"Part of my Heart is still in Berlin"

Experience Marlene Dietrich with All Your Senses

Barbara Maria Sava: "Marlene Dietrich has fascinated me since childhood. Her remarkable personality not only shaped my love of the arts but also inspired my decision to become an actress and study acting in Berlin.

I would be delighted to accompany you on a journey through her hometown, exploring the places connected to her life and bringing the story, work, and legacy of this extraordinary artist vividly to life."

Our tour begins at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz on Potsdamer Platz and leads first to the Boulevard der Stars, where a star honors one of Germany’s most celebrated international icons.

Marlene Dietrich Up Close

We then visit the Deutsche Kinemathek, home to the Marlene Dietrich Collection. This unique archive preserves an extraordinary wealth of photographs, personal belongings, letters, film materials, and documents that offer intimate insights into the life and career of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.

Marlene Dietrich and Her Times

To better understand Marlene Dietrich’s artistic development, we explore the cultural and social environment that shaped her. The exhibition A Journey Through Time to the Old Tiergarten District at the Kulturforum provides fascinating insights into the vibrant, creative, and cosmopolitan Berlin of the 1920s - a city whose artistic energy helped launch Dietrich’s international career.

The Political Marlene Dietrich

During my cultural studies, particularly my work on artistic engagement with the Holocaust, I encountered Marlene Dietrich from a new perspective: as a woman of conviction and political courage. She was among the very few German artists of her generation who openly rejected National Socialism and steadfastly opposed the Nazi regime.

Today, the German Resistance Memorial Center recognizes her contribution to the German resistance. The exhibition Women in the Resistance Against National Socialism, which includes Marlene Dietrich among its featured figures, offers an opportunity to explore this important aspect of her life and legacy together.

A Culinary Finale

Marlene Dietrich’s culinary preferences also reflected her enduring connection to Berlin. Her fondness for pork knuckle with sauerkraut became almost as legendary as her appreciation for traditional Berlin cuisine.

To conclude our journey, I invite you to join me for a meal at Gasthaus Meine in Berlin’s historic western district. During lunch or dinner, I will read selected passages from Marlene Dietrich’s memoirs, allowing us to experience her life story through words, flavors, and atmosphere.

With my passion for Marlene Dietrich, my professional training as an actress, and my academic background in cultural studies, I aim to offer visitors a distinctive perspective on Berlin - one that brings together biography, history, culture, and personal storytelling in an engaging and memorable way.