Station to Station: Circulation in the 'New' Berlin

Ward, Simon

Abstract

This article uses the insights of Michel De Certeau into the perception and experience of the urban environment as a way into examining the relationship between transport infrastructure and developments in Berlin since the opening of the Berlin Wall. It demonstrates that the huge logistical task involved in bringing together two networks that had grown apart over 40 years was only one aspect of the constant conflict between the planning of the urban environment and the experiences of those who experience that environment. To exemplify that broader conflict, the article focuses on one key aspect of Berlin's transport development: the construction of the new central rail station at the heart of the city. It contrasts the perspectives of those responsible for planning the new building, both the architects and the directors of the Deutsche Bundesbahn AG, with those who currently use such 'railway space'. This conflict sheds important light on what constitutes the 'ownership' and acceptable use of public space in, and on the shaping of the urban imagination for the twenty-first century.

Citation

Ward, S. (2003). Station to Station: Circulation in the 'New' Berlin. German as a foreign language, 1, 93-105

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2003
• Deposit Date: Jan 13, 2014
• Journal: GERMAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
• Volume: 1
• Pages: 93-105