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{{Infobox German Bundesland|Name = Berlin|German_name =|image_photo = Cityscapeberlin2006.JPG|state_coa = Coat of arms of Berlin.svg|coa_size = 70|map = EU location Berlin.svg|map_size = 220|map_text = Location of Berlin within Germany / EU|flag = Flag of Berlin.svg|area = 891.82|area_source =|population = 3405000|pop_ref =|pop_date = 2006-11-30|pop_urban = 3700000|pop_metro = 4262480|pop_metro_date = 2004-12-31|elevation = 34 - 115|GDP = 80.3|GDP_year = 2006|Website = berlin.de / 3D Berlin|leader_title = List of mayors of Berlin|leader = Klaus Wowereit|leader_party = SPD|ruling_party1 = SPD|ruling_party2 = PDS|votes = 4|divisions = 12 Boroughs of Berlin|NUTS = DE3|State = Berlin|Vorwahl = 030|Kfz = B|PLZ = 10001–14199|lat_deg = 52|lat_min = 31|lon_deg = 13|lon_min = 25-->Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen states of Germany of the Germany. With a population of 3.4 million in its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city. It is the second Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits and the ninth Largest urban areas of the European Union in the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) in the European Union, comprising 4.9 million people from over 180 nations. Indicators for larger urban zones 1999 - 2003, Eurostat. Accessed March 9, 2007
First documented in the 13th century, Berlin was successively the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701-1918), the German Empire (1871-1918), the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and the Nazi Germany (1933-1945). Documents of German Unification, 1848-1871, Modern History Sourcebook, Accessed May 30, 2007 After World War II, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of German Democratic Republic while West Berlin became a West Germany enclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall from 1961-1989. Berlin Wall, Encyclopædia Britannica, Accessed November 5, 2006 Following the German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany. Berlin -- Capital of Germany, German Embassy, Accessed May 30, 2007
Berlin is a major center in European politics, culture, Mass media, and science. Culturally, Berlin Is Ascending, if Slowly, New York Times, Accessed October 20, 2006 Innovationsindex für die Länder der EU(German), Baden-Württemberg Stat Office, Accessed October 20, 2006 Sites and situations of leading cities in cultural globalisations/Media, GaWC Research Bulletin 146, Accessed October 20, 2006 It serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport. The city's economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, environmental services, congress and convention venues. Convention and congress cities, ICCA, Accessed April 26, 2007 Berlin City of Design Press Release, UNESCO, Accessed October 20, 2006. Berlin is the third most-visited tourist destination in the EU. Berlin Germany's most popular Destination, Tourismus Marketing GmbH, Accessed October 20, 2006 Other industries include traffic engineering, optoelectronics, Information technology, Automaker, health care, biomedical engineering, and biotechnology.
The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. World Heritage Site Museumsinsel, UNESCO, Accessed October 20, 2006 Berlin's urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions. Recognized for its festivals, contemporary architecture, nightlife and avant-garde arts, The Club Scene, on the Edge, New York Times, Accessed October 20, 2006Berlin has evolved into a focal point for individuals attracted by Liberalism, modern zeitgeist and low cost of living. For Young Artists, All Roads Now Lead to a Happening Berlin, New York Times, Accessed November 5, 2006 Poor But Sexy, Newsweek, Accessed October 20, 2006
History
was one of Europe's enlightened absolutism.
The name Berlin, which is pronounced in English language and in German language, is of unknown origin, but may be related to the Old Polabian language stem berl-/birl- "swamp".Berger,Dieter. Geographische Namen in Deutschland, Bibliographisches Institut, 1999. ISBN 3-411-06252-5
The first written mention of towns in the area of present-day Berlin dates from the late 12th and early 13th century. The suburb of Spandau is first mentioned in 1197, and Köpenick in 1209, though these areas did not join Berlin until 1920. The central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns: Cölln (on the Museum Island) is first mentioned in a 1237 document, and Berlin (across the Spree in what is now called the Nikolaiviertel) in one from 1244. From the beginning, the two cities formed an economic and social unit. In 1307, the two cities were united politically. Over time, the twin cities came to be known simply as Berlin, the larger of the pair.
