The Rise of a Modern Metropolis
In 1913, American writer Theodore Dreiser observed Berlin at a pivotal moment in its history. “There is blood, hope, and the capricious, insatiable Wagnerian temperament,” he wrote during the centenary of Richard Wagner’s birth. This description captured Berlin’s dynamic spirit—a city simultaneously embodying Prussian discipline and avant-garde modernity.
With over one million visitors that year, Berlin presented itself as Europe’s most technologically advanced urban center. The German capital boasted:
– The continent’s most extensive tram network (stretching virtually from Berlin to Frankfurt)
– Telephone penetration rates double those of London
– Cutting-edge department stores like Wertheim, pioneering the concept of “consumer cathedrals”
Yet reactions were polarized. Some saw a glittering Weltstadt (world city) reflecting Germany’s industrial might; others dismissed it as a vulgar parvenu lacking cultural refinement.
The Dual Nature of Imperial Berlin
Beneath its modern veneer, Berlin remained deeply Prussian. The city’s military origins manifested in:
### The Shadow of the Barracks
– Sentries in spiked Pickelhaube helmets guarding government buildings
– The infamous 1906 “Captain of Köpenick” incident, where an impostor in an officer’s uniform successfully commandeered troops, exposing blind obedience to authority
– Apartment blocks nicknamed Mietskasernen (rental barracks) for their regimented layouts
### Wilhelmine Grandeur
Emperor Wilhelm II’s monumental building spree included:
– The Siegessäule (Victory Column) commemorating Prussian military triumphs
– The Berlin Cathedral, intended as a Protestant rival to St. Peter’s Basilica
– The Pergamon Museum, housing archaeological trophies like the monumental altar from Asia Minor
As sociologist Werner Sombart noted, Berlin’s wealthy elites and working classes inhabited parallel worlds that rarely intersected—except when strikes or disease outbreaks forced confrontation.
Cultural Crosscurrents
Berlin in 1913 pulsed with creative energy and social experimentation:
### Avant-Garde Movements
– Expressionist painters like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner captured the city’s frenetic pace
– The Wandervogel youth movement blended romantic nationalism with outdoor rebellion
– Over 150 vegetarian restaurants and thriving nudist colonies signaled alternative lifestyles
### Nightlife and Transgression
Guidebooks touted Berlin’s after-dark scene as surpassing Paris. The city offered:
– Champagne-fueled dance halls like the Palais de Danse
– Industrial district taverns hosting dawn revelries
– Europe’s most visible gay subculture despite Paragraph 175 criminalizing homosexuality
Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev captured the city’s contradictions—marveling at its efficiency yet finding its women less beautiful than St. Petersburg’s.
The Gathering Storm
Beneath the surface, tensions mounted:
### Political Fault Lines
– Social Democrats won 75% of Berlin’s votes in 1912, challenging the authoritarian status quo
– The Zabern Affair exposed military arrogance and civilian-military tensions
– Pan-German League radicals demanded more aggressive foreign policies
### Economic Powerhouse
Germany’s industrial might was undeniable:
– Steel production exceeded Britain, France and Russia combined
– AEG and Siemens dominated global electrical engineering
– The new Kaiser Wilhelm Society (future Max Planck Institute) attracted talents like Einstein
Yet as Jewish industrialist Walther Rathenau warned, Berlin’s rapid growth created a “city of parvenus”—brash, rootless, and potentially unstable.
Legacy of a Vanished World
When war erupted in 1914, Berlin’s golden age abruptly ended. The city that had embodied:
– Technological optimism
– Cultural experimentation
– Imperial ambition
Would soon face blockade, revolution, and eventual ruin. Yet its 1913 incarnation remains seminal—a laboratory of modernity whose contradictions foreshadowed both the triumphs and tragedies of the 20th century.
As Dreiser sensed, Berlin stood poised between eras. Its electric energy (Elektropolis) briefly outshone Paris’ gaslight glamour, only to be consumed by the very forces it had unleashed. The “Wagnerian temperament” that so captivated visitors would soon plunge Europe into its Götterdämmerung.