So when I was in Berlin last week, I stopped by Meistersaal (Hansa Studios)

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
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Chrisedge

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And figured I would just take a pic outside the studio...

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I had to get in a shot...
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I peeked in the door (since it was open) and took this...
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No one was around, so I walked up stairs and found...the room they recorded in...
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Recognize the light fixtures?
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Left and saw the all the artists that recorded there...
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Just figured by Blue Crack friends may want to see...
 
Huh. Seeing it all brightly lit like that, and seeing that it obviously can be used for other functions...

About seven years ago I had a spectacularly large night out in Berlin, and one of the stops (of many) was at what I was told was an ex-Nazi ballroom (which Hansa once was) that was on the night hosting a Motown-only 'club' night (which was awesome - lots of Jager Bombs and dancing like a dick to Jackson 5 songs - better than the full on industrial techno hell I descended into later on that night.) We caught a cab there and I didn't really know where we were going or where we were, so I wonder if???

That would be pretty cool. Although Hansa is just near Potsdamer Platz, no? I think, given that we were coming from the Alexander Platz area, we would have had to go through there to get to 'Hansa', and even in my drunken stupor I would have certainly recognised that as a landmark for getting bearings, and thus known roughly where we were, and I really had no idea, so maybe not. But it really does look super familiar seeing for the first time the entrance, foyer, big windows in the ballroom, and the 'stage' area at the end. I've never noticed those details before in U2 related photos, which are all I've seen of it previously.
 
Huh. Seeing it all brightly lit like that, and seeing that it obviously can be used for other functions...

About seven years ago I had a spectacularly large night out in Berlin, and one of the stops (of many) was at what I was told was an ex-Nazi ballroom (which Hansa once was) that was on the night hosting a Motown-only 'club' night (which was awesome - lots of Jager Bombs and dancing like a dick to Jackson 5 songs - better than the full on industrial techno hell I descended into later on that night.) We caught a cab there and I didn't really know where we were going or where we were, so I wonder if???

That would be pretty cool. Although Hansa is just near Potsdamer Platz, no? I think, given that we were coming from the Alexander Platz area, we would have had to go through there to get to 'Hansa', and even in my drunken stupor I would have certainly recognised that as a landmark for getting bearings, and thus known roughly where we were, and I really had no idea, so maybe not. But it really does look super familiar seeing for the first time the entrance, foyer, big windows in the ballroom, and the 'stage' area at the end. I've never noticed those details before in U2 related photos, which are all I've seen of it previously.

Yes, it's one street over from Potsdamer Platz...It was right near my hotel. I only got about 5 minutes total there, as they were loading in for some dinner/show. Off the the right of my pic of the ballroom was a soundboard and computer system for recording (at least maybe a stage type show recording, not a album recording)...someone asked my wife something about why we were there, and we left...:)
 
Wow, that ballroom is really nice! :up: I don't think I've ever seen pictures showing a perspective of the whole room, especially in color. Thanks for sharing! That would be a great place for a U2 fan's wedding reception.
 
That would be a great place for a U2 fan's wedding reception.

"That's right kids, we had our reception in an old Nazi ballroom. Of course, not because it was an old Nazi ballroom - that would obviously be silly for a wedding - but because it's where U2 recorded an album about temptation, infidelity and betrayal."
 
Knowing that it was a Nazi ballroom actually creeps me out now. I used to think that room had real character and those lights had a beautiful design...now all I can picture is a bunch of wealthy fascists prancing around and quaffing champagne. I was planning on paying Hansa a visit...now I'll pass. Creepy.
 
Knowing that it was a Nazi ballroom actually creeps me out now. I used to think that room had real character and those lights had a beautiful design...now all I can picture is a bunch of wealthy fascists prancing around and quaffing champagne. I was planning on paying Hansa a visit...now I'll pass. Creepy.

You may not want to go to Berlin then. :)

I figure it's all part of the history. Visiting a room like that, even if it was built by the Nazi's, doesn't make it any "worse", it's all about who did the crimes, not where they were committed. I just wanted to see where U2 recorded an album!

I found Berlin to be completely fasinating in the fact that it is so modern and they are moving past WWII as well as Cold War (Berlin Wall came down just 22 years ago) and that they are a "forward looking" city (since it's hard for them to look back) yet, they understand the past...
 
"That's right kids, we had our reception in an old Nazi ballroom. Of course, not because it was an old Nazi ballroom - that would obviously be silly for a wedding - but because it's where U2 recorded an album about temptation, infidelity and betrayal."

It's still a beautiful room with U2 significance, and based on the pictures, someone was using for a gathering of some kind.
 
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