Berlin

Lore & Background

Berlin was built along the banks of the Spree river, which flows into the Havel in the western borough of Spandau. The city includes lakes in the western and southeastern boroughs, the largest of which is Müggelsee. About 1/3 of the city's area is composed of forests, parks and gardens, rivers, canals, and lakes. First documented in the 13th century and at the crossing of two important historic trade routes, Berlin was designated the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1417–1701), Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), German Empire (1871–1918), Weimar Republic (1919–1933), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). Berlin served as a scientific, artistic, and philosophical hub during the Age of Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, and the German revolutions of 1848–1849. During the Gründerzeit, an industrialization-induced economic boom triggered a rapid population increase in Berlin. Berlin in the 1920s was the third-largest city in the world by population. After World War II and following Berlin's occupation, the city was split into West Berlin and East Berlin, divided by the Berlin Wall. East Berlin was declared the capital of East Germany, while Bonn became the West German capital. Following German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all of Germany.

In Their Own Story

Rain slicks the cobblestones of Friedrichstraße, turning the pavement into a mirror for the neon bleed of a techno club housed in a hollowed-out factory. A tourist runs a hand over the rough concrete of the East Side Gallery, where vibrant murals scream defiance against the grey history they cover. Nearby, the scent of spiced currywurst drifts from a street stall as a cyclist pauses to watch the Bundestag's glass dome catch the last light of twilight. In this single breath, Berlin exists: a living archive where the silence of the past and the deafening roar of the present collide without ever needing resolution.

Reader's Guide

Berlin is a global city of culture, politics, media and science. Its economy is based on high tech and the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, startup companies, research facilities, and media corporations. Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail traffic and has a complex public transportation network. Tourism in Berlin makes the city a popular global destination. Significant industries include information technology, the healthcare industry, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, the automotive industry, and electronics. Berlin is home to several universities, such as the Humboldt University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, the Berlin University of the Arts and the Free University of Berlin. The Berlin Zoological Garden is the most visited zoo in Europe. Babelsberg Studio is the world's first large-scale movie studio complex. Berlin is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Museum Island, the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, and the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates. Other landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, Potsdamer Platz, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and the Berlin Wall Memorial.

Did You Know?

• Berlin has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union.
• About 1/3 of Berlin's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals, and lakes.
• Berlin in the 1920s was the third-largest city in the world by population.
• The Berlin Zoological Garden is the most visited zoo in Europe.
• Babelsberg Studio is the world's first large-scale movie studio complex.