BeforetheDeluge:APortraitofBerlininthe1920s

TheBirdsofBerlinPROLOGUEThereforeletusfoundacityhereAndcallit"Mahagonny,"Whichmeans"cityofnets."...ItshouldbelikeanetStretchedoutforediblebirds.EverywherethereistoilandtroubleButherewe'llhavefun....Ginandwhiskey,Girlsandboys...Andthebigtyphoonsdon'tcomeasfarashere.--BERTOLTBRECHT"Wouldyoulikemetoshowyou?"theoldmanasks.ProfessorEdwinRedslobismorethanold;heisancient,asurvivorofalmostacenturyofviolence.Hewasalreadyinhismid-thirtieswhenGermany'sbrokenarmiescamestragglinghomefromtheFirstWorldWar,andnowheiseighty-six,tallandsmilingandwhite-haired.Hecanhardlyseethroughthethicklensesthatfortifyhiseyes,buthetottersacrosshisdusk-darkenedstudio,pastthewindowthatopensontothewhite-blossomingappletreesinthegarden,andthenhebendsoverawoodencabinetthatcontainshistreasures.Asanartexpert,hejoinedtheInteriorMinistrymorethanfiftyyearsagotohelpthenascentWeimargovernmentcreateanewimageforthenewGermany,andhebeganbycommissioningayoungExpressionistpainternamedKarlSchmidt-Rotlufftoredesignthemostfundamentalimage,theGermaneagle.Nowhebendsoverashallowdrawer,gruntsandfumblesthroughasheafofpictures,andfinallypullsforththeonehewants:theWeimareagle.Heholdsithigh,gazingatitwithaffection.Theeagleboastsalltheprideanddignityofitsimperialancestors,blackwingsspreadwide,beakhungrilyopen,butithasotherqualitiesaswell.Itseemslessgrimthanthetraditionaleagle;indeed,itseemsalmostcheerful,afriendlyeagle."Amarvelousthing,"saysDr.Redslob."Butthenumberofinsultsthatthispictureprovoked--youwouldn'tbelieveit."Itisamistake,perhaps,toattachtoomuchimportancetosymbols.IntheBerlinZoo,thereisarealeagle--twoofthem,infact--andwecanstandoutsidethecageandregardtheimprisonedbeastthatweconsidertheGermansymbol,andourown.Atthebaseofanartificialtree,thereliesapoolofratherdirtywater,andoneoftheeaglesslowlylowersitsclaw-feetintothepoolandbeginspickingatthebloodycarcassofarabbitthathasbeenlefttheretosatisfyitsappetiteforcarrion.InthetranquillityoftheZoo,therearecagesforeveryvarietyofgiantbird-hugehawkswheelingrestlesslywithinthelimitsoftheirconfinement,flamingosfoldingandunfoldingthemselves,andevensomemournfulmarabous,whichstandinstoicsilenceandstarebackattheirvisitors.WanderinglooseintheZoo,ignoringtheelephantsandtherhinoceroses,therearedozensofmallards,alwaystwobytwo,thegreen-headedmaletrailedbyhisspeckledbrownandwhitemate.NordotheyremainintheZoo.TheyfloatamongtheswansinthecanalsoutsidetheCharlottenburgPalace.TheyroamamongthechestnuttreesintheTiergarten.TheynibbleatweedsintheHavelRiver."Youdon'thaveduckslikethatinAmericancities?"aBerlinerasksinsurprise."Heretheyareeverywhere."Berlin,morethanalmostanyothergreatcity,isacityofbirds.OnehearsnotonlysparrowschirpinginthemidstofthetrafficontheKurfurstendammbutwoodthrushessingingintheGlienickerPark.Oneseesspeciesoneneverexpectstofindincities-magpiesandnightingalesandablack-feathered,yellow-beakeddivinggrebeknownasa"waterchicken."EvenattheHiltonHotel,thetravelingbusinessmanwakestothesoundofpeacocksscreechinginthenight.OnereasonforthisvarietyofbirdsisthatBerlinhasalwaysbeenwhatjeanGiraudouxcalled"nocityofgardensbut]agardenitself."ThoughitisstillthelargestmetropolisbetweenParisandMoscow,italsohas835farms,andalmost200waterways,andmorethanhalfofitslandisdevotedtoparks,forests,andgardens.TherearewildboarsroaminginthewoodsofBerlin,andherdsofdeer,andthereareflocksofsheepgrazingontheouterrunwaysofTempelhofairport.Theairisclearandcool,alittlesharp.AnotherreasonforthebirdsofBerlinisthattheBerlinerscareforthem,feedthemandwatchoverthem.InthesoutherndistrictofLichterfelde,intheshadowofagiganticwhiteresearchhospitalthathasbeenheavilyfinancedbytheRockefellerFoundation,apink-cheekedoldgentlemanwelcomesavisitorbyleadingthewayoutintothebackyardsothatonecanwatchhimtakeashovelfulofsunflowerseedsfromametalboxandsprayitonthelawn.Oneofthegreen-headedmallardsrushesforwardtosnapuptheseeds,andtheoldmanpointstoalindentreewhereadozenlong-taileddovessitcooinginanticipation."Turkishdoves,"hesays."TheycomefromtheHimalayas,andtheyalwaysstopherefortheirfood."Thebirdsrepresent,generationaftergeneration,akindofpermanenceinacitythathasneverknownthecentury-oldtraditionsofaParisoraLondon.BorninthethirteenthcenturyinthemudandswampsatthejunctionoftheSpreeandHavelrivers,BerlinremainedaminorcrossroadsduringthegrandreignsofVeniceandAmsterdamandeven,forthatmatter,Hamburg.Aslateas1860,HenryAdamsdescribeditas"apoor,keen-wittedprovincialtown,simple,dirty,uncivilized,andinmostrespectsdisgusting."Onlyinthelatterpartofthenineteenthcentury,withindustrializationandthecomingoftherailroads,andthenthepoliticaltriumphsofBismarck,didBerlingrowintothegreatmetropolisofCentralEurope(itspopulation,whichwas198,oooin1815,soaredto826,000bythetimetheEmpirewasfoundedin1871,andto2,529,000in1900).