La frontiera porosa. Consumo di massa e consumo informale a Berlino prima del muro - Marcello Anselmo’s essay explores the diverse historical implications of the development of a mass consumption society in a specific historical space that of the frontier between east and west Berlin before the construction of the Wall. He analyses the consumption practices of the population of the city, concentrating in particular on informal practices, such as smuggling, interpreted as indicators of widespread cultural, economic and social transformations.