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Berlin( [bɛɐ̯li ː n] ? / i ) is the federal capital and seat of government of the Federal Republic of Germany . As a city state of Berlin is one country and is the center of the metropolitan region Berlin / Brandenburg . With 3.45 million inhabitants, Berlin is the most populated with about 892 km ² and the area’s largest city in Germany, as well as the inhabitants second largest city in the European Union . Berlin is divided into twelve districts. In the urban area are the rivers Spree and Havel , several smaller rivers and numerous lakes.
First documented in the 13th Century mention was Berlin in the course of history, capital of Brandenburg , Prussia and Germany in its various forms of government. In fact was the eastern part of the city capital of the German Democratic Republic . Since the reunification in 1990 Berlin’s all-German capital with headquarters of the Federal President in 1994, the German Bundestag since 1999 and the Federal Council since 2000.
The city of Berlin is considered the world city of culture, politics, media and science. [4] [5] It is an important European transportation hub and one of the most visited cities on the continent. Institutions such as universities, research institutions and museums enjoy international reputation. In the town live and work by artists, diplomats and immigrants from around the world. [6] Berlin’s history, nightlife, architecture and diverse living conditions are well known.

The geographic location of the Berlin City Hall is 52 ° 31 ’6 “north latitude and 13 ° 24′ 30″ east longitude. The greatest expansion of the urban area in east-west direction is about 45 km north-south direction, about 38 km. It has an area of 892 km. Berlin is the country of Brandenburg and is surrounded to the east of Germany , about 70 km west of the border with Poland . The metropolitan region of Berlin / Brandenburg is one of the compression zones of Germany.

Relief map of Berlin
Berlin is located in a glacially influenced landscape. The historic center is located at the narrowest and lowest point of the Warsaw so that traffic- Berlin glacial valley , which crosses the south-east Berlin from the west and north of the Spree flows through east-west direction. The north-eastern part of Berlin is situated on the plateau of Barnim , almost half of the urban area in the southwest area lies on the plateau of Teltow . The westernmost county , Spandau lies within both the Berlin glacial valley and on the western outskirts of Berlin, especially Nauen plate . The landscape was formed in Berlin Ice Age glaciation during the recent period, the Weichselian . Before about 20,000 years ago the area of Berlin was still some 100 meters bachelorette party supplies thick Scandinavian ice sheet covered. At the rear of the melting glacier was formed about 18,000 years ago the Berlin glacial valley.
Berlin’s Spree River are tributaries of the river Panke , the Dahme , the Wuhle and Erpe .
In the Spandau district of the River Spree flows into the Havel River , which flows through the western part of Berlin in the north-south direction. The course of the river Havel, actually a glacial trough is similar, often a landscape of lakes, the largest bulges form the Tegeler See and Wannsee Large .
Each part in Berlin are the flowing rivulets the Havel Tegeler Fliess and Bak .
The highest elevations in Berlin are the highest natural elevation of the Great Müggelberg (114.7 m above sea level. NHN ) in the district of Treptow-Koepenick , consisting of debris of the Second World War, heaped up Devil’s Hill (114.7 m above sea level. NN ) in the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Ahrensfelder Mountains (114.5 m above sea level. NN) in the park Wuhletal in Marzahn-Hellersdorf . The deepest areas of Berlin are the Havel lakes in the Southwest. They are located 32 m above sea level. NN.
See also : Geology and Landscape Development in Brandenburg and list of surveys in Berlin
Air

Berlin is located in lit a temperate climatic zone ( Big Zoo in October)
The city is located in the temperate climatic zone at the transition from maritime to continental climate. The average annual temperature in Berlin-Dahlem is 8.9 ° C and the mean annual rainfall of 581 mm. The warmest months are July and August with an average of 18.5 and 17.7 ° C and the coldest January and February of -0.6 or -0.3 ° C on average. Most precipitation falls in June with an average of 70 mm, the lowest in March with an average of 31 mm. Regarding the wind speed and wind direction distribution of a split peak is recorded. Accordingly, most frequently observed in Berlin northwest and southwest wind, which is associated with higher speeds, especially in winter and mostly maritime transport approach, well-mixed air and clean sea.
, The second maximum from the southeast and east is often characterized by a continental high pressure air masses, weather patterns, which are called depending on the season and lead to very very cold days. The latter had to weather conditions in the 1980s, characteristic of smog -able situations, because the pollutants produced in the city (especially from the furnace of fire and the car exhaust) due to the low-exchange weather does not evaporate. The sharp decline in the heating furnace and the advent of exhaust filters and automotive catalysts have mitigated this problem in the past 20 years.
The small differences in elevation within the city bring in a more homogeneous urban climate , however, the dense development into the city and the district centers to more or less significant temperature differences compared to large urban open spaces, especially in the vast agricultural areas surrounding countryside. Especially in summer nights temperature differences of up measured at 10 ° C. [8] Overall, however, Berlin is also benefiting in this regard by his great green space, more than 40 percent of the city are green stock, [9] . about 400,000 trees lining the streets [ 10] The large number of smaller open spaces, especially the large urban green spaces such as the Great Tiergarten , the Grunewald and the former Tempelhof Airport with the Hasenheide , known by climatologists as “cold island” effect, at least in their environment as mostly as largely perceived pleasant climate.

