house for art, music and free expression? >> jim: west berlin was always very international. we had people that were flying in from all walks of life. artists from all genres were here, and we were surrounded by east. the wall was a solid resistance, and you need a strong enemy to build a strong muscle. and people who were living here had to improvise a lot. >> anthony: i mean, what is seen by many as a golden period, the weimar era, was in fact a hotbed of music and culture and art in between two really awful events. >> jim: yes. >> anthony: followed by the wartime years, followed by a long period, i mean, post-war berlin was in ruins. when were the good times? >> jim: i have a very complex