Abstract

Capital city - European metropolis - cosmopolitan city: there is a widespread conviction, not only among Berliners themselves, that Berlin must reposition itself in the ensemble of centres of a globalised world. All observers who have registered Berlin's socio-economic development over the past 50 years and know how to interpret the structural changes in the developed societies of Central Europe agree that the city will not be able to resume the role of its "first future" during the industrialisation spurts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So where could the place of a city be at the beginning of the 21st century that wants to fulfil its function as a seat of government without returning to Wilhelmine traditions? How can the necessary dynamism be fuelled in a place where - almost ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall - a spirit of optimism is still palpable, but where signs of erosion are also visible? How can Berlin's specific opportunities, which are based on a highly productive mix of social structures and economic potential, qualifications, educational and research opportunities, different ethnicities and, last but not least, an extraordinary loyalty of the population to their city, be developed? In a broad range of fields of action and policy areas, recognised academics and prominent public actors examine these questions in an anthology that seeks new, convincing answers for Berlin's second future through analysis.