Structure of the State of Berlin
→ Main article : List of counties and districts of Berlin
Berlin is divided into twelve districts and these in turn into a total of 95 districts . The districts shall not represent a management units, but form the basis of official information and therefore have local administrative boundaries. A third level consists of local documents mentioned, not only well-defined and colloquially known geographical areas. Districts and local documents play in everyday parlance, a greater role, since, in contrast to the districts, which are merely technical administrative units have historically grown structures.
With the Greater Berlin Act [12] of 1920 were originally 20 districts with 94 districts at that time, which corresponded to the inserted unincorporated rural and urban communities and Gutsbezirk with unchanged boundaries which to Greater Berlin summarized. Of these 20 districts were following the division of the city in 12 Western and 8 in East Berlin. On the occasion of the creation of new residential areas on the eastern outskirts of the city was – without any incorporation – by spin-off of other districts from some previous, whose numbers in the eastern part of 1979-1986 increased to 11, while its division in West Berlin, except for an exchange of territory of West-Staaken against the eastern United Glienicke – the 95th District as a whole, remained unchanged. The reunited Berlin was thus first 23 districts in 1990. Reform Act in the area of 10 June 1998, the number 1, then January 2001 by district mergers eventually reduced to 12. Number and layout of the districts were also changed during the last several decades.
As parts of the country bear the Berlin districts of their names without the preceding word no no hair removal “Berlin”. This usage is auto loans for bad credit also extended to after the districts named state institutions such as courts and tax offices, so that terms such blu cigs coupon as Amtsgericht Tiergarten or tax office Kreuzberg are used nationwide, without belonging to the city of Berlin in the proper name would be seen

Foundation and the Middle Ages

Berlin’s plan from Abraham Dusableau Guibert (1737, gesüdet )
The city Cölln , part of the Spree island located twin cities Berlin-Colin , was first documented in 1237. [15] in 1244 was followed by the mention of Berlin, which was located on the northern bank of the Spree. The two cities were in 1307 a joint town hall. The name Berlin has nothing to do with the Bears in today’s coat of arms, but he probably goes to the Slavic syllable berl (Marsh) back. The present-day districts of Spandau and Kopenick Slavic settlements existed as before the establishment of the Mark Brandenburg , the 1157 through the Ascanians Albrecht the Bear was.
Berlin shared the fate of Brandenburg under the Ascanians (1157-1320), Wittelsbach (1323-1373) and Luxembourgers (1373-1415).
1415, Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg and remained so until 1440th Members of the family of Hohenzollern ruled until 1918 in Berlin, first as Margrave of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia , and finally as German emperors .
1448 revolted inhabitants of Berlin in ” Berlin resentment “against the new castle of the Elector Frederick II (“iron teeth”). This protest was not successful, however, and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic freedoms. 1451 Berlin became residence of the Brandenburg electors, and had Earl and his status as a free Hanseatic city to give up.
The Reformation was in 1539 by Elector Joachim II introduced in Berlin and Colin, without leading to major conflicts.
Early Modern Times

The Berlin City Palace , the main residence of the German Emperor , 1900
The Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648 had devastating consequences for Berlin: A third of houses were damaged, and the population was halved. Frederick William , known as the Great Elector, 1640, the government took over from his father. He began a policy of immigration and religious tolerance. From next year saw the founding of the suburbs Friedrichswerder , Dorothee city and Frederick City .
1671 was 50 Jewish families from Austria , where a home in Berlin. With the Edict of Potsdam in 1685, Friedrich Wilhelm invited the French Huguenots to Brandenburg one. Over 15,000 were French, of whom settled in Berlin 6000. By 1700, 20 percent of Berlin’s residents were French, and their cultural influence was great. Many immigrants came from Bohemia , Poland , and Salzburg .
Prussia
1701 Berlin became the coronation of Frederick I, King in Prussia the position of the Prussian capital, which it retained until 1947. As of 1 January 1710 there was a merger of the cities of Berlin, Colin, Friedrichswerder, Dorothee and Friedrichstadt the Royal residence and capital city of Berlin . Soon, new suburbs , the Berlin enlarged.
In 1861 it came to the incorporation of Wedding and Moabit and Tempelhof , the Schöneberg , trottinette freestyle the Spandau and other suburbs.
German nation-state
With the agreement on the small German nation-state by the Prussian prime minister Otto electronic cigarettes von Bismarck , on 18 January was completed in 1871, Berlin was also in the position of the capital of the German nation-state, How to Lose Weight Fast first with its state-legal term German Empire , and later as the Federal Republic of Germany . [16] [17] was this William I. In addition to his reign of King of Prussia in a solemn ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles for the first German emperor proclaimed. By Bismarck himself, became the first chancellor of the empire.
Empire
With the founding of the German Empire can be the beginning of the early days , in the wake of Germany to world power and the Berlin metropolis rose, dating in Germany very closely to the year 1871. In more than four decades of lasting spa cover peace, which in August 1914 with the start of the First World War ended, was in Berlin in 1877, first metropolis , surpassing the two-million population mark for the first time in 1905.
After his abdication of the Kaiser left Berlin on 9-10. November 1918 until today.
“Weimar Republic”
After the end of World War I was in Berlin in 1918 the Republic was proclaimed. In 1920, the Greater Berlin Act a full re-incorporation of several cities, many rural communities and Gutsbezirke around Berlin. The imperial and state capital had to some four million inhabitants and was in the 1920s, the biggest city in continental Europe and to London and New York ‘s third largest city in the world.
The city experienced in the 1920s, the golden age of art, science and culture, which later became the ” Golden Twenties were known. ” During this time, which was at times characterized by economic recovery, was Berlin, and now because of the unusually vast urban area, the largest industrial city in Europe.
“Third Reich”

