The image shows the façade of Café Berlin on the Kurfürstendamm, spanned by a widely visible neon sign of the Dortmunder Union Brewery. In front of the establishment, vehicles of the early economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) era are parked and driving, including an American Buick and a VW Beetle — a characteristic juxtaposition of West German and US American consumer culture. Pedestrians and a cyclist enliven the street; the awnings of Café Berlin and the adjacent shops, including an art dealer for European and Oriental goods, convey an image of middle-class normalcy and awakening prosperity. The Kurfürstendamm was deliberately staged in 1955 as the showcase of the West: gastronomy, commerce, and advertising were to demonstrate the contrast to the eastern sector. This motif exemplifies the function of West Berlin as a symbol of Western lifestyle during the Cold War.