Book Review: Berlin A Short History

Title: Berlin A Short History
Author: Bernd Stöver
Translator: Donna Stonecipher
Publication Date: 2013
Publishing House: C.H. Beck

I picked this book up in Berlin as my regional literature book. I found this book in the gift shop of the Neues Museum. Finding books in English wasn’t as difficult in Berlin as it was in Valencia but I still had a difficult time finding one that fit my regional literature parameters. I also didn’t have a lot of room in my bag as we were going carry-ons and the books from Spain were taking up a lot of space. Seriously, those books from Valencia got my bag pulled by security, I’m pretty sure they thought I had large electronics that I hadn’t removed.

Synopsis (Translated using Google Translate):

Prussian residence, German capital, glamorous cultural metropolis, center of power of the “Third Reich”, frontline city in the Cold War and finally the capital of a unified Bernd Stöver tells concisely and clearly what everyone should know about the history of Berlin.
While other European metropolises boast historic city centers, evidence of earlier eras has been repeatedly destroyed in Berlin. Where the medieval merchant settlements of Berlin and Cölln were located can only be guessed at; the castle has been demolished, and even Berliners often no longer know exactly where the wall was. But it is precisely the empty spaces and new beginnings that bear witness to an eventful history.

“If you want to prepare for a visit to Berlin (or as a Berliner looking for a concise outline of the city’s history), we recommend the narrow volume by the historian Bernd Stöver. Knowledgeable, brisk and yet not flippant… he presents the short, not even 800-year history of the city.”
Daniel Friedrich Sturm, The World

See the original German synopsis here.

I will admit upfront that I have not finished this book. It is super short, at 160 pages including the index and photograph credits but I was having issues getting through it. The short history is part of my issue with this book. There is so much time crammed into such a short set of pages that it is difficult to keep the timelines and people straight. It doesn’t help that many people in history shared similar names.

I feel like I’ve been cruel to this book but it does have some good things. If you are more familiar with German history this might be a great way to refresh your knowledge. The book also contains maps of Berlin and Germany over time. The maps match up to the right part of the book so you aren’t flipping back and forth trying to look at the maps in context of the text.

Books about places can be difficult and Berlin has a tumultuous past to put it mildly. I’m not unhappy with my book selection as I do feel that this is a history that I should learn, at least in part, to better understand people. Let me know what you think in the comments. Happy reading!

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