Potsdamer Platz, 1945
As a result of the takeover of the Nazis in 1933, Berlin was the capital of the role of the Third Reich to. It won a hand with the destruction of federalism in political importance, while on the other hand, the party headquarters of the state party collected Nazi Party until 1945 in Munich remained. The Nazis used the 1936 to be held in Berlin Summer Olympic Games for propaganda purposes. [18] then developed Adolf Hitler and General Building Albert Speer megalomaniac architectural concepts for the reconstruction of Berlin after the Roman model of the ” World Capital Germania “.
The Nazis destroyed Berlin’s Jewish community , which numbered around 160,000 members before 1933. After the November pogrom of 1938, thousands of Berlin Jews were to the nearby Sachsenhausen concentration camp were deported. Apart from a few Jews, who were married to non-Jewish Germans, the last Jews in Berlin from February 1943 had for several weeks to the Grunewald train station , marching into cattle cars in extermination camps like Auschwitz deportation.
During the Second World War, large parts of the city with bombs and urban warfare were destroyed.
Division of the city

Map of the divided city
After taking the city by the Red Army and the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht on 8 Berlin, May 1945, according to the protocols of London – the outline of all of Germany into occupation zones in accordance with – in four sectors split. The sectors of the Western Allies ( USA , UK and France ) formed the western part of the city, while the sector of the Soviet Union to the East was formed.
For Greater Berlin , however, was a joint responsibility of all four Allies exist. The growing political differences between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union led to a currency reform in the western sectors 1948/1949 to an economic blockade of West Berlin by the Allies with the ” Berlin Airlift “overcame.

Berlin Wall , 1986
With the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in East Germany in 1949, solidified the Cold War in Berlin. While the Federal Republic of its seat of government in Bonn had what was initially intended as temporary, the GDR proclaimed Berlin as its capital. The East-West conflict culminated in the Berlin crisis and led to the construction of the Berlin Wall by East Germany on catalogues 13 August, 1961.

10th November 1989, Bornholm street in the western part of Berlin. The day after the opening of the Wall is preparing a trellis to the visitors from the GDR, a first reception
West Berlin since 1949, was de facto a country of the Federal Republic of Germany – but with a special legal status – and East Berlin, de facto part of the GDR. Berlin’s East and West were in 1961 completely separated from each other, the transition was only possible at certain checkpoints, except, however, no more to residents of the GDR and East Berlin, retirees, and until 1972 only in exceptional cases, for people of West- of Berlin.
In 1971 the Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin signed and entered into force in 1972. While the Soviet Union, the four-power status related only to West Berlin, the Western powers emphasized in 1975 Seattle physical therapy in a note to the United Nations, its conception of the Four-Power status of Berlin as a whole. The problem of the controversial status of Berlin is also a question of Berlin called.
1989 came in the GDR to the turn , the wall was opened. In 1990 the two German states as the Federal Republic of Germany were reunited and Berlin, by the Unification Treaty German capital.
“Berlin Republic”

Richard von Weizsäcker moved the first official residence of the President to Berlin in 1994. 1981-1984 he was mayor of the city
On 20 June 1991 decided the Bundestag with the capital decision for controversial public discussion, that the city should be the seat of the German Federal Government and the Bundestag. In 1994, the Bellevue Palace on the initiative of Richard von Weizsäcker’s first official residence of the President . In the ensuing period was the Federal President’s built nearby.
In 1999, the government and parliament for their work in Berlin. In 2001, the new Chancellor’s Office and inaugurated by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder related. The vast number of foreign missions in Germany in the years that followed moved its headquarters from Bonn to Berlin.
As of 1 January 2001, the number of districts , is divided into Berlin, previously reduced by 23 to 12.
Population

→ Main article : Population Development in Berlin

Population development in Berlin since 1880
Berlin currently has around 3.4 million inhabitants, making it by far the most populous city in Germany, bigger than the cities of Hamburg and Munich combined. The urbanized metropolitan area extends beyond the borders of Berlin and about 4.35 million, which includes metropolitan region Berlin / Brandenburg , which encompasses both states fully, almost six million inhabitants.
Until the mid-17th Century was only sparsely populated, the Berlin area, the Thirty Years’ War Malaysia Property the population of Berlin had approximately halved again. However, after elector Friedrich Wilhelm 1640, the business of government had taken over from his father, he took including many Huguenots from France in the region. Thus, the population rose from about 6,000 in 1648 to around 57,000 in 1709. The population was growing steadily, so that in 1740 the Berlin city and around 1875 million for the city was.

Population pyramid of Berlin 2010
The population increase in the Berlin area was the result after the Prussian reforms onset of industrialization experienced an acceleration. The Berlin in the last quarter of the Carpet Cleaning London 19th Century were born only a good 40% in Berlin. In 1900 came from the 1.9 million Berliners from the Prussian provinces of Brandenburg, about 20%, East and West Prussia, 9%, Silesia 7%, Pomerania 6%, Poznan 5% and Saxony 4%. Rather low at 3-4% was the immigration from other regions of Germany and with a good 1.5% from abroad. The proportion of Berlin with German mother tongue was in 1895 when over 98%. [19] The Greater Berlin Act of 1920, the population increased by incorporation of previously independent towns and villages on almost four million. Berlin was so in the 1920s and 1930s, the biggest city in continental Europe and to London and New York City ‘s third largest city in the world. The population surpassed in the 1920s, the four-million mark, reaching 4.48 million in 1942 with its highest level.
The Second World War, the number dropped again and since then is fairly constant from 3.1 to 3.5 million people. Young men from the Federal Territory 1957-1990 offered a move to West Berlin the opportunity of conscription to army to withdraw, because there is not the military legislation of the Federal Republic was. The number of arrivals and departures of every year since 1991 is 100000-145000. [20] The often-quoted statement from the year 2007, 1.7 million have left the city of Berlin after the reunification (since 1991), 1.8 million people were drawn and would have ensured a comprehensive exchange of population, [21] is thus based on a simple addition of all arrivals and departures of all over-subscribed and the actual population fluctuation. Even today in Germany, Berlin has a far superior spatial population dynamics. free ipad Only in the year 2009 143.852 people moved to Berlin, including 56 028 foreigners. At the same time leaving the city of 133 335 inhabitants, of whom 59 083 foreigners. [22]
In the decades after the Second World War, many guest workers hcg diet drops came from Southern Denver Divorce Lawyer Europe and Turkey to Western and contract workers, mostly from Vietnam to East Berlin. Since the 1980s, made ​​many Russian-German repatriates and since the reunification eventually Jews from the Ukraine and Russia on the way here. Today live in the city citizens from some 190 countries. [23] [24] Moreover, and Berlin is due to the political and cultural importance of a move area for many German from other regions, the migration gain was compared to the rest of Germany in 2009, over 18,000 persons, [25] Kreuzberg is due to the dense population and low rents a focus of both the Turkish and the alternative culture. The Turkish community in Berlin with about 180,000 Turkish citizens and Turkish origin [26] is one of the largest Turkish community outside Turkey.

