BERLIN - GERMANY

history brief and facts...

Berlin is the capital city and one ofsixteen states of Germany. With apopulation of 3.4 million within its

city limits, Berlin is Germany’s largestcity. It is the second most populous cityand the eighth most populous urban areain the European Union. Located innortheastern Germany, it is the center ofthe Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitanarea, comprising 5 million people fromover 190 nations.

First documented in the thirteenthcentury, Berlin was successively thecapital of the Kingdom of Prussia(1701–1918), the German Empire(1871–1918), the Weimar Republic(1919–1933) and the Third Reich(1933–1945). After World War II, thecity was divided; East Berlin became thecapital of East Germany while WestBerlin became a Western exclave,surrounded by the Berlin Wall(1961–1989). Following Germanreunification in 1990, the city regained itsstatus as the capital of all Germanyhosting 147 foreign embassies.

Berlin is a major center of culture,politics, media, and science in Europe. Itseconomy is primarily based on theservice sector, encompassing a diverserange of creative industries, mediacorporations, environmental services,congress and convention venues. The cityserves as a continental hub for air and railtransport, and is one of the most visitedtourist destinations in the EU. Otherindustries include traffic engineering,optoelectronics, IT, pharmaceuticals,biomedical engineering, andbiotechnology.

The metropolis is home to

world-renowned universities, research

institutes, sporting events, orchestras,

museums and personalities. Berlin’s

urban landscape and historical legacy has

made it a popular setting for international

film productions. The city is recognized

for its festivals, diverse architecture,

nightlife, contemporary arts, extensive

public transportation networks and a high

quality of living. Berlin has evolved into

a global focal point for young individuals

and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle

and modern zeitgeist. The name Berlin, is

of unknown origin, but may be related to

the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl-

“swamp”.

The earliest evidence of

settlements in today’s Berlin central areas

is a wooden beam dated from

approximately 1192. The first written

mention of towns in the area of

present-day Berlin dates from the late

twelfth century. The settlement 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 Fischerinsel is first

mentioned in a 1237 document, and

Berlin, across the Spree in what is now

called the Nikolaiviertel, is referenced in

a document from 1244. The former is

considered to be the “founding date”.

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.In 1435, Frederick I

became the elector of the Margraviate of

Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440.

His successor, Frederick II, 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

Irontooth.

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 city. In 1539, the electors and

the city officially became Lutheran.

Frederick the Great was one of Europe’s

enlightened monarchs. 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, known as the “Great Elector”,

who had succeeded his father George

William as ruler in 1640, initiated a

policy of promoting immigration and

religious tolerance. g

With the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Frederick Williamoffered asylum to the French Huguenots. More than15,000 Huguenots went to Brandenburg, of whom 6,000

settled in Berlin. By 1700, approximately twenty percent ofBerlin’s residents were French, and their cultural influence onthe city was immense. Many other immigrants came fromBohemia, Poland, and Salzburg. Berlin became the capital ofthe German Empire in 1871 and expanded rapidly in thefollowing years. (Unter den Linden in 1900)

With the coronation of Frederick I in 1701 as king (inKönigsberg), Berlin became the capital of the Kingdom ofPrussia. In 1740 Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great(1740–1786) came to power. Berlin became, under the rule ofthe philosophically oriented Frederick II, a center of theEnlightenment. Following France’s victory in the War of theFourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin in1806, but granted self-government to the city. In 1815 the citybecame part of the new Province of Brandenburg.

The Industrial Revolution

transformed Berlin during the

nineteenth 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,

Moabit, and several others were

incorporated into Berlin. In 1871,

Berlin became capital of the newly

founded German Empire. On 1 April

1881 it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.

At the end of World War I in 1918, the WeimarRepublic was proclaimed in Berlin. In 1920, the Greater BerlinAct united dozens of suburban cities, villages, and estatesaround Berlin into a greatly expanded city at the expense ofBrandenburg. After this expansion, Berlin had a population ofaround four million. On 30 January 1933 (Machtergreifung),Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. Nazi ruledestroyed Berlin’s Jewish community, which had numbered170,000 before 1933. After the Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938,thousands of the city’s German Jews were imprisoned in thenearby Sachsenhausen concentration camp or, in early 1943,were shipped to death camps, such as Auschwitz. During thewar, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in the 1943–45 airraids and during the Battle of Berlin. After the end of the war inEurope in 1945, Berlin received large numbers of refugees fromthe Eastern provinces. The victorious powers divided the city

into four sectors, analogous to the occupation zones intowhich Germany was divided. The sectors of the WesternAllies (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France)formed West Berlin, while the Soviet sector formed EastBerlin. The Berlin Wall in 1986, painted on the western side.People crossing the so-called “death strip” on the easternside were at risk of being shot.

