Photo credit: Yann Forget / Wikimedia Commons
When the Berlin Wall came down, many residents of the former East Berlin moved out of their houses to work in the west. Seeing an opportunity for low rents and cheap housing, young people, artists and immigrants moved into the now-vacant properties. The “culture” they created is what attracts people to Berlin today: it’s a progressive, exciting city, with great music and diverse food and art. For the government, it’s a tourist attraction. But those that once called it home say they were forced to leave because they simply couldn’t afford to live there.