Dialect
→ Main article : Berlin dialect
Berlinisch or Berlin is generally considered a variant of the central German Berlin-Brandenburg seen, which is spoken in Berlin and the Berlin area and includes only common in Berlin (Say) words or phrases coined there. Linguistically, it is actually a dialect in which Metrolekt, an urban mix of languages ​​that is not local in origin, but was created by mixture of dialects from different sources. In fact, today’s Brandenburg a variance of the Berlin Metrolekts.
The Berlinerisch took the influx of many population groups several words and phrases from other languages ​​and dialects such as the Flemish, French and Yiddish on. The Berlinische was mainly sought in the history of the language of ordinary people, the educated class are always impeccable high German . Although many new Berliner took on parts of Berlin, but the constant use was considered “bad manners”, “proletarian” or “stupid”. In the GDR, this attitude changed partially, so that Berlin was maintained even in educated circles in part. This will find the centers of the increased use today, especially in the eastern districts, the old western working class districts and the surrounding area. Change the language in Berlin is dominated by immigrant waves, which used the colloquial language remains unstable.
In a large part of today’s suburban districts of Berlin, as in the surrounding Brandenburg until the 20th Century dialects of Low German , or more precisely of the Mark-Brandenburg , said that although during the urbanization of the suburbs and also by the linguistic impact of the metropolis Berlin now largely superseded and replaced by Central German dialects and a Berlin-style embossed regiolect of standard German are.
Religions, philosophies

Berlin Cathedral on the island in the Spree

St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Bebelplatz, Roman Catholic Episcopal Church
Of the approximately 3.4 million inhabitants of Berlin are about 60% non-denominational, Evangelical 19.3%, [30], 9.3% Catholic, [30] 2.7% profess other Christian denominations, have 8.1% an immigrant in an Islamic country, [31], 0.3% belong to ppi claims the Jewish community [30] , 0.6% belong to another religion. [32]
Due to the different development during the German division exist in the Creed strong east-west differences, especially in the Protestant church, which dominates since the Reformation in Berlin. [33] Thus, in the most complete in the westernmost district of Tempelhof- Beautiful mountain of 335,000 inhabitants [34] some 90,000 Protestants, [35] which corresponds to a share of 27 percent.
Bishop of the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia is Mark Dröge . At the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin is Rainer Maria Woelki . The land of the Protestant Church of Berlin pays annually 8.14691 million € and the Roman Catholic Church € 2.86 million government subsidies (in 2009). [36]
The Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church , which today is represented in the city with eight parishes, is formed from the 1830 Evangelical Lutheran Church emerged. [37]
Also in Berlin, one domiciled are Russian Orthodox and Bulgarian Orthodox bishop, most other Orthodox and ancient Eastern national churches are also represented with communities. With at least five regular measurement sites also have the Catholic Altritualisten its strongest presence in Berlin in Germany. Also exists in Berlin-Wilmersdorf -old Catholic church that even in the old village church Schöneberg is a guest. [38]

New Synagogue (NY) in the Oranienburgerstrasse

Sehitlik mosque at the Columbia Dam
Baptists are in Berlin since the mid-19th Century, with its 36 municipalities, they are now the largest independent church of the federal capital. Among other things, there are 29 municipalities of the New Apostolic Church . There are six municipalities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Berlin’s oldest Mennonite congregation there since 1887. In Berlin there is the legal residence of the German branch of the religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses .
Since 1999 Berlin is the seat of the Central Council of Jews in Germany . Today there are over eleven synagogues , several Buddhist temples and 76 mosques in the city.
Since early 2007, the organization Scientology represented with a capital representation, whose opening has led to protests. [39]
In Berlin also humanist and atheist groups are represented. Thus the Humanist Association of Germany , the Berlin state association has 4894 members, [40] and the Humanist Academy Germany based in Berlin.
See also : List of religious buildings in Berlin
Personalities
Freeman is in the list of honorary citizen of Berlin listed in the city-born persons in the list of sons and daughters of the city of Berlin , biographies of people Vietnamese translation with a clear reference to Berlin in the category person (Berlin) collected. The members of the Berlin state governments since 1948 are found in the collections of Berlin’s governing mayor and the list of Senators from Berlin . Various city originals are originals Berlin summarized.
Policy

→ Main article : Politics in Berlin
Federal Capital

The German Bundestag in the Reichstag building
The first German parliament after reunification in 1991 decided in the ” Capital of decision “that Berlin as Germany’s capital and seat of the Bundestag and the federal government should be.
Since 1994 is the first official residence of the President in the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. 1999 was the relocation of most of the federal government from Bonn to Berlin instead. The Federal Government , the Bundestag in the Reichstag and the Bundesrat in the former Prussian manor house have since been in operation in the capital. In 2001, the Federal Office for the first time and inaugurated by the then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder related.

