It’s easy to walk right past this building in Schöneberg. A perfectly ordinary old building, fourth floor, with that classic Berlin backyard charm. And yet, a piece of world history began right here. But what does the legendary actress and singer Liza Minnelli have to do with this unassuming old building in Berlin?
In 1929, a young Brit named Christopher Isherwood moved into a furnished room, and soon he was sharing the apartment with Jean Ross, an English journalist with big dreams and an even bigger mouth. The commemorative plaque at the entrance still commemorates the famous lodger to this day. The house is still standing, and if you stand in front of it and use a little imagination, you can still hear the click-clack of heels on the stairs as Jean returned home from the clubs late at night.
From the shared apartment at Nollendorfstraße 17 comes world literature
Back then, Schöneberg was the neighborhood for everyone who didn’t fit in anywhere else. At night it sparkled; by day, people went hungry; and the Brownshirts marched through the streets with increasing frequency. Isherwood observed closely and took notes. His notes became *Goodbye, Berlin*, and his roommate Jean became Sally Bowles: flirtatious, chaotic, irresistible. In 1933, when the Nazis took over, he packed his bags.
He later ended up in California, where he died in 1986. But Berlin remained in his mind, and the book became the musical “Cabaret.” Welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where the emcee, with a wry grin, promises that out there, the world is still in order. It isn’t. The audience laughs, dances, and realizes too late just how close disaster already is. If you want to experience this live, head to the Tipi am Kanzleramt, where “Cabaret” runs regularly, practically around the corner from the government district. It couldn’t be more fitting.
Liza Minnelli stops by
And then there’s Liza Minnelli. Daughter of Hollywood legend Judy Garland, she was in show business from birth. On March 27, 1973, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Bob Fosse’s film adaptation of “Cabaret.” She played Sally Bowles in such a way that it’s hard to imagine the role being portrayed any other way. In June 2009, she came to Berlin and actually stood in front of the house on Nollendorfstraße—the very spot where her most famous character first came to life. A moment that gave you goosebumps.
And Jean Ross? The real Sally was far more than just a party girl. She became a journalist, wrote for the communist “Daily Worker,” and remained politically sharp. With journalist Claud Cockburn, she had a daughter who later became known as the crime writer Sarah Caudwell. Jean Ross died in 1973, the same year Liza won the Oscar for her portrayal of Sally. The circle is complete, and it impressively demonstrates once again that life still writes the best punchlines.
