Commercial West Berlin, Jan. 20, 2020 
Public art in West Berlin, Jan. 20, 2020 
Lego Store in Berlin, Jan. 20, 2020
West Germany’s defining features are exactly what you would expect them to be. The West was ocupied by the US and therefore the Western side of Berlin looks very similar to a city like NYC. For a lot of Germany I have felt like I was in a foreign country. I have gotten used to the streets and the transit system, but I have always been aware that I was in a place unlike anywhere I had been before.
Today as we entered the heart of West Berlin I felt like I was in a big city in the US. Big flashy buildings, lots of glass, lots of the big electric signs and popular commercial stores. It was all about shopping and food and the normal city life that I am used to.
Many of the buildings are constructed with a modern flare, some Bauhaus inspiration and a buildings that were not ornamental, but were created with the intention of making them beautiful and enticing.
The memorials and early constructed buildings had the Bauhaus inspiration, but took it a little bit further and emphasized the overall look of the building rather than just a strictly stripped down and functional structure.
In comparison to what we have seen so far on the Eastern side of Berlin, you can definitely tell that the West was heavily influenced by the US.
Alyssa D’Emanuele 