Germany

Berlin had modest beginnings as a trading centre in the 13th century, growing into a European powerhouse that hogged the 20th century stage. Since reunification in 1990, it has evolved into a dynamic, sexy and creative city where a surprising lightheartedness lurks beneath an austere exterior.

Before the 20th century

The area currently occupied by Berlin has been settled since the Stone Age, but its 'modern' history began in the 13th century with the founding of the trading posts of Berlin and Cölln by itinerant merchants in the area of today's Nikolaiviertel, in the Mitte district. In 1307, Berlin and Cölln merged for political and security purposes.

In the 1440s, Elector Friedrich II of Brandenburg established the rule of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which was to last until Kaiser Wilhelm II's escape from Potsdam in 1918. Berlin's importance increased in 1470, when the elector moved his residence there from Brandenburg and built a palace near the present Schlossplatz (previously known as Marx-Engels-Platz).

During the Thirty Years' War Berlin's population was decimated, but in the mid-17th century the city was reborn stronger than before under the so-called Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm. His vision was the basis of Prussian power, and he sponsored Jewish and Huguenot refugees seeking asylum and benevolent rule.

The Great Elector's son, Friedrich I, the first Prussian king, made the fast-growing Berlin his capital, and together with his second wife Sophie Charlotte encouraged the development of the arts and sciences and presided over a lively and intellectual court. His grandson, Friedrich II, sought greatness through building and was known for his political and military savvy. In the late 18th century, the Enlightenment arrived with some authority in the form of the playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and the philosopher and publisher Friedrich Nicolai; both helped make Berlin a truly international city.

The 19th century began on a low note, with the French occupation of 1806-13, and in 1848 a bourgeois democratic revolution was suppressed, somewhat stifling the political development that had been set in motion by the Enlightenment. The population doubled between 1850 and 1870 as the Industrial Revolution, spurred on by companies such as Siemens and Borsig, took hold. In 1871 Bismarck, the Prussian Prime Minister, united Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm I. The population of Berlin was almost two million by 1900.

Modern history

Before WWI Berlin had become an industrial giant, but the war and its aftermath led to revolt throughout Germany. On 9 November 1918 Philipp Scheidemann, leader of the Social Democrats, proclaimed the German Republic from a balcony of the Reichstag (parliament) and hours later Karl Liebknecht proclaimed a free Socialist republic from a balcony of the City Palace. In January 1919 the Berlin Spartacists Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg were murdered by remnants of the old imperial army, which entered the city and brought the revolution to a bloody end.

On the eve of the Nazi takeover, the Communist Party was the strongest single party in 'Red Berlin', having polled 31% of the votes in 1932. Large parts of Berlin remained anti-Nazi during the years Hitler was in power. The city was heavily bombed by the Allies in WWII and especially towards the end of the war. The final Battle of Berlin began in mid-April 1945 when more than 1.5 million Soviet soldiers barrelled towards the capital from the east. On 30 April, the fighting reached the government quarter where Hitler was esconced in his bunker with his long-time mistress Eva Braun. That afternoon Hitler shot Braun then himself. Germany capitulated a few days later. Most of the buildings you see today along Unter den Linden and elsewhere were reconstructed from the ruins.

In August 1945, at the Potsdam Conference, the four Allied powers - the USA, Britain, France and the Soviet Union - divided Germany into four zones of occupation and Berlin into four sectors, with each country taking control of its own zone. The road to Germany's long-term division began in June 1948 when the three western Allies introduced the Deutschmark in their zones without consulting the Soviets. The USSR then blockaded West Berlin, but a massive Allied airlift kept the area supplied and allowed it to stave off invasion. In October 1949, East Berlin became the capital of the GDR. The construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 stopped the drain of skilled labour to the West.

Recent history

On 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall opened and its dismantling began soon thereafter. The Unification Treaty between the two Germanys designated Berlin the official capital of Germany, and in June 1991 the Bundestag voted to move the seat of government from Bonn to Berlin over the next decade. A huge consortium of public and private organisations was charged with constructing the heart of a metropolis from scratch. As a result the 1990s saw a ballet of cranes revitalising Potsdamer Platz with a new urban district anchored by DaimlerCity, the Sony Center and the Beisheim Center (completed in 1998, 2000 and 2004, respectively). In April 1999 the revamped Reichstag reopened and hosted unified Germany's parliament.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Berlin's many parks and forests are tailor-made for walking and jogging, and the countryside around central Berlin has many lovely cycling routes. Ice skating is available at a number of indoor rinks from mid-October to early March. There are also dozens of swimming pools to choose from.

Top Attractions

Weltzeituhr Alexanderplatz Area 0 ratings 0 reviews	Kunst-Werke Berlin Mitte - Scheunenviertel 0 ratings 0 reviews
Museum Für Naturkunde Mitte - Scheunenviertel 0 ratings 0 reviews	Sophie-Gips-Höfe & Sammlung Hoffmann Mitte - Scheunenviertel 0 ratings 0 reviews

Berlin has a moderately cool and humid climate determined by a mixing of air masses from the Atlantic Ocean and the continental climate of eastern Europe. Predictably, December to February are the coldest months. When the winds blow from Russia it can get mighty chilly, with temperatures dropping below freezing. Generally, though, winters are relatively mild. More than half of the city's annual inversion days (when stagnant cold air traps warmer air below, bringing about smog) occur in these months.

July and August are the warmest times, though usually not chokingly hot. The nicest months are September and October, which deliver the added bonus of autumn foliage. May and June, when the trees are in bloom and the outdoor cafe season kicks off, are popular months too, though rain is more likely at this time.

Average weather

• Temperature
• Humidity am/pm
• Rainfall
• Sunshine

Transport

Getting around

Berlin abounds with ways to navigate its streets. Unlike many major cities, it's friendly to both cyclists and pedestrians, and its U/S Bahn is a model of efficiency. Buses are slow, but comfortable. In the eastern sections of the city you can take sleek new trams. Driving is possible, but probably not advisable considering the plethora of public transport options.

Getting there and away

There are few direct flights to Berlin; you will usually be routed there through a larger hub like Frankfurt or Amsterdam. Buses, however, connect Berlin with most European cities, and the train system is characteristically efficient.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

By all accounts, Berlin is among the safest and most tolerant of European cities. Walking alone at night is not usually dangerous although there's always safety in numbers.

Despite some bad press, racial attacks are quite rare in Berlin. Having said that, although people of any skin colour are usually safe in central districts, prejudice toward 'foreign-looking people', especially non-whites, is more likely to rear its ugly head in the outlying eastern districts such as Marzahn, Hohenschönhausen and Lichtenberg. These areas are scarred by unemployment and post-reunification depression. No matter the colour of your skin, if you see any 'white skins' (skinheads wearing jackboots with white boot laces), run the other way - and fast.

Drugs should be avoided for obvious reasons, but particularly because a lot of the stuff is distributed by Mafia-like organisations and is often dangerously impure.

Most U-/S-Bahn stations are equipped with electronic information and emergency devices labelled 'SOS/Notruf/Information' and are indicated by a large red button. If you require emergency assistance, simply push the 'SOS' button. The information button allows you to speak directly with the stationmaster.