In 1415 Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg became the prince-elector of the Elector of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440. His successor, Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg, established Berlin as capital of the margraviate, and subsequent members of the Hohenzollern family ruled until 1918 in Berlin, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia, and finally as German emperors. In 1448 citizens rebelled in the “Berlin Indignation” against the construction of a new royal palace by Elector Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg. This protest was not successful, however, and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic privileges. In 1451 Berlin became the royal residence of the Brandenburg electors, and Berlin had to give up its status as a free Hanseatic League city. In 1539 the electors and the city officially became Lutheranism.
17th–19th century
in 1871 after its proclamation in Versailles-France (Bismarck at the center in white)
The Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648 had devastating consequences for Berlin. A third of the houses were damaged and the city lost half of its population. Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, known as the “Great Elector”, who had succeeded his father George William of Brandenburg as ruler in 1640, initiated a policy of promoting immigration and religious toleration. With the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Frederick William offered right of asylum to the French Huguenots. More than 15,000 Huguenots went to Brandenburg, of whom 6,000 settled in Berlin. By 1700, approximately twenty percent of Berlin's residents were French, and their cultural influence on the city was immense. Many other immigrants came from Bohemia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Archbishopric of Salzburg.
With the coronation of Frederick I of Prussia in 1701 as king, Berlin became the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1740 Friedrich II, known as Frederick the Great (1740-1786) came to power. Berlin became, under the rule of the philosophically-oriented Frederick II, a center of the Enlightenment. Following First French Empire victory in the War of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin in 1806, but granted self-government to the city. The Industrial Revolution transformed Berlin during the 19th century; the city's economy and population expanded dramatically, and it became the main rail hub and economic center of Germany. Additional suburbs soon developed and increased the area and population of Berlin. In 1861, outlying suburbs including Wedding (Berlin), Moabit, and several others were incorporated into Berlin. In 1871, Berlin became capital of the newly founded German Empire.
20th century
soldiers raising the Soviet flag over the roof of the Reichstag (building) on May 2, 1945.
in 1986, painted on the western side. People crossing the so-called death strip on the eastern side were at risk of being shot.
At the end of World War I in 1918, the Weimar Republic was proclaimed in Berlin. In 1920, the Greater Berlin Act united dozens of suburban cities, villages, and estates around Berlin into a greatly expanded city and established Berlin as a separate administrative region. After this expansion, Berlin had a population of around four million. 1920s Berlin was an exciting city known for its liberal subcultures, including Homosexuality and prostitution and well known for its fierce political street fights. This is portrayed in the 1972 film Cabaret (film), set in 1931.
German election, 1933, Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Party came to power in 1933. Nazi rule destroyed Berlin's Jewish community, which numbered 170,000 before the Nazis came to power. After the pogrom of Kristallnacht in 1938, thousands of the city's German Jews were imprisoned in the nearby Sachsenhausen concentration camp or, in early 1943, were shipped to death camps, such as Auschwitz concentration camp. Hitler had planned to rebuild Berlin on a massive scale, renaming it "Welthauptstadt Germania"; apart from the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, however, the plan never got off the ground because of the war. During the war, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in Battle of Berlin (air) and during the Battle of Berlin. After the end of World War II in Europe in 1945, Berlin received large numbers of refugees from the Eastern provinces. The victorious powers divided the city into four sectors, analogous to the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany into which Germany was divided. The sectors of the Western Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) formed West Berlin, while the Soviet Union formed East Berlin. Agreement to divide Berlin, FDR-Library, Accessed October 20, 2006
All four allies retained shared responsibility for Berlin. However, the growing political differences between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union led the latter, which controlled the territory surrounding Berlin, to impose the Berlin Blockade, an economic blockade of West Berlin. The allies successfully overcame the Blockade by airlifting food and other supplies into the city from 24 June 1948 to 11 May 1949. Berlin Airlift / Blockade, Western Allies Berlin, Accessed October 20, 2006 In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in West Germany and consisted of the American, British and French zones, but excluded those 3 countries' zones of Berlin, while the Marxism-Leninism German Democratic Republic was proclaimed in East Germany. West Berlin remained a free city that was separate from the Federal Republic of Germany, and issued its own postage stamps. Airline service to West Berlin was granted only to American, British and French airlines. Lufthansa and other German airlines were prohibited from flying to West Berlin.
