They are telling the history to us, also living with us.--reaction to The Ghosts of Berlin

Last week when I talked with my friend about this trip to Berlin, the first thing he mentioned to me is modern and classic architectures there, and some of my classmates also said they wanted to see the architectures there during our first meeting. So I think the architectures there must be very special and impressive, even though I only know about the Berlin Wall and some football stadiums in Germany before. After saw the book The Ghosts of Berlin I got more ideas about the buildings there. They are not just special or have very great designs outside, what's more, they telling us many stories about the place where they stand and the history about that city.

But I am still wondering that besides these features is there any significance of those architectures related to today citizens' life or even have particular value to all the people in the world. As we all know nowadays Berlin Wall is a memorial and is famous in all over the world as a symbol of the division of Berlin and of Europe in history. And I saw a picture on the book where a vender selling pieces of Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate. Why they did so? Is that only because of the popularity of Berlin Wall which can bring them money or Berlin Wall do influence today people's life there. I haven't got the answer out, so I will keep reading this book and try to figure them out.


"Every city and every country must weigh development against preservation. Why is Berlin special? Certainly not for its beauty or its state of preservation. Berlin is fascinating, rather, as a city of bold gestures and startling incongruities, of ferment and detraction."

This is another point get me interested in. How does Berlin balance and weigh development against preservation as a city under the burden of painful memories? I remember when I traveled along New York I saw an old building between two very modern and high buildings. That seems weird, so I think there must be some reason to keep that building. And what's the reason of remaining the architectures in Berlin. Why some of them disappeared in history? Why some are still living with us? I believe those landscapes never die. They are living and changing their significance with each passing day.