Prenzlauer Berg

German automaker BMW and New York's Guggenheim Museum opened an urban design "laboratory" in Berlin Friday after protests by angry residents of a trendy district forced them to a new location.

A clapped-out old Volkswagen Golf once belonging to German Chancellor Angela Merkel is fetching a souped-up price on an Internet auction site, with bidding of at least 10,000 euros ($13,000).

Just over 20 years ago, this part of Berlin echoed to the wail of alarm sirens and the howls of attack dogs guarding the Wall that split the German capital, the uneasy front line in the Cold War.

It has become known as the "Sommermaerchen 2010" or the "summer fairy tale". Since the World Cup kicked off, balmy summer weather and red-hot performances have sent German football fans into raptures.

It has become known as the "Sommermaerchen 2010" or the "summer fairy tale". Since the World Cup kicked off, balmy summer weather and red-hot performances have sent German football fans into raptures.

German World Cup patriotism still causes unease _ but country rallying around multiethnic team. Youssef Bassal's heart swelled with pride when he draped an enormous German flag on the building where he runs a cell phone store in support of the World Cup team.

In trendy Berlin neighborhood, a Jewish Shtetl blooms among funky shops, fashion boutiques. When American Rabbi Joshua Spinner moved to Berlin's trendy Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood a decade ago, there were no other Jews to be seen.