Berlin

Parvenu of the big cities, laboratory of modernity, symbol of the torn 20th century: Berlin is a focal point not only of German but also of European history. Jens Bisky keeps both in mind as he depicts the city's development since its rise as the Prussian capital. Berlin was highly adaptable and open: to the persecuted French Huguenots and the thinkers of the Enlightenment under Hohenzollern rule; later as a metropolis of the proletariat and industrial magnates, of artists and journalists, and as the "place to be" during the Roaring Twenties. All of this is vividly conveyed by Bisky, as is the destruction during World War II and the charged atmosphere after 1945, when the major power blocs faced off here. Jens Bisky presents a comprehensive account of Berlin's history that has not been seen in decades, from the Thirty Years' War to the present. A fascinating narrative about rise, fall, and rebirth – and at the same time a compelling panorama of both German and European history reflected in a unique metropolis.