The western half of the divided city of
Berlin, composed of the
British,
French and
American Sectors. West Berlin was heavily influenced by the presence of the Allies during the Cold War, when the
Berlin Wall divided the city. The
Berlin Airlift kept West Berliners supplied with food, coal, and medicine during a Soviet-imposed
blockade. The
Tegel and
Gatow airports were built to service the incoming planes. Old American
military bases still remain in the southwestern part of the city and are slowly being reclaimed by the
German government and business interests.
Today, western Berlin is experiencing a decline of sorts. Cheaper land and housing in
the eastern part of the city is draining the more
bourgeois,
spiessig western half of its attractiveness to businesses and young entrepreneurs.
Cafe Kränzler is closing after being a
Ku-damm landmark for many years. All the best clubs and bars, especially
electronic music venues, are in the east, where the
students and
immigrants live.
Western Berlin is home to the
Wannsee, a lake Berliners flock to in the summer, and the
Tiergarten, a large park in the center of the city. Many thousands of students study at the
Free University in
Dahlem. Beautiful old houses sit between the trees in
Grunewald.
Hertha BSC plays in the old
Olympic Stadium (
Olympiastadion) in
Charlottenburg.