All four allies retained shared responsibility forBerlin. However, the growing political differencesbetween the Western Allies and the Soviet Union led thelatter, which controlled the territory surrounding Berlin,to impose the Berlin Blockade, an economic blockade ofWest Berlin. The allies successfully overcame theBlockade by airlifting food and other supplies into thecity from 24 June 1948 to 11 May 1949. In 1949, theFederal Republic of Germany was founded in West

Germany, and eventuallyincluded all of the American,British and French zones, butexcluded those three countries’zones of Berlin, while theMarxist-Leninist GermanDemocratic Republic wasproclaimed in East Germany.West Berlin remained a freecity that was separate from theFederal Republic of Germany,and issued its own postagestamps. Airline service to WestBerlin was granted only toAmerican, British and French

airlines. The founding of the two German statesincreased Cold War tensions. West Berlin wassurrounded by East German territory. East Germany,however, proclaimed East Berlin (which it describedonly as “Berlin”) as its capital, a move that was notrecognized by the Western powers. Although half thesize and population of West Berlin, it included most ofthe historic center of the city. The West Germangovernment, meanwhile, established itself provisionallyin Bonn.

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. g

BERLIN - GERMANY

history brief and facts...

twentieth century

BERLIN - GERMANY

history brief and facts...

the fall of the Berlin wall and geography

1. Berlin was completely separated. Itwas possible for Westerners to passfrom one to the other only throughstrictly controlled checkpoints. Formost Easterners, travel to West Berlinor West Germany was no longerpossible. In 1971, a Four-Poweragreement guaranteed access acrossEast Germany to West Berlin and endedthe potential for harassment or closureof the routes.

In 1989, pressure from the EastGerman population broke free across theBerlin Wall on 9 November 1989, whichwas subsequently mostly demolished.Not much is left of it today; the East SideGallery in Friedrichshain near theOberbaumbrücke over the Spree

preserves a portion of the Wall.Democracy and market economy changedEast Germany and East Berlin.

On 3 October 1990 the two partsof Germany were reunified as the FederalRepublic of Germany, and Berlin becamethe German capital according to theunification treaty. In June 1991 theGerman Parliament, the Bundestag, votedto move the (West) German capital backfrom Bonn to Berlin. In 1999, the Germanparliament and government began theirwork in Berlin.

2. Berlin is located in eastern Germany,about 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of theborder with Poland in an area with marshyterrain. The Berlin–Warsaw Urstromtal

(ancient river valley), between the lowBarnim plateau to the north and theTeltow plateau to the south, was formedby water flowing from melting ice sheets

at the end of the last ice age. The Spreefollows this valley now. In Spandau,Berlin’s westernmost borough, the Spreemeets the river Havel, which flows fromnorth to south through western Berlin.The course of the Havel is more like achain of lakes, the largest being theTegeler See and Großer Wannsee. Aseries of lakes also feeds into the upperSpree, which flows through the GroßerMüggelsee in eastern Berlin.

Substantial parts of present-day Berlinextend onto the low plateaus on both sidesof the Spree Valley. Large parts of theboroughs Reinickendorf and Pankow lie

on the Barnim plateau, while most of theboroughs Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf,Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Neukölln lie on theTeltow plateau. The borough of Spandaulies partly within the Berlin Urstromtaland partly on the Nauen Plain, whichstretches to the west of Berlin. Thehighest elevations in Berlin are theTeufelsberg and the Müggelberge. Bothhills have an elevation of about115 metres (380 ft). The Teufelsberg is infact an artificial pile of rubble from theruins of World War II. The outskirts ofBerlin are covered with woodlands andnumerous lakes.

Berlin has a temperate/mesothermalclimate (Cfb) according to the Köppenclimate classification system.

Summers are warm with average hightemperatures of 22–25°C (mid 70s F) andlows of 12–14°C (mid 50s F). Winters arecold with average high temperatures of4°C (upper 30s F) and lows of -2 to 0°C(upper 20s and low 30s F). Spring and

autumn are generally chilly to mild.Berlin’s built-up area creates amicroclimate, with heat stored by thecity’s buildings. Temperatures can be4°C (7°F) higher in the city than in thesurrounding areas.

