ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the meanings that can be ascribed to ruptured spaces by the inhabitants of the capital cities of Germany and Cyprus. Analysis of each case brings into relief key features of the other. It is divided into three parts. First it emphasizes various uncanny ways in which barricaded cities make experiences of the extraordinary ordinary, for instance, by forcing inhabitants to accept partition and separation as a wholly normal part of life and as a matter of routine. Second, it discusses how Nicosia's Green Line and Berlin's Wall encourage fictive realities and a dream-like existence for their inhabitants. Finally, it closes the discussion with a reflection on the role of tourism and the legacy of these divided cities beyond the perception of their contemporary inhabitants. While Berlin's division is increasingly understood as a transient episode in its tumultuous history, Nicosia's split reflects a more enduring and intractable conflict that continues to this day.
