I'm a sucker for a good ghost story. I love them. One thing that's struck me is that Germany, and especially Berlin, seems to have so few ghost legends. I can understand why, considering the fact that Berlin's recent history is such a horror story. But I heard a good legend this summer: The legend of the Gespenstermauer (spirit wall). It has nothing to do with the old Berlin wall. Rather, it's a spot on Oranienburgerstrasse (once the old Jewish district, but now better known as a touristy night spot), near Oranienburgerstrasse 39-40 (on the North side of the street, just West of a bar called 'X-terrain' and across the street from the large parking lot near Tacheles). Supposedly, the ghosts of two young children haunt this section of the street. On rainy nights especially, people say they sometimes see two indistinct children dash out into the street and disappear. Apparently, a street train driver once saw them, did an emergency stop, and there was quite an investigation. Anyway, a key part of the legend is that the two children will grant small favors if you give them a penny (one person who grew up there in DDR times told me that back then you were expected to give them a piece of candy). The procedure is to wedge the penny in a crack in the wall of the old building near there, and ask for the favor. It should be a modest wish -- something two small ghost children could grant. I have been there, and there are a lot of pennies in the wall!
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