An earlier post had offered a teasing peek at the Hotel-Pension Funk, to which we moved on 16 June. This video will show the rest of the walk-in, as well as some video from my room.
One of the things we learned on this trip was that Julia was not going to get much, if any, sleep if we continued to share a room. My snoring (and likely sleep apnea) was nowhere close to being a sleeping aid. She stuck it out at the Hotel Haus Leopold, but after one night at the Funk we arranged for a separate room for me. Luckily, the hotel’s top room was available for a couple of nights (before we left for Lithuania) and at a reduced rate.
Here’s video (1:17).
The Funk had been the home of Asta Nielsen, a silent film star (1910s, 1920s) of Danish origin who made nearly all of her 74 films in Germany. The building had been built in the late 19th century and her home was the entire third floor, forming part of a circle around a central courtyard. Reconfiguring the layout for a hotel created 14 rooms, plus a breakfast area. As you’ll see, it retained at least some of the flavor of the time when Die Asta (The Asta), as many Germans called her, was the hostess.
Here’s a gallery of photos showing the entrance and hallways.
Here are photos from Julia’s room.
And the breakfast area, including views from the “balcony.”
The Asta is not well known in the U.S., perhaps because her often erotic films were heavily censored here or just not offered. Here is a gallery of some of the posters in the hotel. (I’m kinda curious about the film “Das Eskimobaby,” featuring “lustspiel in 3 akten.”)
I did not discover the Funk. Indeed, I found it among Rick Steves’s recommendations for housing. Glad I did. Staff was also great. Very helpful.
There was a restaurant just down the street from the Funk that became a favorite. The Literaturhaus features readings and other literary events in a 19th century townhouse. It also features al fresco dining and the Cafe Wintergarten. We tried it one evening after much walking and we may not have eaten anywhere else in Berlin after that.
Here is a gallery of photos from there.
Part VIII: Museums and Churches