The New Berlin: Art and Architecture

Our first Special Interest Day took place on 1st April 2019, an opportunity to look at a topic in greater depth. The 'Berlin day' was delivered by Eveline Eaton, who was born and brought up in this city. The day started with a lecture on the history of the city. In particular, the turbulent 20th century, from a city divided by the Berlin Wall to its downfall and its reunification in 1990. After a coffee break, Eveline continued, talking about Berlin's splendid palaces, museums, art galleries, concert halls, parks and lakes.

Our final session, following a soup and sandwich lunch, concentrated on the city today. The creative and innovative architecture for which the city is now known was made possible by the clearance of sites devastated by bombing. This presented an opportunity for architects from all over the world to create 'The New Berlin'. Among these architects was our own Norman Foster, who designed the new dome of the Reichstag Building. This interesting day closed with tea and biscuits, leaving us all keen to visit or revisit the city.