The founding of the two German states increased Cold War tensions. West Berlin was surrounded by East German territory. East Germany, however, proclaimed East Berlin (which it described only as "Berlin") as its capital, a move that was not recognized by the Western powers. Although half the size and population of West Berlin, it included most of the historic center of the city. The tensions between east and west culminated in the construction of the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin and other barriers around West Berlin by East Germany on 13 August 1961 and were exacerbated by a tank standoff at Checkpoint Charlie on 27 October 1961. West Berlin was now de facto a part of West Germany with a unique legal status, while East Berlin was de facto a part of East Germany.
Berlin was completely separated. It was possible for Westerners to pass from one to the other only through strictly controlled checkpoints. For most Easterners, travel to West Berlin or West Germany was no longer possible. In 1971, a Four Power Agreement on Berlin guaranteed access across East Germany to West Berlin and ended the potential for harassment or closure of the routes.
In 1989, pressure from the East German population brought a transition to a market-based economy in East Germany, and its citizens gained free access across the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, which was subsequently mostly demolished. Not much is left of it today; the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain near the Oberbaumbrücke over the Spree preserves a portion of the Wall.
On 3 October 1990 the two parts of Germany were German reunification as the Federal Republic of Germany, and Berlin became the German capital according to the unification treaty. In 1999, the Bundestag and government began their work in Berlin.
Geography
Berlin is located in eastern Germany, about 70 kilometers (44 Mile) west of the border with Poland in an area with marshy terrain. Berlin's landscape was shaped by ice sheets during the last Ice Age. The city center lies along the river Spree in the Berlin-Warsaw Urstromtal (ancient river valley), formed by water flowing from melting ice sheets at the end of the last Ice Age. The Urstromtal lies between the low Barnim plateau to the north, and the Teltow plateau to the south. In Spandau, Berlin's westernmost borough, the Spree meets the river Havel, which flows from north to south through western Berlin. The course of the Havel is more like a chain of lakes, the largest being the Tegeler See and Wannsee. A series of lakes also feeds into the upper Spree, which flows through the Müggelsee in eastern Berlin. Satellite Image Berlin, Google Maps, Accessed October 20, 2006
Substantial parts of present-day Berlin extend onto the low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Large parts of the boroughs Reinickendorf and Pankow lie on the Barnim plateau, while most of the boroughs Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Neukölln lie on the Teltow plateau. The borough of Spandau lies partly within the Berlin Urstromtal and partly on the Nauen Plain, which stretches to the west of Berlin. The highest elevations in Berlin are the Teufelsberg in the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Müggelberge in the borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Both hills have an elevation of about 115 meters (377 Foot (unit)). The Teufelsberg is in fact an artificial pile of rubble from the ruins of World War II.
