Online Encyclopedia
Berlin
- For other uses, see Berlin (disambiguation).
Berlin [bɛrˈliːn] is the national capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,387,404 inhabitants (as of September 2004; down from 4.5 million before World War II, and on the decline since German reunification in 1990).
Berlin is located on the rivers Spree and Havel in the northeast of Germany. It is enclosed by the German state (Bundesland) of Brandenburg, and it constitutes a state of its own.
Politics of Berlin
The State
Berlin has become an independent state with the day of the German reunification on October 3, 1990, making it one of the three city states among today's 16 German Bundesländer beside Hamburg and Bremen.
Former West-Berlin (originally Greater Berlin, including the eastern part was intended) had been a state since the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 24, 1949, but been dependent on the allied-status. East-Berlin had been capital of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1990, although this had been a violation of the allied agreemant.
Berlin is governed by the Senat of Berlin which consists of the Regierender Bürgermeister (governing mayor) and up to 8 senators, holding ministerial portfolios. The governing mayor is mayor of the city and representative of the Bundesland (state) at the same time. Presently, this office is held by Klaus Wowereit (SPD); for earlier mayors, see the list of Mayors of Berlin.
The city and state parliament is called the Abgeordnetenhaus or House of Representatives. The current government consists of a coalition of the social democrat SPD and the socialist PDS.
The Boroughs
Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs, called Bezirke, which have been merged from the previously existing 23 boroughs, effective since January 1, 2001.
For a map and a list of the old and new borough names, see Boroughs of Berlin.
Each Bourogh is governed by a so called Bezirksamt consisting of five Stadträte (town councillors) and a mayor. The Bezirksamt is elected by the district-parliament, the so called Bezirksverordnetenversammlung. Though the Boroughs of Berlin are not independent municipalities, the political power of the district-parliaments is quite weak and dependent on the Senat of Berlin.
The district-mayors form the council of mayors, called Rat der Bürgermeister under leadership of the Governing Mayor to advise the Senat.
History
see also: History of Berlin
Early settlements
At about 720 two Slavic tribes settled in the Berlin region. The Heveller settled at the river Havel with their central settlement in Brennabor which later has bacome the town of Brandenburg. Close to the river Spree in todays borough of Berlin Köpenick the Sprewanen were found.
The Heveller founded another place at the river Havel in about 750. This seems to be the closest settlement to the area which is today known as Berlin and was called Spandow (todays Spandau). Spandau and Köpenick which had been protected with barriers around 825, had been the major settlements and later towns in the area until the early 11th century.
Berlin and Cölln
Berlin itself is one of Europe's younger cities with its origin in the 12th century. The city developed out of the two settlements Berlin and Cölln on both sides of river Spree in todays borough Mitte. With the date October 28th, 1237 Cölln is first documentary mentioned, Berlin in 1244. Unfortunatly the great town center fire damaged most written record of those early days in 1830.
Both cities formed a trade union in 1307 and participated in the Hanse. Their urban development parallel took place for 400 years until Cölln and Berlin finally unified under the name of Berlin in 1709, including the suburbs Friedrichswerder , Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichstadt .
Not much is left of these ancient communities, although some remainders can be seen in the Nikolaiviertel near the Rotes Rathaus and the Klosterkirche close to todays Alexanderplatz.
Urban development between the 15th and 17th century
The first City Palace had been built at the embankment of the river Spree from 1443 to 1451. At that time Berlin-Cölln counted about 8,000 inhabitants . In 1576, the pest killed about 4,000 people in the city.
During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Berlin's number of inhabitants shrank from 10,000 to 6,000.
In 1640 Frederick William took regency in the principality of Brandenburg. During his government Berlin reached 20,000 inhabitants and became significant among the cities in Central Europe for the first time.
A boulevard with six rows of trees was put on between the park Tiergarten and the Palace in 1647. The boulevard is called Unter den Linden.
Some years later (from 1674 on), the Dorotheenstadt was constructed in a bow of the river Spree northwest of the Spree-island where the Palace was situated. From 1688 on the Friedrichstadt was built and settled.
Prussia
In January 18 1701, Frederick III was crowned King Frederick I in Prussia and made Berlin the capital of the new kingdom of Prussia.
In 1709, Berlin-Cölln was joined together with 'Friedrichswerder', the 'Dorotheenstadt' and 'Friedrichstadt' under the name of Berlin, with 60,000 inhabitants.
Weimar Republic and Third Reich (Third Empire)
The overall impression one gets when visiting Berlin today is one of great discontinuity, visibly reflecting the many ruptures of Germany's difficult history in the 20th century.
Although it was the residence of the Prussian kings, Berlin's population did not greatly expand until the 19th century, mainly after becoming the capital of the German Empire in 1871. It remained Germany's capital during the Weimar Republic and under the Nazis' Third Empire; it was therefore a primary target in the Allied air raids of World War II.
The divided city
After World War II, Berlin, just like Germany itself, was divided into four sectors by the Allies: one each for the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. The Soviets occupied East Berlin, and the other three occupied West Berlin. Berlin was in the middle of the Soviet sector of Germany and became a natural focal point of the opposing sides in the Cold War. Starting on June 26, 1948, Stalin's "Berlin Blockade" of West Berlin led the western countries to supply it through the Berlin Airlift.
