The 1920s was one of the most dazzling decades of the last century in Berlin. Although the myths surrounding the Roaring Twenties really only apply to a few years, the era has come to represent the emergence of a modern zest for life, including a vibrant nightlife, set against the backdrop of a buzzing metropolis — and many are still captivated by the images today. “Perhaps it’s that the era gave rise to ideas that could certainly still stand today,” says Boris Pofalla, who recently published a gigantic illustrated book on the topic together with Robert Nippoldt on Taschen Verlag, titled “Es wird Nacht im Berlin der Wilden Zwanziger” (Night Falls on Berlin in the Roaring Twenties). Cabaret, theatre, film, art, literature, and architecture: truly innovative ideas were born during this crazed time of upheaval, between the aftermath of World War I and the brewing catastrophic economic crisis and later Nazi rule. In this edition of COMPANION, we join author and journalist Boris and illustrator Robert on a tour inspired by the Roaring Twenties, a time that offered bohemians, night owls, and intellectuals much diversion and creative energy. Naturally, our tour takes us to the heart of the 1920s’ culture and nightlife: the Kurfürstendamm.