Climate
river)
Berlin has a temperate/mesothermal climate (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system. The mean annual temperature for Berlin-Dahlem (a location within Steglitz-Zehlendorf) is 9.4 Celsius (48.9 Fahrenheit) and its mean annual precipitation totals 578 millimeters (22.8 Inch). The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of 16.7 to 17.9 °C (62.1 to 64.2 °F). The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of −0.4 to 1.2 °C (31.3 to 34.2 °F). Climate figures, World Weather Information Service, Accessed October 20, 2006 Berlin's built-up area creates a microclimate, with heat stored by the city's buildings. Temperatures can be 4 °C (7.2 °F) higher in the city than in the surrounding areas.{{Infobox Weather|metric_first=yes |single_line=yes |location = |Jan_Hi_°C = 3 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = |Feb_Hi_°C = 4 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C =|Mar_Hi_°C = 9 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C =|Apr_Hi_°C = 13 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C =|May_Hi_°C = 19 |May_REC_Hi_°C =|Jun_Hi_°C = 22 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C =|Jul_Hi_°C = 24 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C =|Aug_Hi_°C = 24 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C =|Sep_Hi_°C = 19 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C =|Oct_Hi_°C = 13 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C =|Nov_Hi_°C = 7 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C =|Dec_Hi_°C = 4 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C =|Year_Hi_°C = |Year_REC_Hi_°C =
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|Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm =42|Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm =33|Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm =41|Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm =37|May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm =54|Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm =69|Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm =56|Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm =58|Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm =45|Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm =37|Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm =44|Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm =55|Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm =|source =worldweather.org{{cite web| url = | title = | accessmonthday = | accessyear =| publisher = | language = -->|accessdate = 26 July, 2007-->
Cityscape
river and the Fernsehturm by night
The city's appearance today is predominantly shaped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century. Each of the national governments based in Berlin —the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany— initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character. Berlin was devastated by bombing raids during World War II and many of the old buildings that escaped the bombs were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both West and East. Much of this destruction was initiated by municipal architecture programs to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. Berlin's unique recent history has left the city with an eclectic array of architecture and sights.
In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools. Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions received an opt-out during the standardization of road traffic signs after reunification. The eastern Ampelmännchen design is now used in the western part of the city as well.
Architecture
.
The Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz in Mitte is the second highest building in the European Union at . Built in 1969, it is visible throughout most of the central districts of Berlin. The city can be viewed from its 204 meter (669 ft) high observation floor. Starting here the Karl-Marx-Allee heads east, an avenue lined by monumental residential buildings, designed in the Socialist Classicism Style of the Stalin era. Adjacent to this area is the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), with its distinctive red-brick architecture. The previously built-up part in front of it is the Neptunbrunnen (Berlin), a fountain featuring a mythological scene.
The East Side Gallery is an open-air exhibition of art painted directly on the last existing portions of the Berlin Wall. It is the largest remaining evidence of the city's historical division. It has recently undergone a restoration.
The Brandenburg Gate is an iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany. It also appears on German euro coins (10 Cent / 20 Cent and 50 Cent). The Reichstag (building) is the traditional seat of the German Bundestag, renovated in the 1950s after severe World War II damage. The building was again remodeled by British architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank in the 1990s and features a glass dome over the session area, which allows free public access to the parliamentary proceedings and magnificent views of the city.
Gendarmenmarkt, a neoclassical architecture square in Berlin whose name dates back to the Napoleonic occupation of the city, is bordered by two similarly designed cathedrals, the Französischer Dom with its observation platform and the German Cathedral. The Konzerthaus (Concert Hall), home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, stands between the two cathedrals.
at dusk
The Berliner Dom, a Protestant cathedral and the third church on this site, is located on the Museum Island across from the site of the Berliner Stadtschloss and adjacent to the Lustgarten. A large crypt houses the remains of some of the earlier Prussian royal family. Like many other buildings, it suffered extensive damage during World War II. The Cathedral of St. Hedwig is Berlin's Roman Catholicism cathedral.
Unter den Linden is a tree lined east-west avenue from the Brandenburg Gate to the site of the former Berliner Stadtschloss, and was once Berlin's premier promenade. Many Classical buildings line the street and part of Humboldt University is located there.
Friedrichstraße was Berlin's legendary street during the Roaring Twenties. It combines twentieth century traditions with the modern architecture of today's Berlin.