The Chancellor’s Office in the Government District
Half of the federal ministries, such as the Foreign Office in the 1934-built extension of the former German Reichsbank or the Federal Ministry of Finance have built in the 1935 Ministry of Aviation, headquartered in Berlin. All federal ministers working in the federal capital. Parts of the federal ministries and other federal institutions are still in the former Federal Capital (now Federal City ) Bonn . The majority of ministry employees, about 9,000 civil servants work, also in Bonn. All ministries have each in the city, the headquarters is not a second seat.
More than 140 embassies and their diplomatic missions have their headquarters in Berlin. [41]
Land Berlin

Berlin House of Representatives
Greater Berlin is only since the reunification of a German state in the strict sense. Although declared next to the Berlin State Constitution of 1950, the German Basic Law, the Land of Berlin to the member state of the Federal Republic of Germany , because of the Quadripartite Agreement, but until then it was international law ineffective.
Berlin is the country into twelve districts divided. The state parliament of the country, the legislative power is, according to the Constitution of Berlin , the Berlin House of Representatives . In it are currently members of the SPD , CDU , the Left , Alliance 90/The Greens and pirate party represented.
The state government (as head of the executive branch ) is the Senate of Berlin , consisting of the Mayor and up to eight senators . The mayor is also the representative of the country and the city. The provincial government after the election to the House of Representatives on 18 September 2011 web hosting are the SPD and CDU in the government coalition, led by Klaus Wowereit (SPD) as mayor in the Senate Wowereit IV .
Management

The Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit , SPD
From 1808 to 1935 and from 1945 to 1948 Berlin was a magistrate manages, headed by a mayor stood. In the period 1935 to 1945 there were according to the National Socialist German Municipal Code no magistrate. From 1948 until the reunification of the divided city in 1990 passed a magistrate in East Berlin and West Berlin in the Senate.
The administration of the country since 1990 in Berlin is reunified city of Berlin on the overall election – as before in Berlin (West) – from the Senate of Berlin (the headquarters) and the district administrations in Berlin perceived. The central administration includes the Senate administrations, the authorities subordinate to them (special authorities) and unincorporated companies and the companies under their own supervision. car insurance The head office shall perform the duties of citywide importance, though this term is interpreted broadly.

The Red City Hall , home of the Berlin Senate
Since Berlin is a unified community is to provide the districts are not independent communities represent, in terms of population but they are with larger districts in the area states comparable. The districts are subject to the district supervision by the Senate. [42] Nevertheless, there are in each district of Berlin, a separate – but not as a Parliament, but as part of the administration embodied – representing the people, the Borough Assembly (BVV) that the District Office , consisting of district mayors and five city councilors , chosen by proportional party. District mayors and city councils have, therefore, despite their quasi-political choice, the status of election officials holding. The mayors of the districts formed under the chairmanship of the mayor of the Council of the Mayor , which advises the Senate.
The structure and functions of the Berlin administration arising from the general jurisdiction law (AZG). Since reunification, Berlin is in many sub-steps of a comprehensive administrative reform undertaken.
Coat of Arms and Flag home loan
→ Main article : Berlin’s coat of arms and flag of Berlin

The country’s symbol of Berlin
The Berlin coat of arms shows in a silver (white) shield a red reinforced and red langued, erect border black bears , the so-called Berlin bear . On the shield rests a golden five-leaved deciduous crown, the tiara designed as masonry with a closed gate in the middle. The origin of the bear as a mascot is unclear on Cell Phone Accessories this document or documents are missing. There are several theories as to why the city chose representatives for the bear. One of them says that the Berlin of Albert the Bear , the founder of the Mark Brandenburg thought. Another comes from the onomatopoeic interpretation of the city name. The bear is first seen on a seal of 1280th Over several centuries had the bear the seal and coat of arms pictures with the Brandenburg and Prussian eagle share. Only in the 20th Century could not bear to enforce the Berlin final against the Eagles as emblems of the city.
Standard flags with regard to national service buildings:

The Berlin state flag shows the Berlin bear against a white background with a red stripe at the top and bottom of the flag. It is run with minor stylistic changes since 1911 in Berlin and flew for the first time in 1913 the City Hall. Before Berlin led a flag in the colors black, red and white, which was replaced because of constant confusion with the instructions, developed later flag of the acne scars German Empire against the bear flag. The state symbol is the shield bears without foliage crown in three color versions. It is provided by the Department for Internal Affairs and Sports, to allow individuals, companies and non-sovereign institutions to document the ties to Berlin with a symbol. The Berlin districts have their own coat of arms. As a unifying element of all the Berlin districts of Berlin, but also with each other, resting on the shields of a mural crown three towers, the central tower with the Berlin coat of arms (silver) is occupied.
Household
The expenditure of the State of Berlin in 2009 amounted to 21.04 billion euros, 19.57 billion by contrast, revenues were €. [43]
For the general budget, the country receives annually about 3.2 billion euros from the state fiscal balance and approximately 2.0 billion Euros Other supplementary federal grants. [44] The European Union controls added during the period 2007-2013 will be around € 1.2 billion to the budget. By the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund will be financed in a variety of areas to increase competition. [45]
The total debt of the State of Berlin at 31 December 2009 approximately € 59.8 billion incurred annually for HDMI switch the approximately 2.4 billion euros in interest. [46]
Economics

