Berlin has a birthday tomorrow. The 775th birthday, to be exact. The party has been celebrated before, in WWII and the Cold War, to give a boost of patriotism to the people. However, the exact age of Berlin is not known, so different factions have made up different ages at different times in history. Berlin is not mentioned in history until 1244. This year, in comparison to divided Cold War or WWII celebrations, Berlin will celebrate as one city with open air exhibitions. Some people are miffed about this, as Berlin has had other projects begun and then not finished, causing debt problems. Examples of this are the restoration of the historic opera house, or the failure of the new BER international airport to open as planned in June. The attitude of Berlin's inhabitants 20 years ago, fresh out of the Cold War and full of hope and plans, has given way to a more practical mindset, not to mention a different set of people than the hip artists and youth who moved into the city after the Wall fell. It is difficult to take the city to a new place, solve old problems and rejuvenate the culture without having complaints from some people. Maybe a birthday cake will make them feel better and stop the grumbling.
http://www.dw.de/berlin-is-dead-long-live-berlin/a-16332731
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