Annual precipitation is22.4 inches (570 mm) with moderaterainfall throughout the year. Lightsnowfall mainly occurs from Decemberthrough March, but snow cover doesnot usually remain for long. The city’sappearance today is predominantlyshaped by the key role it played inGermany’s history in the twentiethcentury. Each of the nationalgovernments based in Berlin — the

1871 German Empire, the WeimarRepublic, Nazi Germany, EastGermany, and now the reunifiedGermany — initiated ambitiousconstruction programs, each with itsown distinctive character. Berlin wasdevastated by bombing raids duringWorld War II and many of the oldbuildings that escaped the bombs wereeradicated in the 1950s and 1960s inboth West and East. Much of thisdestruction was initiated by municipalarchitecture programs to build newresidential or business quarters andmain roads. In the eastern part, manyPlattenbauten can be found, remindersof Eastern Bloc ambitions to createcomplete residential areas with fixedratios of shops, kindergartens andschools. The design of little red andgreen men on pedestrian crossinglights, the Ampelmännchen, are alsorather spread in Eastern parts. Berlin’sunique recent history has left the citywith a highly eclectic array ofarchitecture and buildings. g

BERLIN - GERMANY architecture

history brief and facts...

The Fernsehturm (TV tower) at

Alexanderplatz in Mitte is thesecond-tallest structure in the

European Union at 368 meters (1,207 ft).Built in 1969, it is visible throughoutmost of the central districts of Berlin. Thecity can be viewed from its 204 metres(670 ft) high observation floor. Startinghere the Karl-Marx-Allee heads east, anavenue lined by monumental residentialbuildings, designed in the SocialistClassicism Style of the Stalin era.Adjacent to this area is the Rotes Rathaus(City Hall), with its distinctive red-brickarchitecture. The previously built-up partin front of it is the Neptunbrunnen, afountain featuring a mythological scene.The East Side Gallery is an open-airexhibition of art painted directly on thelast existing portions of the Berlin Wall. Itis the largest remaining evidence of thecity’s historical division. It has recentlyundergone a restoration.

The Brandenburg Gate is an iconiclandmark of Berlin and Germany. It alsoappears on German euro coins (10 cent,20 cent, and 50 cent). The Reichstagbuilding is the traditional seat of theGerman Parliament, renovated in the1950s after severe World War II damage.The building was again remodeled byBritish architect Norman Foster in the1990s and features a glass dome over thesession area, which allows free publicaccess to the parliamentary proceedingsand magnificent views of the city.

The Gendarmenmarkt, a neoclassicalsquare in Berlin whose name dates back to

the Napoleonic occupation of the city, isbordered by two similarly designedcathedrals, the French Cathedral with itsobservation platform and the GermanCathedral. The Konzerthaus (Concert Hall),home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra,stands between the two cathedrals.

The Berliner Dom, a Protestantcathedral and the third church on this site,is located on the Spree Island across fromthe site of the Berliner Stadtschloss andadjacent to the Lustgarten. A large crypthouses the remains of some of the earlierPrussian royal family. Like many otherbuildings, it suffered extensive damageduring the Second World War. TheCathedral of St. Hedwig is Berlin’sRoman Catholic cathedral.

Unter den Linden is a tree linedeast-west avenue from the BrandenburgGate to the site of the former BerlinerStadtschloss, and was once Berlin’spremier promenade. Many Classicalbuildings line the street and part ofHumboldt University is located there.Friedrichstraße was Berlin’s legendarystreet during the Roaring Twenties. Itcombines twentieth century traditionswith the modern architecture of today’sBerlin. Potsdamer Platz is an entirequarter built from scratch after 1995 afterthe Wall came down. To the west ofPotsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum,which houses the Gemäldegalerie, and isflanked by the Neue Nationalgalerie andthe Philharmonic. The Memorial to theMurdered Jews of Europe, a Holocaustmemorial, is situated to the north.

The area around Hackescher Markt ishome to the fashionable culture, withcountless clothing outlets, clubs, bars,and galleries. This includes theHackesche Höfe, a conglomeration ofbuildings around several courtyards,reconstructed around 1996.Oranienburger Straße and the nearbyNew Synagogue were the center ofJewish culture before 1933, and regainsbeing it today. Schloss Charlottenburgis the largest existing palace in Berlin.

