Dear reader,

After a washout of a summer, Berlin still hasn’t given up hope of getting some friendlier weather in the coming weeks. So many events are more fun with a spot of sunshine. Like the Berlin Festival, for example, which hosts live music at the former Tempelhof Airport. Or the Berlin Marathon and the Istaf athletics festival. Even Pope Benedict XVI. will be hoping for a couple of rays for when he holds mass on the 22nd of September at the Olympic Stadium. The 70,000 faithful expected to turn up to watch probably even more so.

But even if it does carry on raining, life can still be good here in Berlin. You can pay a visit to the Pergamon Museum and its special exhibition, which offers a virtual panorama of the ancient city (p. 54). Alternatively, why not explore 1,000 years of Polish-Germane history at the Martin-Gropius-Bau (p. 24)? You can also make the most of a whole range of international festivals for theatre, literature and classical music (p. 60ff.). This year’s Art Forum, a large annual art fair held in Berlin, was cancelled at the last minute. But our cover story tells you where friends of contemporary art can still get their money’s worth (p. 14). Autumn, as you can see, is chock full of culture. Enjoy it!