History

History (1A)

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In 1989 the Berlin Wall finally fell. Since then the scars of the past have gradually started to fade: Germany has begun to regain its history and Berlin is now open to the east. The former German Democratic Republic is being rebuilt and reinvented with a view to progression. To prove this you only have to take a look at its streets: with concrete mixers, diggers and half-built buildings making up the city’s current landscape.

What’s more, the chaotic and decadent style of the Eastern zone is still visible and the remnants of the old regime are worth seeing before they finally disappear. East Berlin still retains nostalgia and romanticism, and nobody should visit the city without walking its streets and seeing the examples of traditional socialist style buildings.

If one thing makes Berlin stand out, it is its cultural life. Before reunification, the Western zone received significant funding to encourage the growth of cultural projects. After the wall came down, this exciting and dynamic spirit spread through the whole city. With more than 150 theatres, 300 galleries and some 170 museums, Berlin is one of Europe’s most culturally stimulating cities.

If we add to this the abundance of lakes, forests and parks, as well as the clear influence of immigration and diversity, it is obvious that we are talking about a vibrant city well worth visiting.

Berlin has almost three and a half million inhabitants, fourteen percent of whom are from abroad, while the whole population lives within an area of 892 square kilometres exactly. But before looking at the Berlin of today, let’s take a look back at its past.

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INFORMATION

History (1A)

Play & Tour (0)

History - 1920s to First World War (1C)

History - Origins: The 1920s (1B)

ESSENTIAL

Alexander Platz Square (22)

Brandenburg Gate (3)

Commemorative Monument of The Wall (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) (57)

Gotic Church of Kaiser William (35)

Palace of Charlottenburg (34)

Reichstag (46)

Spandau District (59)

Bebel Platz Square (8)

Breitscheidplatz Square (36)

East Side Gallery (56)

Kreuzberg District (54)

Pariser Square (4)

Reichstag Cupola (46A)

Television Tower (Fernsehturm) (23)

Bellevue Palace (44)

Charlottenburg District (33)

Friedrichshain District (55)

Mitte District (2)

Potsdamer Square (48)

Saint Nicholas District (Nikolaiviertel) (28)

Tiergarten District (41)

Berlin Cathedral (21)

Checkpoint Charlie (49)

Gendarmenmarkt (7)

New Guard (11)

Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus) (26)

Siegessäule - Victory Column (43)

Zehlendorf District (52)

INTERESTING

Auditorium (Konzerthaus) (7C)

Church of Saint Nicholas (Nikolaikirche) (29)

Friedrichswerdersche Church (31)

Humboldt University (10)

National Library (12)

Saint Hedwig's Cathedral (9)

Unter Den Linden Street (6)

Berlin Sculpture (37)

Ephraim Palace (30)

Funkturmz (40)

KaDeWe - Department Store (38)

National Opera House (Staatsoper) (13)

Soviet Monument (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal) (51)

Berlin Zoo (42)

Fountain of Neptune (Neptunbrunnen) (25)

German Church (Deutscher Dom) (7B)

Kurfürstendamm Avenue (39)

New National Library (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin) (50)

The Holocaust Monument (5)

Church of Saint Maria (Marienkirche) (24)

French Church (Franzoischer Dom) (7A)

House of World Cultures (45)

Marx-Engels Forum (27)

Pfaueninsel Palace (53)

The New Synagoge (32)

MUSEUM

Alte Nationalgalerie (19)

Island of Museums (15)

Pergamon Museum (18)

Altes Museum (16)

Jewish Museum (Jüdisches Museum) (58)

Zeughaus and German History Museum (14)

Anne Frank Centre (60)

Neues Museum (17)

Bode Museum (20)

New National Galery (47)