The Straße des 17. Juni,connecting the Brandenburg Gate andErnst-Reuter-Platz, serves as centralEast-West-Axis. Its namecommemorates the uprisings in EastBerlin of 17 June 1953.Approximately half-way from theBrandenburg Gate is the GroßerStern, a circular traffic island onwhich the Siegessäule (VictoryColumn) is situated. This monument,built to commemorate Prussia’svictories, was relocated 1938–39from its previous position in front ofthe Reichstag. The Kurfürstendammis home to some of Berlin’s luxuriousstores with the Kaiser WilhelmMemorial Church at its eastern end onBreitscheidplatz. The church wasdestroyed in the Second World Warand left in ruins. Near by onTauentzienstraße is KaDeWe,claimed to be continental Europe’slargest department store. The RathausSchöneberg, where John F. Kennedymade his famous “Ich bin einBerliner!” speech, is situated inTempelhof-Schöneberg. West of thecenter, Schloss Bellevue is theresidence of the German President.g

BERLIN - GERMANY religion, economy, culture

history brief and facts...

1 A majority of Berlin residents (60%)have no registered religious affiliation.

The largest religious groups areProtestants (mostly belonging to theEvangelical Church ofBerlin-Brandenburg-Silesian UpperLusatia, a united church) at 23% of thepopulation (757,000), Roman Catholics(9%, or 312,000 people), members ofother Christian churches (2.7%), andMuslims (6%, or 213,000). Most of theover 120,000 Jews in Berlin have comefrom the former Soviet Union.

Berlin is seat of both a RomanCatholic bishop (Roman CatholicArchdiocese of Berlin) and a Protestantbishop (Evangelical Church ofBerlin-Brandenburg-Silesian UpperLusatia). The IndependentEvangelical-Lutheran Church (formername: Old Lutherans) has eight parishesof different sizes in Berlin.

There are 36 Baptistcongregations, 29 New ApostolicChurches, 15 United Methodist churches,eight Free Evangelical Congregations, anOld Catholic church, and an Anglicanchurch in Berlin. Berlin has elevensynagogues, two Buddhist temples, and76 mosques. There are also a number ofhumanist and atheist groups in the city.

2 The economy of the city is mainlybased on the service sector. The ICC

and the Funkturm are part of the city’sexhibition and congress center.

In 2008, the nominal GDP of the citystateBerlin experienced a growth rate of 1.6%(1.3% in Germany) and totaled €83.0($108) billion, of which service sector

contributes around 81.85%, industry18.03%, and agriculture 0.12% .AfterGermany´s reunification, significantde-industrialization changed Berlin´seconomy which is today dominated by theservice sector. The unemployment ratesteadily decreased and reached a 13year-low with 13.3% in September 2008(German average:7.4%/September/2008).

Among the Forbes Global 2000and the 30 German DAX companies,Siemens and Deutsche Bahn controlheadquarters in Berlin. A multitude ofGerman and international companiesestablished secondary departments orservice offices in the city. Among the 20largest employers in Berlin are therailway company Deutsche Bahn, thehospital company Charité, the localpublic transport company BVG, theservice provider Dussmann and thePiepenbrock Group. Daimlermanufactures cars, and BMW buildsmotorcycles in Berlin. Bayer ScheringPharma and Berlin Chemie are majorpharmaceutical companiesheadquartered in the city. The secondmost important German airline Air Berlinand the rail company Deutsche Bahn areheadquartered in Berlin. In Germany,Universal Music and Sony Music areheadquartered in Berlin as well.

Fast-growing sectors are communications,life sciences, mobility and services withinformation and communicationtechnologies, media and music, advertisingand design, biotechnology and environmentalservices, transportation and medicalengineering. The Science and Business Parkof Berlin-Adlershof is among the 15 largest

technology parks worldwide. Researchand development have establishedeconomic significance, and the BerlinBrandenburg region ranks among the topthree innovative regions in the EU. Berlinis among the top three convention cities inthe world and is home to Europe’s biggestconvention center in the form of theInternationales Congress Centrum (ICC).It contributes to the rapidly increasingtourism sector encompassing 659 hotelswith 97,400 beds and numbered 17.8million overnight stays and 7.9 millionhotel guests in 2008. Berlin hasestablished itself as the third most-visitedcity destination in the European Union.