The Soviet sector of Berlin, East Berlin, became the capital of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) when the country was formed from the Soviet sector in 1949. The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), formed from the other three sectors, had its capital in Bonn. On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed, splitting West Berlin from the rest of East Germany.
Reunification
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. By the time Germany reunified in 1990, the Wall was almost completely demolished, with only small sections of ruins remaining, and once again Berlin was made the capital of a unified Germany.
Tourist attractions
Even though Berlin does have a number of impressive buildings from earlier centuries, the city today is mainly stamped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century. Each of the governments which had their respective seat in Berlin — namely the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, the GDR, and now the reunified Germany — initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character. Berlin was devastated by bombardments during World War II, and many of the old buildings that were left were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both the West and the East. Much of this destruction was caused by overambitious architecture programs, especially in order to build new living or business quarters. It would not be an exaggeration to say that no other city in the world offers Berlin's unusual mix of architecture, especially 20th century architecture. The city's tense and unique recent history has left it with a distinctive array of sights.
Not much is left of the actual Berlin Wall. The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain near the Oberbaumbrücke over the Spree preserves a portion of the Wall. It is still possible to tell if one is in the former eastern or western part by observing the architecture. In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, thanks to Eastern ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools per block. Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions are a popular icon in tourist products.
Historical sights in the city center
- The Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden, symbols of Berlin, Prussia, and now Germany. The Brandenburg Gate appears on German Euro coins.
- Reichstag building, the old and new seat of the German parliament, renovated by Sir Norman Foster. Features a glass dome in which you can walk around and watch the parlamentarians from above.
- Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin surrounded by two famous cathedrals and the concert hall.
- Berlin victory column, monument to Prussia's victories.
- The Berliner Dom, a historic cathedral. A large crypt is home to the bodies of the Prussian royal family.
- Cathedral of St. Hedwig (St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale)
- Nikolaiviertel with the Nicolaikirche a historical city core founded in the 13th century.
- The Neptunbrunnen, a famous fountain in Berlin Mitte.
- Tiergarten is Berlin's largest park and a masterpiece of park building. The Tiergarten was largely deforested by 1948 because it served as a source of firewood for the devastated city.
Sights of the former GDR and the Cold War
- The Palast der Republik, the old East German parliament building. It is seen by some as ugly, but it does have its history and positive connotations - in addition to functioning as the government center, there were restaurants, shops, clubs, and concerts took place there in the 1980s. The Palast der Republik is built on the site of the Berlin City Palace, which was demolished by the Communists.
- The Fernsehturm, the TV tower, the highest building in the city at 368 m (1207 ft), and the second largest structure in Europe (after Moscow's Ostankino Tower). The Fernsehturm is easily visible throughout most of the central districts of Berlin.
- Alexanderplatz, formerly East Berlin's major shopping center, and home to the Centrum-Warenhaus, which was the DDR's department store. It is now a thoroughly westernized shopping center.
- East Side Gallery a memorial for freedom based on the last parts of the Berlin Wall
- Rotes Rathaus(the Red City Hall), historic town hall famous for its distinctive red-brick architecture
- Rathaus Schöneberg with John-F.-Kennedy-Platz, whence John F. Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech.
- Checkpoint Charlie, remains and a museum about one of the crossing points (albeit restricted to Allied forces) in the Berlin Wall. The museum exhibits interesting material about people who devised ingenious plans to leave the East.
Sights of modern Berlin
- Potsdamer Platz, an entire quarter constructed from scratch after 1995. The historic Potsdamer Platz was not rebuilt as it was divided by the Wall. A must-see for people who like modern city planning.
- Hackescher Markt , Spandauer Vorstadt and Scheunenviertel, the home to fashionable culture, with countless small clothing shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the New Synagogue area in Oranienburger Straße (originally built in the 1860s in Moorish style with a large golden dome, and reconstructed in 1993), and the Hackesche Höfe , a conglomeration of several buildings around several courtyards, nicely reconstructed after 1996. This area was a center of Jewish culture before the Nazis.
Sights for panoramic views
- Berliner Funkturm— the only observation tower of the world, standing on insulators!
- Berlin Television Tower [1] — the 368 meter high television tower, built in 1969 is situated close to Alexanderplatz. From its observation platform at 204 meters hight the whole city can bee seen.
- Grunewaldturm [2] — the historic tower is 59 meters high, situated on hill in Grunewald forest close to the lake Wannsee.
- Französischer Dom [3] — located on Gendarmenmarkt in the very heart of the city, the platform of the cathedral offers a unique view.
- Berliner Dom [4] — next to Lustgarten the Berlin Cathedral offers a circular platform outside the dome.
- Bell Tower at the Olympic Stadium [5] — being part of the Reichssportfeld, the tower offers a view at the Olympic Stadium and the Waldbühne.
- Siegessäule [6] — the monument on Großer Stern in the middle of the Tiergarten was relocated there in 1938/39. Before it was situated in front of the Reichstag.
