One night, two days in Berlin. First stop was Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg to visit Bücherbogen, a bookstore specializing in art, architecture, photography and design. Located directly beneath a S-Bahn Station and portrayed in the book Die Schönsten Buchhandlungen Europas, it is literally an enormous treasure trove for anyone interested in any of the subjects above. Between this store and the Autorenbuchhandlung just a couple of doors down, I could have filled an entire wheelbarrow with books to my liking. Sadly, I was traveling by train and had to keep my baggage light, so I did not buy anything. I felt awful leaving empty handed. But if I lived in Berlin, I would hang out here all the time. Literature Café and numerous author readings there make it all even more inviting. I felt like curling up in a corner and staying there indefinitely. 

 

In the evening we saw the musical Cabaret at TIPI am Kanzleramt. Of course there is no way anybody could ever hope to compare with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey from the movie, but this was pretty damn good! It seemed so fitting to see the musical in Berlin, since it takes place there. Cabaret was inspired by The Berlin Stories written by Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986) who lived in Berlin in the late 1920’s / early 1930’s. 

 

After we returned home, I wanted to read something based in Berlin and ended up with Pierre Frey’s mystery Onkel Toms Hütte, Berlin (available in English, titled simply Berlin and translated by Anthea Bell) because most of it takes place in the American Sector of occupied Berlin in 1945. 

 

Bookstores:

Bücherbogen am Savignyplatz

Stadtbahnbogen 593

10623 Berlin

 

 

Autorenbuchhandlung

Else-Ury-Bogen 599-601

10623 Berlin 

 

Book:

Rainer Moritz & Reto Guntli

Die Schönsten Buchhandlungen Europas

Gerstenberg

 

Portraits of twenty unique bookstores all around Europe. The beautiful photos and text make you want to head to the nearest train station or airport in order to see these places live. Selexyz Dominicanen, a bookstore in a former Dominican Church would be reason alone to travel to Maastricht. As would Livraria Lello provide a perfect excuse to fly to Porto. Drool.