Potsdamer Platz is an entire quarter built from scratch after 1995 and was not rebuilt as it was divided by the Wall. Construction and redevelopment since 1990, Senate Department of Urban Development, Accessed November 7, 2006 To the west of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum, which houses the Gemäldegalerie (Berlin), and is flanked by the Neue Nationalgalerie and the Berliner Philharmoniker. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a Holocaust memorial, is situated to the north. A Forest of Pillars, Recalling the Unimaginable, New York Times, Accessed November 7, 2006
The area around Hackescher Markt is home to the fashionable culture, with countless clothing outlets, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the Hackesche Höfe, a conglomeration of buildings around several courtyards, reconstructed around 1996. Oranienburger Straße and the nearby New Synagogue were the center of Jewish culture before 1933, and regains being it today.
are part of the city's exhibition center
The Straße des 17. Juni, connecting the Brandenburg Gate and Ernst Reuter, serves as central East-West-Axis. Its name commemorates the uprisings in East Berlin of 17 June 1953. Approximately half-way from the Brandenburg Gate is the Großer Stern, a circular traffic island on which the Siegessäule (Victory Column) is situated. This monument, built to commemorate Prussia's victories, was relocated 1938–39 from its previous position in front of the Reichstag (building). The site is annually used as the center stage for the Love Parade.
The Rathaus Schöneberg, where John F. Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech, is situated in Tempelhof-Schöneberg.
The Kurfürstendamm is home to some of Berlin's luxurious stores with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at its eastern end on Breitscheidplatz. The church was destroyed in World War II and left in ruins. Near by on Tauentzienstraße is Kaufhaus des Westens, claimed to be continental Europe's largest department store.
is the largest existing palace in Berlin.
West of the center, Schloss Bellevue is the residence of the German President. Schloss Charlottenburg, which was burnt out in the Second World War and largely destroyed, has been rebuilt and is the largest surviving historical palace in Berlin.
Funkturm Berlin is a 150 meter (492 ft) tall lattice radio tower at the fair area, built between 1924 and 1926. It is the only observation tower, which stands on insulators, and has a restaurant and an observation deck above ground, which is reachable by an elevator.As the Berliner Funkturm is an open lattice structure, its elevator has windows.
Government
is the site of the German parliament.
Berlin is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany and is the seat of the President of Germany, whose official residence is Schloss Bellevue. Bundespräsident Horst Köhler, www.bundespraesident.de, Accessed November 12, 2006 Since German reunification on 3 October 1990, it has been one of the three city states, together with Hamburg and Bremen (state), among the present sixteen states of Germany. The Bundesrat of Germany ("federal council") is the representation of the Federal States (Bundesländer) of Germany and has its seat at the former Prussian Herrenhaus (House of Lords). Though most of the ministries are seated in Berlin, some of them, as well as some minor departments, are seated in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. The European Union invests in several projects within the city of Berlin. Infrastructure, education and social programs are co-financed with budgets taken from EU cohesion funds. URBAN regeneration, an European Commission initiative, ErasmusPC, Accessed March 12, 2007
City state
.The city and state parliament is the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus), which currently has 141 seats. Berlin's executive (government) body is the Senate of Berlin (Senat von Berlin). The Senate of Berlin consists of the List of mayors of Berlin (Regierender Bürgermeister) and up to eight senators holding ministerial positions, one of them holding the official title "Mayor" (Bürgermeister) as deputy to the Governing Mayor. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and Left Party (Germany) (PDS) took control of the city government after the Berlin state election, 2001 and won another term in the Berlin state election, 2006. Berlin state election, 2006/(German), Der Landeswahlleiter für Berlin, Accessed November 12, 2006
The Governing Mayor is simultaneously Lord Mayor of the city (Oberbürgermeister der Stadt) and Prime Minister of the Federal State (Ministerpräsident des Bundeslandes). The office of Berlin's Governing Mayor is in the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall). Since 2001 this office has been held by Klaus Wowereit of the SPD. The Glamor Guy, Time Europe, Accessed October 20, 2006 . Berlin Mayor, Symbol of Openness, Has National Appeal, New York Times, Accessed October 20, 2006. The city's government is based on a coalition between the Social Democratic Party of Germany and The Left Party.PDS.
