Enfance berlinoise (Version dite de Giessen)

Benjamin’s childhood memories are so detailed and vivid—did he intend for this to serve as a broader commentary on the city’s transformation during that era?

The memoir feels both personal and historical, but I wonder whether Benjamin saw childhood as a symbol for a lost innocence or a specific cultural moment.

Benjamin’s descriptions are so evocative, but at times I wondered how much is filtered through nostalgia versus factual recounting. How do others interpret this balance?