History
Berlin arose from the mercantile settlements of Coelln (on what is now Museum Island) and Berlin (on the north bank of the Spree). The year 1237, when Coelln first appears in documentary records, has always been regarded as the city's founding date, but it seems highly probable that history will have to be rewritten. In January 2008, archaeologists at work on excavations in Petriplatz uncovered an oak beam probably dating from 1192.
Since the reign of the elector Johann Cicero (1455-1499), Berlin has been the capital of a variety of administrative entities, rapidly becoming a melting-pot for people from all over Europe. Under Friedrich Wilhelm l, the city saw a huge influx of Austrian Jews and French Huguenots, escaping persecution in their homeland.
By 1700, some 20 per cent of the inhabitants were French. Berlin was declared capital of the German Empire in 1871. After the National Socialists seized power in 1933, Berlin became capital of the Third Reich. The Nazis seized upon the 1936 Olympics in the city as a propaganda vehicle. By the end of the Second World War, most of the city lay in ashes.
Berlin was split in two. The sectors controlled by the USA, Great Britain and France became West Berlin. The USSR-controlled sector became East Berlin. The Cold War peaked on 13 August 1961 with the construction of the Berlin Wall. On 26 June 1963, US President John F. Kennedy uttered his immortal phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner" on a visit to the city. The wall survived until German reunification in 1989. Berlin, pronounced 'bear-lin' in German, duly features a bear (German: baer) on its crest, but these facts are actually unrelated. The name probably derives from "ber", the Slavic for swamp, while the origins of a bear as the city's figurehead are unknown.
Portrait
The capital of the Federal Republic and seat of the German government is also a federal state in its own right. Berlin is Germany's most populous and largest city in terms of area, and is the second-biggest city in the European Union with 3.4 million inhabitants. It is a city in a permanent state of change. 1.7 million people left the city after reunification, but 1.8 million have moved in.
The 200,000-strong Turkish community is the largest outside Turkey. After Paris and London, Berlin is the third-biggest tourist destination in Europe, but it offers a great deal more besides. It is a media centre, home to more daily newspapers than any other German city, and the headquarters of TV stations MTV, Sat.1, N24 and Deutsche Welle. Major broadcasters ARD, ZDF and RTL also maintain studios in the capital.
More than 130,000 students are enrolled at the city's four universities and array of technical colleges. Berlin is also a movie town, as evidenced by offerings as diverse as Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three (1961), Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972), Wim Wenders' Der Himmel über Berlin ( Wings of Desire, 1987), Tom Tykwer's Lola rennt ( Run Lola Run, 1998) or Wolfgang Becker's Good bye, Lenin! (2003). The highly-prized Golden Bears are awarded annually at the Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival. Berlin also boasts a wealth of museums. Museum Island, the northern half of the Spreeinsel formed by the Spree and Kupfergraben, was designated a "region dedicated to arts and archaeology" by royal decree back in 1841.
It was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The museum at Checkpoint Charlie, the former border crossing, tells the story of the divided German state. The city's defining landmark is the Brandenburg Gate, erected between 1788 and 1791. In summer 2006, a total of 10 million fans gathered here to watch giant-screen broadcasts of matches from the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. The Gate is modelled on the Propylaeum, the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. The Reichstag, constructed between 1884 and 1894was restored as the seat of the lower house of the German Parliament in 1999.
Sights:
- Holocaust memorial
- Brandenburg Gate
- German parliament
- Victory columns
- East Side Gallery
- Museum Island
Bundesliga side Hertha BSC is Berlin's biggest club. Hertha won the German championship in 1930 and 1931. Arne Friedrich is currently the club's most-capped international. Previous Hertha and Germany stars include Marko Rehmer, Erich Beer, Sebastian Deisler, Fredi Bobic, Hanne Sobeck and Michael Preetz. The Olympic Stadium has functioned as a "German Wembley" since 1985, hosting the men's and women's German Cup finals.
Hertha have made the final on four occasions but have failed to make 'home' advantage count. The Olympic Stadium staged three matches at the 1974 FIFA World Cup™. On 9 July 2006, Italy defeated France at the stadium to claim the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time. In the east of the city, 1. FC Union Berlin play in the Second Bundesliga. Former Bundesliga outfit Tennis Borussia Berlin are currently in the regional league north. The list of Berlin-born Germany internationals includes Guido Buchwald, Thomas Häßler, Ariane Hingst and Pierre Littbarski.