The annual state budget of Berlin in 2006 exceeded €20.5 ($26.7) billion, with a budget deficit of €1.8 ($2.3)bn., Senatsverwaltung Finanzen, Accessed January 4, 2007Mainly due to reunification-related expenditures, Berlin as a German state has accumulated more debt than any other city in Germany, with the most current estimate being €61 ($79)bn in June 2007. Debt-Laden Berlin Goes to Court For Federal Aid, Deutsche Welle, Accessed October 20, 2006. Due to increasing growth rates, tax revenues and realized city assets in 2007, the city state estimates a budget surplus in 2008/2009 for the first time since the German reunification in 1990. Ab 2008 keine neuen Schulden mehr(German), rbb-online, Accessed June 21, 2007.
Boroughs
Berlin is subdivided into Boroughs and localities of Berlin (Bezirke), but before Berlin's 2001 administrative reform there were 23. Each borough is subdivided into a number of localities (Ortsteile), which represent the traditional urbanization areas that inhabitants identify with. Some of these have been rearranged several times over the years. At present the city of Berlin consists of 95 such localities. The localities often consist of a number of city neighborhoods (usually called Kiez in the Berlin dialect) representing small residential areas.
Each borough is governed by a Borough Council (Bezirksamt) consisting of five Councilors (Bezirksstadträte) and a Borough Mayor (Bezirksbürgermeister). The Borough Council is elected by the Borough Assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung). The boroughs of Berlin are not independent municipalities. The power of borough governments is limited and subordinate to the Senate of Berlin. The borough mayors form the Council of Mayors (Rat der Bürgermeister), led by the city's Governing Mayor, which advises the Senate.
The localities have no government bodies of their own, even though most of the localities have historic roots in older municipalities that predate the formation of Greater Berlin on 1 October 1920. The subsequent position of locality representative (Ortsvorsteher) was discontinued in favor of borough mayors.
Sister cities
Town twinning between Berlin and other cities began with Los Angeles in 1967. East Berlin's partnerships were canceled at the time of German reunification and later partially reestablished. West Berlin's partnerships had previously been restricted to the borough level. Sister cities of Berlin, www.berlin.de, Accessed November 7, 2006 During the Cold War era, the partnerships had reflected the different power blocs, with West Berlin partnering with capitals in the West, and East Berlin mostly partnering with cities from the Warsaw Pact and its allies.
There are several joint projects with many other cities, such as Copenhagen, Helsinki, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Seoul, Sofia, Sydney, and Vienna. Berlin participates in events organized by international city associations such as the Union of the Capitals of the European Union, Eurocities, Network of European Cities of Culture, Metropolis, Summit Conference of the World's Major Cities, Conference of the World's Capital Cities.
Demographics
Berlin is a center for national and international immigration since the Edict of Potsdam in 1685.The Edict guaranteed religious freedom and a tax-free status to French Calvinists for ten years. The Greater Berlin Act in 1920 incorporated many suburbs and surrounding cities of Berlin. It formed most of the territory that comprises modern Berlin. The act increased the area of Berlin from 66 square kilometers (25.5 square mile) to 883 square kilometers (341 sq mi) and the population from 1.9 million to 4 million. Active immigration and asylum politics in West Berlin have initiated waves of immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1990s the Aussiedlergesetze made immigration from the former Soviet Union possible. The current decade experiences a continual increasing influx from various Western countries and especially young EU-Europeans are settling in the city.