3Berlin is noted for its numerous culturalinstitutions, many of which enjoy

international reputation. The diversity andvivacity of the Zeitgeist Metropolis led toan ever-changing and trendsetting imageamong major cities. The city has a verydiverse art scene, and is home to around420 art galleries. Young Germans andinternational artists continue to settle in thecity, and Berlin has established itself as acenter of youth and popular culture inEurope. Signs of this expanding role wasthe 2003 announcement that the annualPopkomm, Europe’s largest music industryconvention, would move to Berlin after 15years in Cologne. Shortly thereafter, theUniversal Music Group and MTV alsodecided to move their Europeanheadquarters and main studios to the banksof the River Spree in Friedrichshain. In2005, Berlin was awarded the title of “Cityof Design” by UNESCO. g

BERLIN - GERMANY

history brief and facts...

media, festivals, museums, arts

1 Berlin is the home of manytelevision and radio stations;

international, national as wellas regional. The publicbroadcaster RBB has itsheadquarters there as well asthe commercial broadcastersMTV Europe, VIVA, TVB,FAB, N24 and Sat.1. Germaninternational publicbroadcaster Deutsche Wellehas its TV production unit inBerlin. Additionally, mostnational German broadcastershave a studio in the city.American radio programmingfrom National Public RadioNPR is also broadcast on theFM dial. Berlin has Germany’slargest number of dailynewspapers, with numerouslocal broadsheets (BerlinerMorgenpost, Berliner Zeitung,Der Tagesspiegel), and threemajor tabloids, as well asnational dailies of varyingsizes, each with a differentpolitical affiliation, such as DieWelt, Junge Welt, NeuesDeutschland, and DieTageszeitung. The Exberliner,a monthly magazine, is Berlin’sEnglish-language periodicalfocusing on arts andentertainment. Berlin is also theheadquarters of two majorGerman-language publishinghouses: Walter de Gruyter andSpringer, each of whichpublishes books, periodicals,and multimedia products.Berlin is an important center in

the European and German filmindustry. It is home to morethan one thousand film andtelevision productioncompanies, 270 movie theaters,and around 300 national andinternational co-productionsare filmed in the region everyyear. The venerableBabelsberg Studios and theproduction company UFA arelocated outside Berlin inPotsdam. The city is also homeof the European Film Academyand the German FilmAcademy, and hosts the annualBerlin Film Festival. Foundedin 1951, the festival has beencelebrated annually in Februarysince 1978. With over 430,000admissions it is the largestpublicly attended film festivalin the world.

2 Berlin has one of the mostdiverse and vibrant nightlife

scenes in Europe. Throughoutthe 1990s, twentysomethingsfrom surrounding countries,particularly those in Easternand Central Europe, madeBerlin’s club scene the premiernightlife destination of Europe.After the fall of the Berlin Wallin 1989, many buildings inMitte, the former city center ofEast Berlin, were renovated.Many had not been rebuiltsince the Second World War.Illegally occupied by youngpeople, they became a fertileground for all sorts of

underground andcounter-culture gatherings. It isalso home to many nightclubs,including Kunst HausTacheles, techno clubs Tresor,WMF, Ufo, E-Werk, theinfamous Kitkatclub andBerghain. The Linientreu, nearthe Kaiser Wilhelm MemorialChurch, has been well knownsince the 1990s for technomusic. The LaBellediscothèque in Friedenaubecame famous as the locationof the 1986 Berlin discothequebombing. Berlin is one of themost popular areas for nightlifeand DJ-culture in Europe.

SO36 in Kreuzberg originallyfocused largely on punk musicbut today has become a popularvenue for dances and parties ofall kinds. SOUND, located from1971 to 1988 in Tiergarten andtoday in Charlottenburg, gainednotoriety in the late 1970s for itspopularity with heroin users andother drug addicts as describedin Christiane F.’s book WirKinder vom Bahnhof Zoo.

The Karneval der Kulturen, amulti-ethnic street paradecelebrated every Pentecostweekend, and the ChristopherStreet Day, which is CentralEurope’s largest gay-lesbianpride event and is celebratedthe last weekend of June, areopenly supported by the city’sgovernment. Berlin is alsowell known for the techno

carnival Love Parade, clubtransmediale and thecultural festival BerlinerFestspiele, which includethe jazz festival JazzFestBerlin. Several technologyand media art festivals andconferences are held in thecity, includingTransmediale and ChaosCommunication Congress.

