window in the ground. It's the monument that commemorates the Nazis who burned 20,000 books here. Just like Isherwood's. It's best not to forget it, to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Recommendation for traveling to Berlin

Book: Goodbye to Berlin

Author: Christopher Isherwood

Editorial: Vienna Editions