An Engineer Visits Berlin
It was, undoubtedly, the mustache that caught my eye, while I was killing time on a recent visit to Berlin. But, a second look revealed the base-relief to be a raucous metaphor of steam power, pistons at each shoulder and a huge flywheel above its head. On the same building facade, to the right, a second base-relief presented the serene visage of electric power, cracking thunderbolts all about and a humming dynamo overhead. Around the corner, the front of the building was covered with other carved motifs — trade, science and industry — all evoking the engineers’ trade.
This was my first time visiting Berlin, with my family. Our itinerary focused on recent political history, the Berlin Wall and the process of German reunification. The guidebook we had provided information on “getting around,” “history” (meaning political history for the most part), “the arts,” and “Berlin today.” It said nothing about the science and engineering that has played a big role in making Berlin a world-class city.
I have seen this before, so I have learned to look beyond the standard tourist guides. Ever since my experience with the Dead Mathematicians’ Tour of Paris, I am in the habit of looking closely at the embellishments on buildings, especially on my first visit to an new city. Buildings talk to us, and often the stories they tell provide a glimpse behind the facade cities present to tourists.
Located at 43 Charlottenstraße, the building that I had stumbled upon occupies an important site one block off the central boulevard, Unter den Linden, that joins the Brandenburg Gate with the old royal palace complex, and across the street from the Berlin State Library. It was built in 1897 by the German engineering society, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI), to be its headquarters. The engineering society moved out into a larger building around 1914.
Germany at that time was beginning to flex its muscle as the dominant military power in Europe and an emerging industrial powerhouse globally. Germany’s engineers could rightfully claim credit for the nation’s success, and this is reflected in the confident architectural style of the German Renaissance, which is characteristic of other buildings from the same era.
No one can visit Berlin without imbibing a little science and technology, at least by osmosis. We took advantage of the wonderful transportation infrastructure that serves Berlin, arriving by on the high speed ICE train and using the subway, the U Bahn, to travel around the city. And, our last stop was the Berlin city museum, where we learned about the history of Berlin’s habitation, extending back to ice age, and the challenges of installing a modern water and sewer system in the 19th century, and we saw a demonstration of 19th and early 20th century music boxes, calliopes, and player pianos.
If you are planning a trip to Berlin, the city’s tourist bureau website features an Industrial Heritage page.
