Silke Baumann

I remember Potsdamer Platz as empty land along the death strip before it was rebuilt into the busy quarter it is now, and I still think that contrast is the most useful way to explain the square to first-time visitors. On camera I walk between the modern towers and a preserved section of the old street pattern, then continue toward Friedrichstraße for a look at Berlin's older shopping district. I keep a steady, detailed pace and enjoy questions about how quickly the area changed after reunification. Video suits this contrast well, since old photographs alone rarely convince people how empty the area once was.