Babylon Berlin Quotes

It was already dark when Rath reached Küstriner Platz, where even the street-lighting was dimmer than in the city or in Charlottenburg. It almost seemed as if the streetlights were ashamed of what they were obliged to illuminate.

Can you die of something like that, Doctor?’ ‘You can die of almost anything, my dear Böhm.

The cause of death is astounding, however. You’ll be surprised when you hear it. The man didn’t die as a result of his injuries.’ ‘Surprise me, Doctor. I’m waiting.’ ‘Heroin,’ Dr Schwartz said simply. ‘Heroin?’ ‘Respiratory failure, caused by an overdose of diacetylmorphine; that is, heroin.’ ‘The cough medicine?’ Schwartz nodded. ‘Cough tablets for morphine addicts. It used to be prescribed as an anti-asthmatic. Until people realised it was addictive.

In short: the Ringvereine regulated organised crime in Berlin and had divided the city into different precincts. The police did nothing since the underworld was easier to control if it regulated itself, and excesses like those on Breslauer Strasse were rare.

The Ford A got stuck behind a yellow Berlin city bus, which was blocking the already narrow temporary access route. Berlin smokes Juno cigarettes an advertisement revealed. Wolter cursed. A boy in his Sunday best stood on the steps leading to the upper deck, cocking a snook at them.

The landlady was in her late thirties and obviously lonely. If her gaze spoke volumes her hints could have replaced whole libraries. So far, he had resisted her advances. Start something with his landlady? With someone who wouldn’t even allow female visitors? Out of the question! Right now though, she was allowing him a look at her ample décolletage. Elisabeth Behnke was obviously enjoying seeing her tenant short of breath.

We’ve always managed to bring the Reds into the line,’ said Schultes. ‘They tried to stage a revolution ten years ago and what became of it? The minute things get serious, they throw in the towel.’ ‘Let’s hope so,’ said Wolter and made a concerned face. ‘At any rate, we can’t allow this rabble to take over the streets.’ ‘No,’ Schultes replied, ‘but the Nazis with their brownshirts aren’t much better. Better marchers perhaps.’ ‘They don’t shoot police officers.’ Schultes fixed his gaze on Uncle. ‘Law and order must be maintained at all times. You’re right there, DCI Wolter.’ ‘That’s the job of uniform, not CID,’ said Rath. ‘I for one am happy that we have nothing to do with politics, only criminals.’ ‘Politicians, criminals – who said they aren’t one and the same?’ Schultes replied and everyone laughed.

Good evening, Doctor! Did they tear you away from the opera?’ Schwartz turned from the dead man at the wheel. Under his coat, he was still in evening dress. ‘Böhm! I should have known you were behind this!’ the doctor shook his hand. ‘No, I don’t go to the opera. It’s too loud for me. Reception at the dean’s. Pretty dull conversation when you consider it was attended by the cream of the German intelligentsia.’ ‘You can be grateful that we dragged you away.’ ‘Just don’t tell my wife!

The Red Fortress wants to overthrow the German government?’ ‘The Soviet government.’ ‘You’re joking.’ ‘I’d known since that evening in March that they had nothing good to say about Stalin. That night they moaned so much about the Moscow government that I’d never have guessed they were communists. But they are, hardliners at that. The name tells you everything you need to know. The Red Fortress regard themselves as the guardians of true communist doctrine after Lenin’s death.’ ‘So do Stalin and Thälmann.’ ‘So does just about every Red. That’s the problem with the Left: they spend more time fighting themselves than their opponents. For Thälmann’s followers, being called a Trotskyite is worse than being called a Nazi.

The Maybach turned and came to a halt on the other side of the road outside the Hotel Continental.

I have sat under the Palm-trees of Tadmor; smoked a pipe among the ruins of Babylon. The great Wall of China I have seen; and can testify that it is of gray brick, coped and covered with granite, and shows only second-rate masonry.—Great Events, also, have not I witnessed? Kings sweated down (ausgemergelt) into Berlin-and-Milan Customhouse-Officers; the World well won, and the World well lost; oftener than once a hundred thousand individuals shot (by each other) in one day. All kindreds and peoples and nations dashed together, and shifted and shovelled into heaps, that they might ferment there, and in time unite.

That's the problem with the Left: they spend more time fighting themselves than their opponents.