The largest religious groupings are Irreligion 60%, Evangelical Church in Germany 23% (757,000), Roman Catholic Church 9% (312,000), Islam 6% (213,000), Judaism 0.4% (12,000)., www.berlin.de, Accessed October 20, 2006
As of September 2006, Berlin has 3,402,312 registered inhabitants Berlin statistical figures(German),Statistisches Landesamt Berlin, Accessed October 20, 2006 in an area of 891.82 square kilometers (344.31 sq mi). The urban area comprises about 3.7 million people while the metropolitan area of the Berlin-Brandenburg region is home to about 4.3 million in an area of and the Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) in the European Union of about 4.9 million people. The population density of the city state Berlin amounts to 3,815 inhabitants per square kilometer (9,870/sq mi).
463,723 (13.9%) residents are of foreign nationality, coming from 183 different countries. Foreign residents of Berlin(German), Statistisches Landesamt Berlin, Accessed November 5, 2006 The largest groups by nationality are citizens from Turkey (116,665), Poland (42,889), Serbia and Montenegro (24,337), Lebanon (17,806), Russia (14,065), Italy (14,026), United States (12,735), France (11,776), Vietnam (11,513), Croatia (11,378), Bosnia and Herzegovina (10,463), Greece (10,102), UK (9,396), Ukraine (8,667), Austria (8,409), Spain (5,962), Iran (5,882),Thailand (5,876), the People's Republic of China (5,620).
Economy
After the reunification of Germany and Berlin in 1990, substantial subsidies were phased out, formerly received by the city of West Berlin. The industrial base of former East Berlin decreased dramatically within a decade, leading to an unemployment rate of almost 20% and stagnant GDP growth rates until 2005. In 2006 the nominal gross domestic product of Berlin experienced a growth rate of 1.5% (2.7% in Germany) and totaled €80.3 ($104.4) billion. Gross domestic product Berlin, Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder, Accessed October 20, 2006 Since then the unemployment rate steadily decreased to 14.9% (Sept/2007) but remains above the German (8.4%/Sept/2007) and the EU27 (6.7%/Aug/2007) average. Unemployment rate(German), www.tagesspiegel.de, Accessed September 27, 2007 Eurozone jobless marks record low, BBC, Accessed October 02, 2007
Among the Forbes Global 2000 and the 30 German DAX companies only Siemens controls a headquarter in Berlin. Nevertheless, a multitude of German and international companies established secondary departments or service offices in the city. Among the 20 largest employers in Berlin are the railway company Deutsche Bahn AG, the hospital company Charité, the local public transport company BVG, the service provider Dussmann and the Piepenbrock Group. DaimlerChrysler manufactures cars, and BMW builds BMW motorcycles in Berlin. BayerSchering Pharma and Berlin Chemie are major pharmaceutical companies headquartered in the city.
The Science and Business Park of Berlin-Adlershof is among the 15 biggest technology parks world-wide. Research and development have established economic significance, and the Berlin Brandenburg region ranks among the top three innovative regions in the EU. News analysis: innovation index November 2006
Fast-growing sectors are communications, life sciences, mobility and services with information and communication technologies, media and music, advertising and design, biotechnology and environmental services, transportation and medical engineering. Poor but sexy, The Economist, Accessed November 12, 2006Berlin is among the top five congress cities in the world and is home to Europe's biggest convention center in the form of the Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC). It contributes to the rapidly increasing tourism sector which encompasses 581 hotels with 87,800 beds and numbers around 15.9 million overnight stays and 7.1 million hotel guests in 2006, making Berlin the third most visited city in the European Union., www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg, Accessed February 9, 2007 Land Berlin stützt Tourismuswerbung(German), www.rbb-online.de, Accessed January 10, 2007
{| class="wikitable"! style="background: #D8E2EF; color:#000080;" |2004 EUROSTAT Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU 27 (PDF), Eurostat, Accessed March 1, 2007! style="background: #D8E2EF; color:#000080;" |Area! style="background: #D8E2EF; color:#000080;" |Population! style="background: #D8E2EF; color:#000080;" |GDP/Nominal in billion! style="background: #D8E2EF; color:#000080;" |GDP/Nominal per capita|-| align=left || align=right || align=right |3,400,000| align=right |€ 79 / $ 103| align=right |€ 23,271 / $ 30,252|-| align=left || align=right || align=right |2,550,000| align=right |€ 48 / $ 63| align=right |€ 18,805 / $ 24,447|-| align=left || align=right || align=right |82,440,000| align=right |€ 2,207 / $ 2,869| align=right |€ 26,754 / $ 34,780|-| align=left || align=right || align=right |493,000,000| align=right |€ 10,529 / $ 13,687| align=right |€ 21,503 / $ 27,954|}
Media
in February
Berlin is the home of many television and radio stations; international, national as well as regional. Media Companies in Berlin and Potsdam, www.medienboard.de, Accessed November 7, 2006 The public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg has its headquarters there as well as the commercial broadcasters MTV Europe, VIVA, TVB, FAB, N24 (Germany) and Sat.1. German international public broadcaster Deutsche Welle has its TV production unit in Berlin. Additionally, most national broadcasters have a studio in the city.
