Although Germany's unconditional surrender swept away much of the political rubble of the Third Reich, the shattered physical and social geography of Berlin hampered official efforts to rebuild the former capi? tal. In 1945 Berlin was divided into four sectors, each one occupied and administered by a different allied power? France, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Though an integrated municipal council was estab? lished, parochial interests surfaced through the rhetoric of unity. While crossing from one sector to another might be relatively painless, compli-cations could arise in securing ration cards, fuel, work, and shelter. For many Berliners, however, clearing the streets of pulverized debris was simple compared to the monumental task of restoring traditional mores. The public licentiousness that lingered on for months and even years after 1945 was a constant reminder to them ofthe debasement brought about by war and amplified by defeat. 1

At this juncture of defeat, occupation, reconstruction, and renewal that witnessed the creation of not one but two postwar German states, the experiences of men such as Otto N., a forty-nine-year-old cashier, are illuminating. 2 The tale ofhis escapades in Berlin unfolds in the 1951 file ofa