Should I be afraid of going to Berlin soon?

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I'm half German, but I'm also half Russian and I'm worried about how noticeable it is. If it is really noticeable, and I look Russian, I'm afraid of getting raped because of what the Russians did there. During WWII, they raped every girl and woman in eastern Germany, two million in Berlin, and committed many acts of murder similar to the einsatzgruppen, including strafing refugee columns, and running them over with tanks. Obviously, I'm afraid that people in Berlin might decide to take revenge if they think that I am Russian. Has anyone been to Berlin or eastern Germany recently, and do you know anything about how they feel about Russians? Or even do you think that being half Russian is noticeable? I'm going to be leaving soon and I'm really anxious to find out.

i'm sure you will be fine! berlin is very cosmopolitan i would say. I thought it was a fantastic city. Most germans i have talked to have been nice. I had to get a bit used to people jumping cue's and having a smaller personal space but i am from the UK where those things are both quite important.

Why would Germans want to rape you because of something that happened 50 years ago? Do you walk down your street and wonder if someone is going to rape you because they look German?

Anyways I was in Germany [east and west] last year, I thought the people were great. Very friendly, open and I had a great time.

Enjoy Berlin! Fascinating city, probably the most influential city of the 20th century!

In spite of what happened 65 years ago...is there some reason to believe russian women are disproportionately in danger of being raped in Berlin/Germany in 2010???

I find that very unlikely... perhaps to say the least.


You probably have a better chance of being raped in many American cities. Not because you're russian... but simply because you're female.


I don't think you have much to worry about here.

No raised danger at all. Germany as a country has done its best to move on from WWII. So long as you don't start waving any communist flags, you'll be fine.

Just take the usual precautions you would in any strange city; don't go off with strangers, avoid dark alleys and walking around in secluded places at night.

There are laws against displaying nazi symbols in Germany, but i'm not sure if there are similar ones which prohibit the display of communist ones.


If not....you'd probably be far more in danger (though not legally) for displaying communist symbols in America than you would be in Germany.


Millions of Americans seem to have far more contempt for communism/socialism than they do for nazism or any other "ism".

I'd said the waving of a communist flag in a American states like Alabama and
South Carolina would qualify as a virtual death wish.

I'm going to venture to guess that the dentistry there has also improved since the end of WWII.

It seems like it has in Germany.


The UK may leave something to be desired in this respect though.


Even many wealthy folks from the UK don't exactly seem like the ideal picture of
dental health.

I was up close and personal with Christopher Hitchens at the Miami book fair in 2007.


His teeth were in shockingly bad condition. He was (and likely still is) a heavy smoker though so that probably has something to do with it.