3 Berlin is home to 153museums. The ensemble

on the Museum Island is aUNESCO World HeritageSite and is situated in thenorthern part of the SpreeIsland between the Spreeand the Kupfergraben. Asearly as 1841 it wasdesignated a “districtdedicated to art andantiquities” by a royaldecree. Subsequently, theAltes Museum (OldMuseum) in the Lustgartendisplaying the bust of QueenNefertiti, and the NeuesMuseum (New Museum),Alte Nationalgalerie (OldNational Gallery),Pergamon Museum, andBode Museum were builtthere.While these buildingsonce housed distinctcollections, the names of thebuildings no longernecessarily correspond tothe names of the collectionsthey house. g

BERLIN - GERMANY media, festivals, museums, arts

history brief and facts...

Apart from the MuseumIsland, there is a wide

variety of museums. TheGemäldegalerie (PaintingGallery) focuses on thepaintings of the “old masters”from the thirteenth to theeighteenth centuries, while theNeue Nationalgalerie (NewNational Gallery, built byLudwig Mies van der Rohe)specializes in twentiethcentury European painting.The Hamburger Bahnhof,located in Moabit, exhibits amajor collection of modernand contemporary art. Inspring 2006, the expandedDeutsches HistorischesMuseum re-opened in theZeughaus with an overview ofGerman history through thefall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.The Bauhaus-Archive is anarchitecture museum. TheJewish Museum has a standingexhibition on two millennia ofGerman-Jewish history. TheGerman Museum ofTechnology in Kreuzberg has alarge collection of historicaltechnical artifacts. TheMuseum für Naturkundeexhibits natural history nearBerlin Hauptbahnhof. It hasthe largest mounted dinosaurin the world (a brachiosaurus),and a preserved specimen ofthe early bird Archaeopteryx.

In Dahlem, there areseveral museums of world artand culture, such as theMuseum of Indian Art, theMuseum of East Asian Art,the Ethnological Museum, theMuseum of EuropeanCultures, as well as the AlliedMuseum (a museum of theCold War), the BrückeMuseum (an art museum). In

Lichtenberg, on the groundsof the former East GermanMinistry for State Security(Stasi), is the Stasi Museum.The site of CheckpointCharlie, one of the renownedcrossing points of the BerlinWall, is still preserved andalso has a museum. Themuseum, which is a privateventure, exhibits acomprehensive array ofmaterial about people whodevised ingenious plans toflee the East. The Beate UhseErotic Museum near ZooStation claims to be theworld’s largest eroticmuseum.

4 Berlin is home to more than50 theaters. The Deutsches

Theater in Mitte was built in1849–50 and has operatedcontinuously since then,except for a one-year break(1944–45) due to the SecondWorld War. The Volksbühneon Rosa Luxemburg Platz wasbuilt in 1913–14, though thecompany had been foundedalready in 1890. The BerlinerEnsemble, famous forperforming the works ofBertolt Brecht, was establishedin 1949, not far from theDeutsches Theater. TheSchaubühne was founded in1962 in a building inKreuzberg, but moved in 1981to the building of the formerUniversum Cinema onKurfürstendamm. Berlin hasthree major opera houses: theDeutsche Oper, the BerlinState Opera, and the KomischeOper. The Berlin State Operaon Unter den Linden is theoldest; it opened in 1742. Itscurrent musical director isDaniel Barenboim. The

Komische Oper hastraditionally specialized inoperettas and is located atUnter den Linden as well. TheDeutsche Oper opened in 1912in Charlottenburg. During thedivision of the city from 1961to 1989 it was the only majoropera house in West Berlin.

There are sevensymphony orchestras inBerlin. The BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra is oneof the preeminent orchestras inthe world; it is housed in theBerliner Philharmonie nearPotsdamer Platz on a street

named for the orchestra’slongest-serving conductor,Herbert von Karajan. Thecurrent principal conductoris Simon Rattle. TheKonzerthausorchesterBerlin was founded in 1952as the orchestra for EastBerlin, since thePhilharmonic was based inWest Berlin. Its currentprincipal conductor isLothar Zagrosek. The Hausder Kulturen der Weltpresents various exhibitionsdealing with interculturalissues and stages worldmusic and conferences. g