Famous streets and boulevards
- Unter den Linden is the street that heads east from the Brandenburg Gate. Many classicistic buildings are lined up on both sides of the street. Humboldt University is partly located there.
- Friedrichstraße, Berlin's legendary street of the "Golden Twenties" which combines the tradition of the last century with modern architecture of today's Berlin.
- Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm), with the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), which lies at the very beginning of Kurfürstendamm, on Breitscheidplatz (underground station Kurfürstendamm). The church was bombed out in World War II and its ruins have been preserved in their damaged state. Also nearby is the Zoologischer Garten, a zoo with the largest number of species.
- The Straße des 17. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate in the East and Ernst-Reuter-Platz in the West, commemorating the uprisings in East Berlin of June 17, 1953. It features the golden Siegessäule (Statue of Victory), which used to stand in front of the Reichstag.
- The Karl-Marx-Allee, a boulevard lined by monumental landmark buildings designed in the socialist classicism of the Stalin era. It is located in Friedrichshain and Mitte.
Education and Science
Universities
- Freie Universität Berlin [7]
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin [8]
- Technische Universität Berlin [9]
- Charité [10] (Medical Faculty of Freie and Humboldt-Universität)
- Universität der Künste [11]
Universities of Applied Sciences
- Alice-Salomon-Fachhochschule für Sozialarbeit/-pädagogik [12]
- Evangelische Fachhochschule [13]
- Fachhochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft [14]
- Fachhochschule für Wirtschaft [15]
- Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler [16]
- Technische Fachhochschule [17]
Zoos
- Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Berlin's eldest zoo located in the city center.
- Tierpark Friedrichsfelde , founded by the GDR in a historic castle park in eastern Berlin.
Culture
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 many houses in the city center of former East Berlin (today the district Mitte) were partially destroyed. Many had not been rebuilt since World War II. Illegaly occupied by young people, they had become a fertile ground for all sorts of underground and counter-culture gatherings. It also was home to many nightclubs, including the world-famous Techno clubs Tresor, WMF, Ufo and E-Werk .
The art scene in Berlin is extremely rich, and the city offers one of the most diverse and vibrant nightlife scenes in Europe. Most Berliners take great pride in their city's reputation as one of the most socially progressive cities on the continent.
Berlin's annual Carnival of Cultures , a multi-ethnic street parade, and Chistopher Street Day celebrations, Central Europe's largest gay-lesbian pride event, are openly supported by the city's government and are visited by millions of Berliners each year.
Despite the city's declining overall population and relatively high unemployment levels, a significant number of young Germans and artists continue to settle in the city, and Berlin has established itself as the premeire center of youth and pop culture in German-speaking Europe.
Signs of this expanding role were the 2003 announcement that the annual Popkomm, the world's largest music industry convention, would move to Berlin after 15 years in Cologne. Shortly thereafter, German MTV also decided to move its headquarters and main studios from Munich to Berlin. Universal Music opened its European headquarters on the banks of the River Spree in an area known as the mediaspreewhich is planned to develop into one of Europe's leading centers of media-related industries.
Museums
- Museum Island with the Altes Museum, Pergamon Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie
- German Museum of Technology in Kreuzberg, located at the site of an old freight train hub
- Museum for Natural History
- Museum for Post and Telecommunication
- Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), one of the last buildings by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
- Jewish Museum Berlin
- Hamburger Bahnhof (Museum for the Present - Berlin)
- Museum of European Cultures
Theaters
- Schaubühne [18]
- Volksbühne [19]
- Deutsches Theater [20]
- Berliner Ensemble [21]
- Theater des Westens [22]
- Grips-Theater
- Maxim Gorki Theater [23]
- Renaissance Theater
Opera Houses
- Deutsche Oper
- Staatsoper Unter den Linden
- Komische Oper
Transport and Traffic
Public Transport
- U-Bahn, one of Europe's finest subway systems
- S-Bahn, a elevated railway system
- Straßenbahn, a tram system mainly located in eastern Berlin
- Bus, drives often on a separate track
- Passenger Ferry
- A map of the current Public Transport Network (BVG)
Airports
- Schönefeld International Airport (SXF), to be expanded and renamed Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) in 2007
- Tegel International Airport (TXL), to close after BBI starts operations (in 2007)
- Tempelhof International Airport (THF), to close 2006
- Berlin Airports Website
Ports
- Westhafen (Westport) - largest port in Berlin with an area of 173,000 square meters; transshipment of grain, pieced and heavy goods.
- Südhafen (Southport) - an area of about 103.000m² for transshipment of pieced and heavy goods.
- Osthafen (Eastport) - the area of 57.500m² is still in use, but partly under urban redevelopment
- Hafen Neukölln (Port Neukölln) - with only 19.000m² the smalest port; transshipment of building materials.
Sports
Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Berlin will participate in hosting the FIFA Football World Cup in Germany in 2006.
Quotes
External links
- Official Website
- Berlin statistics (in German only)
- City Panoramas - Panoramic Views of Berlin's Highlights
- Berlin Artists
- Berlin Photos 1989 to 1999
- Berlin travel guide at Wikitravel
- Architecture of Berlin
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