Berlin vs. Prague

When we were in Berlin, I noticed several differences in the atmosphere/people.

I feel like Prague is all about history. By history I mean how the Czech people have been repressed and how proud they are of their buildings and their culture. They seem annoyed with the tourists (even though tourism is the main influx of money here). They want to remember their origins and past, even though (as Milan Kundera writes) they have been changed by so many other countries that it is almost impossible.

Berlin, on the other hand, is all about forgetting. Forgetting about World War II, forgetting about the concentration camps and forgetting about the giant scar that is still in the city. The modern buildings (which are still being built – there are cranes everywhere) have no history. Even the historical buildings (like the Reichstag) have been adapted and changed to fit in with the new modern look of the city.

It's like I'm trying to compare orchids and lilies; they are so similar but so different and I like them both. But parts of each city appeal to me more, like the Prague how much value tradition has, and how in Berlin they are more progressive and less hostile? to American tourists.

I think you really just need to experience it for yourself :)