Berlin has Germany's largest number of daily newspapers, with numerous local broadsheets (Berliner Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel), and three major tabloids, as well as national dailies of varying sizes, each with a different political affiliation, such as Die Welt, Junge Welt, Neues Deutschland, and Die Tageszeitung. In addition, several weekly papers publish here, and Berlin has three alternative weeklies focusing on culture and entertainment. The Exberliner, a monthly magazine, is Berlin's only English language periodical. Berlin is also the headquarters of two major German-language publishing houses: Walter de Gruyter and Axel Springer AG, each of which publishes books, periodicals, and multimedia products.
Berlin is an important center in the European and Cinema of Germany. It is home to more than one thousand film and television production companies, 270 movie theaters, and around 300 national and international co-productions are filmed in the region every year. The venerable Babelsberg Studios and the production company Universum Film AG are located outside Berlin in Potsdam. The city is also home of the European Film Academy and the German Film Academy, and hosts the annual Berlin Film Festival. European Film Academy, www.europeanfilmacademy.org, Accessed December 19, 2006 Berlin Film Festival, www.berlinale.de, Accessed November 12, 2006
Education
outside the Humboldt University of Berlin.
The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region is one of the most prolific centers of higher education and research in the European Union. The city has four universities and numerous private, professional and technical colleges (Fachhochschulen), offering students a wide range of disciplines. Metropolis of Sciences, Berlin Partner GmbH, Accessed November 7, 2006 Around 130,000 students attend the universities and professional or technical colleges. The three largest universities account for around 100,000 students. These are the Freie Universität Berlin (Free University of Berlin) with around 35,000 students, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin with 35,000 students, and the Technische Universität Berlin with 30,000 students. The Berlin University of the Arts has about 4,300 students.
The city has a high concentration of research institutions, such as the Fraunhofer Society and the Max Planck Society, which are independent of, or only loosely connected to its universities. A total number of 62,000 scientists are working in research and development.
In addition to the libraries affiliated with the various universities, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin is a major research library. It has two main locations: one near Potsdamer Platz on Potsdamer Straße and one on Unter den Linden. There are 108 public libraries to be found in the city.
Berlin has 878 schools teaching 340,658 children in 13,727 classes and 56,787 trainees in businesses and elsewhere. The city has a six-year primary education program. After completing primary school, students progress to one of the four types of secondary schools for six further years: Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium (school), or Gesamtschule. Berlin has a unique bilingual school program embedded in the "Europaschule". Children get taught the curriculum in German and a foreign language, starting in grammar school and later in secondary school. Throughout nearly all boroughs, a range of 9 major European languages in 29 schools can be chosen. Jahrgangsstufe Null(German), Der Tagesspiegel, Accessed October 20, 2006 One of them, the Französisches Gymnasium Berlin which was founded in 1689 for the benefit of Huguenot refugees, offers (German/French language) instruction. Geschichte des Französischen Gymnasiums(German), Co
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