→ Main article : Economy of Berlin

Administration and laboratory building of Bayer HealthCare AG
In 2009, the gross domestic product of Berlin € 90.1 billion. This means a change of nominal 1.7%, -0.7% in real terms over 2008, compared with -3.5% in nominal terms, real -5% in the Federal Republic. [48]
Compared with the regional GDP (in purchasing power parity) per capita denver accident lawyer reached Berlin in the EU (EU-27: 100) in 2007, an index of 97.8 compared to 82.2 Brandenburg and Germany 115.8. [49]
To the growth sectors include creative and cultural industries, tourism, biotechnology, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, Medien/Informations- and communications technology, transport systems engineering, optics and energy technology.
Berlin recorded an unemployment rate of 12.7% in September 2011 (Federal German average of 6.6%). [50] 21.8 percent of residents receive benefits under the Social Code Book II , and Hartz IV recipients named. [51]
Company
About 80 percent of companies in Berlin include the tertiary sector (services) to. Of the 30 in the German DAX -listed companies, Siemens AG (Munich shared with) a nominal headquarters in Berlin. Among the largest companies in the world ( Fortune Global 500 ), the German Bahn AG is headquartered in Berlin in 2009 ranked 151st recorded.
The 15 largest companies represented in Berlin by employees in 2010: [52]

erlin is the seat of several regional and national broadcasters transmitting. In addition to television stations such as MTV , Nick , VIVA and Comedy Central , N24 or TV Berlin in Berlin, there are a large number of private radio stations . The public broadcaster RBB (in former West Berlin , the historic SFB , in Brandenburg, ORB ) is based in Berlin, German wave and Germany radio have in the city a second seat of political importance as the federal capital bear the majority of regional stations such as The First , ZDF and RTL , with each “Capital Studios’ bill.
In Berlin, the nationally significant Springer-Verlag and the regional Berlin publishing their headquarters in any other German city boasts more newspapers . National daily newspapers, the tabloid image , on subscription newspapers , the liberal-left taz , the conservative world , the new Germany of the party The Left and the socialist Young World . With the right-wing Junge Freiheit , the leftist Friday and left Jungle World , three are small by regional weeklies . Appearing daily local subscription newspapers are the Berliner Zeitung , the Berliner Morgenpost and the Tagesspiegel . There is in Berlin, the local tabloid BZ and Berliner Kurier . also appear different display newspapers like the Berliner week, the Berlin Evening Journal, the second hand , and city magazines like the tip , the [030] magazine and Zitty .
Tourism

The International Congress Centre and the radio tower
Berlin is one of the busiest centers of national and international tourism cities . Since 2001, the number of overnight guests, the newly built hotels and their bed capacities at higher than average. In 2009, approximately 18.9 million overnight stays in Berlin accommodation facilities of 8.3 million guests and visitors numbered an estimated 132 million days. [53] The city is therefore to London , Paris and, together with Rome ‘s favorite destination within Europe.
International visitors make up about 40 percent of visitor numbers. These visitors are from Italy , Great Britain , the United States and the Netherlands in the top group. Main attractions are architectural, historical sites, museums, festivals, shopping, nightlife and major events, which include several hundred thousand visitors annually. Berlin is also one of the largest international conference organizers in the world. [54] The ICC is the largest conference center in Europe and, together with the Berlin trade fair in business tourism.
Through this development, the tourism industry in Berlin has become a mainstay of the regional economy. In addition to the hospitality industry and the retail sector benefited greatly from the Berlin tourists. [55]
Health Economics
A total of 179 777 persons, representing 11.7 percent of the Berlin workers in the health sector and its sub-fields of industry, commerce, trade and private and public services concerned. [56]
In the capital region of 174 biotechnology companies with 3427 employees work (2006). Half of the company is based in a technology park. Biotechnology in Europe is one region to the tip.
Cultural Industries

Headquarters of Universal Music Germany in Friedrichshain
The cultural economy includes designers, writers, architects, painters, musicians, sculptors, actors, directors, singers, publishers, photographers, journalists, engineers, graphic designers, web design, camera, printer, fashion designers, dancers, jewelers, opinion researchers, librarians, cinema operators, translators , booksellers, archivists, artists, advertisers, puppeteers, city planners and software developers. In 2006, almost 23,000 companies with 160,000 workers generated a turnover of more than 17.5 billion euros. This represents a fifth of economic power in Berlin, with a growth rate of 25 percent over 2000. The number of firms has increased over this period by one third. [57]
Within the culture industry is the music industry, the sector with the highest growth rates with respect to revenues and employees. Sales ringtones for iphone of the record companies, concert promoters and related areas increased between 1998 to 2007 by over 72 percent to around 1.1 billion euros, despite a declining trend in Germany overall. 1,500 companies now employ more than 6,200 permanent employees. 450 record labels are represented in the capital.
Arts and Culture

Theaters, orchestras, choirs, festivals

Concert of the Berlin Philharmonic
Berlin is regarded as a prominent political and cultural center and has a reputation of a European metropolis . [58] Numerous theaters and cabarets shape the cultural landscape of the metropolis. The best known are the Berliner Ensemble , the folk theater on Rosa-Luxembourg-Platz , the Schaubühne place , the theater of the West , the Renaissance Theatre , the German Theatre in Berlin , the Maxim Gorki Theater , the Children and Young People’s Theatre Grips Theatre and the Friedrichstadtpalast . With the Schiller Theater of the State Theatre stage in 1993 one of the great Berlin stage was closed.
See also : Category: Theatre (London)

