Abstract

Since Reunification the city of Berlin has undergone significant urban changes which continue to this day. How are such changes interpreted by the different actors involved in urban processes? The paper analyzes a set of images that document how city change is represented by three distinctive actors: the local government, the tourism industry and citizen’s movements. The city image represented in the campaign “Be Berlin” speaks of the project of city developed by the local government and how they intend to represent the city to the exterior. A set of postcards by its part, illustrates how the city image and changes are sold to tourists willing to experience the historic events that took place in the city. Finally, the images selected by different citizen’s groups to illustrate their flyers and brochures speak of the city that inhabitants dream to live in. All these images show hopes and aspirations, but also political agendas which coincide and diverge in a number of respects, uncovering tensions and contradictions in the process of production and appropriation of urban space.