Art: Stage for Freedom

A short stroll from the gutted hulk of Berlin's old Reichstag one blustery day last week, a young German girl stepped resolutely forward, smashed a bottle of German wine against a brand-new building set on the banks of the River Spree, proclaimed in a clear voice. "I christen you the Congress Hall in memory of Benjamin Franklin." Thus was opened Berlin's newest and most venturesome building, a joint project of the U.S., the West German government and the city of Berlin. Designed as a cultural center where plays, music, debates and symposiums will be...