The Berlinale in February
Berlin has three opera houses: the State Opera Unter den Linden , the German opera and comic opera . In addition, in Berlin there are a number of orchestras and choirs. The Berliner Philharmoniker (led by Sir Simon Rattle ) is considered one of the world’s leading orchestras. In addition to the Staatskapelle Berlin (Director: Daniel Barenboim ) and the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra ( Lothar Zagrosek ), there are a number of orchestras and choirs of the radio orchestra and choirs GmbH . That these are German Symphony Orchestra Berlin ( Ingo Metzmacher ), the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra ( Marek Janowski ), the Berlin Radio Choir ( Simon Halsey ) and the RIAS Chamber Choir ( Hans-Christoph Rademann ). These orchestras and choirs perform together often (choir with orchestra) in the Konzerthaus Berlin , the Berlin Philharmonic and in other halls in Germany or on tour around the world. In Chorverband Berlin 236 amateur choirs with more than 10,000 members are united. The Sing-Akademie zu Berlin is the birthplace of the bourgeois musical life in Berlin since the 1791st

Carnival of Cultures in Kreuzberg
Each year in February in Berlin, the Berlin International Film Festival held. It also Berlinale festival called the A category is considered the largest public festival in the world and, in addition to international film festivals of Cannes and Venice as one of the most important international film festivals. Awards will be awarded in numerous categories. The competition concludes with the awarding of the Golden and Silver Bears .
Throughout the year, Berlin is the venue of other international festivals, some of which are under the organizational umbrella of the Berlin Festival held. At the Berlin Theatre Meeting , the most notable German theatrical productions a season are presented. Other festivals are the literary festival , the jazz festival and spielzeiteuropa, the dance festival, the Young Euro Classics and the Berlin Biennale .
Processions, parades and open-air festivities are also well-established events in the calendar of events. The Carnival of Cultures , the CSD Berlin, the Berlin Carnival Parade and the Berlin Myfest belong to the most famous. From 1989 to 2006, with the Love Parade is home to the biggest dance event in the world in Berlin.
Museums
→ Main article : Museums in Berlin

The Bode Museum on Museum Island
Berlin has a variety of museums. As early as 1841, the Spree and surrounded Kupfergraben Museum Island in the northern part of the Spree Island determined by royal ordinance to “the art and science of ancient sacred area.” As a result, there emerged several museums, including the Old Museum in the Lustgarten , the New Museum , the Old National Gallery , now the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum . These museums are primarily through their exhibits from cheap car insurance the ancient world -famous. In 1999, Medigap Plans the Museum Island was the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage included. [59]

Pergamon Altar in the Pergamon Museum

The New National Gallery
Outside the museum island are museums of different areas: The Natural History Museum is a world with more than 30 million objects and the highest dinosaur skeleton of one of the world’s leading natural history museums. The German Museum of Technology Berlin (DTMB) to be 25,000 square exhibits and experiments exhibited around the topic of technology. The Art Gallery and New National Gallery are art museums in the Cultural Forum , the Bauhaus Archive is an architecture museum. The German Historical Museum in the arsenal on Unter den Linden illustrates German history from 2000 paleo years ago. An equally long period of Jewish-German history shows the Jewish Museum in a permanent exhibition.

The bust of Nefertiti
The Hunting Lodge houses a fine collection of paintings from the 15th to 19 Century. In Dahlem focus in the local museum center numerous ethnological museums. In Lichtenberg, on the grounds of the former was the Ministry for State Security of the GDR, the Stasi museum. The Museum at Checkpoint Charlie , also known as Wall Museum shows, moments from the division’s history. Near the Potsdamer Platz since 2005 is the ” Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe “by Peter Eisenman .
In Berlin, by the federal government and all provinces together supported Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has its headquarters. Also, the Foundation for Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg maintains major facilities here. Both manage, maintain, preserve and complement the facilities within their internationally important cultural assets of the former state of Prussia .
The Berlin City Museum Foundation combines more traditional museums in Berlin. Founded in 1995, the Foundation is the largest city historical museum in Germany. As a state museum of history and culture of Berlin, it is at its core from the union of Markisches museum originated (founded 1874) and Berlin Museum (founded 1962). The wide range of different, sometimes even in the 19th Century, founded a large variety of collections documenting all aspects of the development of Berlin from the first traces of human habitation in the Stone Age to the present.
See also: (alphabetical) list of museums in Berlin and the surrounding area
Buildings

The Brandenburg Gate on Pariser Platz
Built 1788-1791 Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s landmark and symbol for the recovery partition. It is the Propylaea on the Acropolis in Athens and is modeled by a Quadriga with the Goddess of Victory Victoria crowned. On until the reunification of Germany third October 1990 was west of the gate, the border between the two halves of the city. The Gate is the western end of the boulevard Unter den Linden , which extends up to the Spree ‘s leading lock bridge stretches. Beyond the bridge are located on the Spree Island including the Lustgarten , the Museum Island and Berlin Cathedral .
In this area lie in 1743 in the rococo style , built German State Opera , the 1774-1780 built, often called “bureau” called Old Library , the 1695 to 1706, designed by Andreas Schlüter constructed Baroque former Arsenal and 1747-1773 established Hedwig’s Cathedral , the main church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin. The French Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt in the 17th Century center of the French Quarter. Respondents to the Prussian reforms by Wilhelm von Humboldt , founded in 1809 and opened in Berlin University brought 29 Nobel Prize [60] show.

View from the Unter den Linden to the Potsdamer Platz
The Potsdamer Platz is a transport hub in central Berlin. He had in the 19 Century before the Potsdam Gate , major arterial roads emanating from the developed. 1923 began on the nearby points of Vox House from the history of broadcasting in Germany. Until 1940, the Potsdamer Platz was supposed to be the busiest square in Europe. After the strong bombardment by the Allies during the Second World War he was in ruins.

