Berlin
Berlin is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,389,450
inhabitants (as of 2002; down from 4.5 million before World War II, and on
the decline since German reunification in 1990).
Berlin state colors are red/white/red with a black upright Berlin Bear.
Berlin is located on the river Spree in the northeast of Germany. It is
situated in, but not part of, the Bundesland Brandenburg.
Politics of Berlin
Formerly a part of Mark Brandenburg, Berlin has been a separate state since
1920, making it one of the three city states among today's 16 German
BundeslŠnder.
Berlin is governed by a Regierender BŸrgermeister ("ruling mayor"), who is
mayor of the city and head of the Bundesland at the same time. Presently,
this office is held by Klaus Wowereit; for earlier mayors, see the list of
Mayors of Berlin.The city and state parliament is called the
Abgeordnetenhaus or House of Representatives, while the executive branch is
the Senat or Senate, with Senators holding ministerial portfolios.
Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs called Bezirke, which have been
combined from the earlier 23 boroughs with effect from January 1, 2001. For
a map and a list relating the old and new borough names, see Boroughs of
Berlin.
History
Berlin was founded around 1200 as two cities, Berlin and Cšlln, which only
united in 1307. Berlin is therefore quite old; however, not much is left of
these ancient communities. Instead, the impression one gets visiting Berlin
today is one of great discontinuity, visibly reflecting mainly the many
ruptures in Germany's difficult history in the 20th century.
After having been the residence of the Prussian kings, Berlin only became
big in the 19th century, especially after becoming the capital of the 1871
German Empire. It remained Germany's capital in the Weimar Republic and
under the Nazis; it was therefore a primary target in the air raids of World War II.
After the city's separation in two, East Berlin was the capital of the GDR
(East Germany), while the FRG (West Germany), had its capital in Bonn. An
island of the western world in the territory of the east, Berlin was the
natural focal point of the two blocks of the Cold War. In 1948, the "Berlin
Blockade" led to the Berlin Airlift. In 1961, the Berlin Wall was
constructed between East Berlin and West Berlin.
After the German reunification in 1990, the Wall was demolished and Berlin
was made the capital of all of Germany again. Currently it has become a hip
and casual metropolis.
Sights
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. On the one hand, 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. On the other hand, Berlin was devastated
in the 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 in overambitious architecture programs. Although not much is left of
the actual Berlin Wall, one can usually still tell from the architecture if
one is in the former eastern or western part.
West Berlin
* KurfŸrstendamm with the Kaiser-Wilhelm-GedŠchtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm
Memorial Church). The church was bombed out in World War II and its
ruin has been preserved in the damaged state.
* Tiergarten (Berlin's biggest park), Tegel, and Grunewald Forests.
* Kreuzberg, Insulaner
* Rathaus Schšneberg with Kennedy Platz
Mitte (historic and modern center)
* Alexanderplatz
* Berliner Dom
* Brandenburg Gate
* Cathedral of St. Hedwig (St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale)
* Checkpoint Charlie, remains and a museum about one of the gates in the
Berlin Wall
* Fernsehturm, the TV tower
* Gendarmenmarkt
* Nikolaiviertel, with the Nicolaikirche
* Palast der Republik, old East German parliament building
* Potsdamer Platz, an entire quarter constructed from scratch after 1995.
* Reichstag building, the old and new seat of the German parliament,
renovated by Sir Norman Foster.
* Rotes Rathaus, the town hall
* Scheunenviertel, formerly the slums of Berlin, but today the place of
alternative culture, with countless clubs, bars, and galleries. This
includes holds the New Synagogue in the Oranienburger Stra§e
(originally built in the 1860s in Moorish style with a large golden
dome, and reconstructed in 1993) and the Hackesche Hšfe, a
conglomeration of several buildings around several courtyards, nicely
reconstructed after 1996.
* Stra§e des 17. Juni
* Unter den Linden
Museums
* Museum Island
* German Museum of Technology
* Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), one of the last buildings
by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Theaters
* SchaubŸhne
* VolksbŸhne
* Deutsches Theater
* Berliner Ensemble
Opera Houses
* Deutsche Oper
* Staatsoper Unter den Linden
* Komische Oper
Airports
* Schšnefeld International Airport, to be renamed Berlin Brandenburg
International Airport in 2007
* Tegel International Airport, to close after BBI starts operations (in
2007)
* Tempelhof International Airport, to close after BBI starts construction
(in 2004)
Universities
* Freie UniversitŠt Berlin
* Humboldt-UniversitŠt zu Berlin
* Technische UniversitŠt Berlin
* UniversitŠt der KŸnste
Universities of Applied Sciences
* Alice-Salomon-Fachhochschule fŸr Sozialarbeit/-pŠdagogik
* Evangelische Fachhochschule
* Fachhochschule fŸr Technik und Wirtschaft
* Fachhochschule fŸr Wirtschaft
* Technische Fachhochschule
Culture
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many houses partially destroyed
in World War II and not yet rebuilt were situated in the city center
(formerly the western part of East Berlin). They became a fertile ground for
all sorts of underground and counter-culture as well as many nightclubs,
including the world-famous Tresor, which is one of the most important Techno
clubs on earth. Berlin has a rich art scene, even though it is increasingly
coming under financial pressure, because rents have been increasing since
the German government moved back to Berlin from Bonn.
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