The night photograph shows glowing neon advertising at a Berlin bar or entertainment venue: the large-format lettering “Dortmunder Union Bier” and the flowing script “Café Berlin” dominate the image; on the right, another neon sign with the inscription “Alte R[osen]” or similar is partially visible. Such neon signs were a deliberate signal of economic recovery and the return of urban nightlife in West Berlin in the mid-1950s. They stood for West Berlin’s self-image as the “showcase of the West” — prosperity and consumer enthusiasm as a visible contrast to neighboring East Berlin. Dortmunder Union beer, a major brand product from the Ruhr region, also points to West Berlin’s integration with the Federal Republic despite the city’s geographical isolation.