Babylon Berlin is the largest television production in German history. The most expensive non-English-language series in television history.
And it shows. The reconstruction of Berlin during the Great Depression is impressive, both with its palaces and slums. We see the social panorama of Berlin with its immense stratification, social pathologies, egoism, and the blindness of the elite. And plenty of smaller, overlooked historical elements. Like the older lady sewing armbands with swastikas. Presumably, this is how she earns her bread. And medication. Viewing the Nazis as just one of many loud and rowdy political groups, somewhat akin to a scouting organization, except they don’t like Jews.
Like the women’s dance marathon. Like soup for the hungry at the NSDAP headquarters. Looking at the Nazis as just one of many loud and rowdy political groups, somewhat like scouting, except they don’t like Jews.
In the Berlin district of Adlershof, just a few years ago, you could still see remnants of the Temmler factory, the flagship producer of Pervitin, or amphetamine, which was supplied to Hitler’s personal physician. The miraculous drug of the Third Reich, driving the Blitzkrieg. And in the Berlin of the crisis, one could forget.
The history, culture, and tradition of every country are gardens with branching paths…