Much of what is famous about Berlin modernity began before World War I, but the demise of the monarchy stamped the new cultural forces with an indelible mark of revolution. In 1918, Berlin saw both the “revolution” of Dada and the revolution of soldiers, sailors, and socialists that toppled the monarchy, each in its own way both farcical and deeply earnest. In the years that followed, few traditions, institutions, or allegiances could be taken for granted; experimentation and contentiousness became the norm.
