sawexoticdestinations for travelling, shiny
cars,modernprivatehomesand soon.” In 1989,
650,000EastGermansholidayed in socialist
Czechoslovakia.Only 1,300visitedCuba.
EastGermanauthorities fought a specific
battleagainstWesternpopmusic.WalterUlbricht
- theEastGerman leaderwhopresidedover the
buildingof theWall - said: “I amconvinced,
comrades, thatwe shouldput anend to the
monotonyof this ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’.”But radio
wavesbeamedBowieandhis ilkacross the
nation to influence impressionable teenagers.
TheGDRbattledbackwith theirownDJs. “The
discothequeshad toplayat least60%EastGerman
music,” recallsWollenberg, “but theother40%
couldbeWesternhits.”So thebestpartieswould
playGDR staples, likeDeanReed (the ‘Red
Elvis’), before spinningBruceSpringsteen later
celebrating themessagesof freedomand liberty
that theseartistsespoused. By the timeofBowie’s
1987concert this clamourwasat a feverpitch
andyoucould sayhisperformace representeda
tippingpoint. It lit the touchpaperona seriesof
demos thatdidn’t stopuntil thoseepoch-making
eventsofNovember 1989.
Of course, popculturewasonlyoneof the
contributingagentsof theWall’sultimate fall,
butwhat’sundeniable is that theanything-goes
spirit of creativity thatBowie fedoffwhenhewas
inBerlin remains today.Kreuzberg, Berlin’smost
artistichub, isnow just 10minuteson theU-Bahn
fromWarschauerStrasse, asopposed to several
hours25yearsago,when theauthorities snipped
metro servicesbeneath thedividedcity.American
candy, PolishadvertisementsandChinese tourists
havecolonised the run-downwastelandof the
1980s, but you still get a senseof thebuzz.
Myfirst stop ismusicclubSO36. Bowie
partiedwith IggyPop in its sweatyconfinesand
oneof the starsnearlycame togrief courtesy
of a rotatingelectricdrill,whichwaswielded
on stagebyapunk-metal outfit.There’snowa
Turkishprayerhall nextdoorandFenerbahçe
flagsflyingabove.Around thecornerBowie
frequentedCaféExil. Today, it’sa fancyFrench
restaurant called theHováth, ratednotby
rockersbut theMichelinguide. Fewon these
streets recall the67-year-oldmusician.
Bowie’snearby formerhome, at 155
Hauptstrasse, providesbetter insight. It’s
Germany’sAbbeyRoad,with fans taking
SamsungTwitpicsoutside. For500Deutsch
markspermonth, Bowie rented the six-room
apartment,whilehis son, Zowie, attended the
“THEDISCOSHAD TOPLAY
AT LEAST 60% EAST GERMAN
MUSIC, BUT THE OTHER40%
COULDBEWESTERNHITS”
PHOTOS
SCOPEFEATURES
CLOCKWISEFROMABOVE
Bowie in
TheManWhoFell to
Earth
, 1976; hisBerlinTrilogy
albums:
Low
, 1977;
Heroes
,
1977; and
Lodger
, 1979
0 5 3
