Berlin
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This
is the flag of Berlin |
At the centre of Europe
again, Berlin
represents the "Zeitgeist" of European history and politics.
The capital of a reunited Germany, Berlin
epitomises the restitching of both the country and of
Eastern and Western Europe. The difference between the
two halves is still very much apparent, although this
is beginning to change as development continues apace
in what has become one of the world's largest building
sites. What was once the backwater of two cities - the
no-man's-land created by the Berlin Wall - is now to
be the centre of the united city, marked by the new
parliament buildings and a massive commercial development
at Potsdamer Platz, which was on the front line during
the Cold War. At the time, those in the West could mount
a platform to see into East Berlin, and the Soviet authorities
obliged by siting many of their most impressive buildings
within view. The television tower and high-rises around
Alexanderplatz were as much a propaganda tool for the
East as the Europa-Center - with its gleaming Mercedes
symbol, trumpeting the values of capitalism - was for
the West.
Dividing these two visions
was one of the century's most famous constructions:
the Berlin Wall. Visitors in search of the Wall may
be disappointed, however, as only traces of it remain.
Transportation links that were broken for decades have
been reconnected, Friedrichstrasse is undergoing a massive
building boom of retail and office development, and
whole neighbourhoods are being renovated and repainted,
changing the monochrome face of the East. These changes
are not always apparent in the people themselves, however,
and there is still some friction in reuniting two peoples
who followed such different paths for nearly half a
century.
Berlin is stretched over
a large area, extends over 889 square kilometers (you
could basically put the areas of 5 paris within the
area of Berlin) with lakes and forests covering the
flat landscape. Its continental climate means that temperatures
in excess of 30°C (86°F) occur during summer heatwaves,
while winter sees periods of snow and frost.
The city is an amalgamation
of former villages and cities each with its own town
hall and marketplace. It achieved its present form after
the 1920 reforms created Greater Berlin, as well as
from the effects of its island status during the Cold
War. Until the planned centre at Potsdamer Platz is
completed (and most likely not even then), the city
will continue to be multi-centred, with the area around
Bahnhof Zoo, the Europa-Center and Kurfuerstendamm marking
the main economic zone in the West, and the area around
Unter den Linden between Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz
containing the East's economic activity. Between these
centres lies the enormous Tiergarten, a formal royal
hunting ground, with the Siegessäule (Victory Column)
at its centre and the landmarks of the Reichstag and
Brandenburg Gate at its eastern end.
For many though, the real
Berlin lies in the cultural avant-garde and bustling
nightlife scene, which echoes the city's youthful character
and energy. Kreuzberg was the centre of western-style
counter-culture when the city was an island, but increasingly
it is Mitte (Hackescher Markt) and Prenzlauer Berg districts
where the art galleries, cafés, bars, clubs and cabarets
- reminiscent of decadent 1920s Berlin - are to be found.
Berlin is governed by the
Senate of Berlin, which consists of the Regierender
Bürgermeister (governing mayor) and up to eight
senators holding ministerial portfolios. The governing
mayor is mayor of the city and representative of the
Bundesland (state) at the same time. The seat of office
for the Berlin Mayor is the Rotes Rathaus.
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Arts
& Entertainment |
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Museum Island alone is worth a week to two weeks
stay here is Berlin. |
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Just one of
the many objects you can see on the Museum Island |
Alexanderplatz |
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Berliner
Mitte |
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Business
and Investing |
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Education |
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Events |
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Government |
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History |
- 1237 First documentary mention
of Cölln (Berlin's sister town)
- 1618–48 The Thirty Years'
War left the two towns devastated and
ravaged. Population of Berlin/Cölln:
6000
- 1740–86 Under Friedrich
II the Great Berlin rises to a European
metropolis
- 1806 Napoleon conquers Berlin
- 1871 Berlin becomes capital
of the Deutsches Reich. Economy booms
and the city's population surpasses
1,000,000
- 1920–29 In the "Golden
Twenties" Greater Berlin with its
almost four million inhabitants develops
a myth of art and culture
- 1936 The Olympic Games are
performed in Berlin
- 1939–45 World War II.
50,000 inhabitants die of allied bombings,
every second apartment (more than 600,000)
is destroyed
- 1948 Berlin Blockade. The
"Air Lift" supplies the city
- 1961 Construction of the Wall
between West and East Berlin
- 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
- 1991 Berlin as capital of
reunified Germany is appointed for residence
of the Federal Government
- 19.4.99 First session of the
Bundestag in the reopened Reichstag's
building
- 30.4.01 With the new Bundeskanzler's
Office opening, the government's relocation
to Berlin continues.
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Hotels
& Lodging |
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Kurferstendamm |
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Maps |
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Nightlife
and Bars |
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Real
Estate |
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Restaurants |
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Sightseeing |
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Sports |
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Transportation |
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