Gendarmenmarkt during the Festival of Lights
In 1961 he was the Berlin Wall fell and split the region. The former course of the Berlin Wall marked the last few years embedded in the paving stones. Through the development of Potsdamer Platz, to a large number of shops and restaurants is room, this is a link between up to the turn become separate halves of the city.
Near the Brandenburg Gate is the 1884 to 1894, built the Reichstag building . It was on 27 February 1933 by a fire heavily damaged in World War II and again to be significantly affected. Since 1999, the building houses the German parliament . Every year two million people walk through its glass dome. The Reichstag is now the second largest tourist attraction of the Republic, after the Cologne Cathedral and well ahead of Neuschwanstein Castle . [21] A visit is well worth the 1785 built Bellevue Palace , the former summer home of Prince August Ferdinand , the brother of Frederick the Great , now the official residence of the Federal President .

The world clock at Alexanderplatz and TV Tower
A popular mall in Berlin is the Kurfürstendamm with its many hotels, shops and restaurants. In the Second World War destroyed the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built between 1891 and 1895. It marks the eastern end of the boulevard. Its ruined tower was preserved as a memorial. Next to it was designed by Egon Eiermann from 1959 to 1961 a new church on an octagonal base with a six-sided free-standing bell tower.
The eastern extension of the Kurfürstendamm is the Tauentzienstrasse where the KaDeWe department store ( KaDeWe ), the largest department store on the European continent and the 1963-1965 Built Europa-Center are located. The 22-story building houses many shops, restaurants, offices and a viewing platform. This part of town is to Tauentzienstraße and Kurfürstendamm as New West called. In a northeasterly direction extends over three kilometers, the largest park in Berlin, the Tiergarten .

Ruins and the construction of Memorial Church
East of the two arms of the Spree, the Spree Island reflow, which is Alexanderplatz with its many shops and restaurants, of which close to the 368 meter high television tower – the tallest building in Germany – the Gothic Church of St. Mary and the Red City Hall . Two statues, one male and one female are, facing the entrance of City Hall to remember the elimination of the many ruins after the Second World War. See value in the eastern center of Berlin are the old district of Prenzlauer Berg and the bustling streets Schönhauser Avenue and Chestnut Avenue. From 2006 to December 2008 was the Palace of the Republic of demolition. [61] In its place is reconstructed in 2015 behind the facades of the Berlin City Palace , the Humboldt-Forum arise.
Oranienburgerstraße was before the chiropractic marketing Second World War, the center of the Jewish quarter. Connected with its reconstruction, among other things, the restoration was completed in 1866 a new synagogue . She had been badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War. Reopened in 1995, she now serves as the center for the study and preservation of Jewish culture. In the north lies the oldest Jewish cemetery in the city. By far the better known Jewish cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee is the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

The Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz
Charlottenburg is located in the Olympic Stadium , which for the Summer Olympics of 1936 was erected, and the 150-meter-high radio tower , on the occasion of the 1924-1926 third German radio exhibition was created and quickly became one of the landmarks. Other major attractions include the West End of Berlin Charlottenburg Palace (begun 1695), a baroque representational of Hohenzollern with a significant collection of paintings, the Spandau Citadel , as well as on the Havel and Glienicker bridge located Glienicke . Also in the style of classicism by Karl Friedrich Schinkel converted castle Tegel (including Humboldt Castle), the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt grew up.
After the destruction of the Second World War in a divided Berlin ambitious construction projects have been promoted. In the eastern part of the town was today Karl-Marx-Allee (formerly Stalin Allee) in a representative style of socialist classicism . It runs from Alexanderplatz to the Strausbergerplatz to Frankfurter Tor . The Twin Towers have been adapted from the double domes of the Gendarmenmarkt in the German architect Hermann Henselmann . To mark the 750th anniversary of Berlin in 1987 was destroyed Nikolaiviertel rebuilt according to its historic character. The St. Nicholas Church is the oldest church in the center of Berlin.

The Holocaust Memorial
In the western part of the city was modern architecture driven. At the International Building Exhibition Interbau in 1957, presented well-known architects like Walter Gropius , Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer their visions of the future city . The construction projects were implemented in the Hansa quarter , which destroyed the founder quarter time replaced by modern apartment blocks and skyscrapers. The Congress Hall with the unsupported roof structure was established in 1957 as a contribution to the United States built to Interbau and passed as a gift to Berlin.
A special feature of Berlin are also up today in many parts of the city received gas lanterns for street lighting. Altogether there are more than 44,000 gas lamps in operation in Berlin, more than any other city in the world. In the zoo, near the eponymous suburban railway station, a gas lantern outdoor museum is located.
In the Bundesallee 215 is the Shaolin Temple Germany . He is the only official offshoot of the famous Shaolin Monastery in the province of Henan , China . The German Shaolin temple was commissioned by the abbot of the mother temple in China, Shi Yongxin was founded in 2001 and opened personally. [62]
See also : List of tallest buildings in Berlin and the list of skyscrapers in Berlin
Bridges
→ Main article : List of bridges in Berlin

The Glienicker Bridge
Berlin has its prominent location along rivers and canals and by its unusually large territory a number of bridges and overpasses in his city. Officially there are 916 bridges in Berlin. Of these, 732 connect public roads, the remaining 184 roads and streets in green plants. [63] Depending on the definition and understanding of other buildings in Berlin counted on the bridges. Thus, there are 564 bridges over waters of any kind and 300 elevated railway viaducts of the underground . [64] The largest number is the publication of the Berlin senator Wolfgang Nagel , who stated in 1993 that number by 2100 (including viaducts).
The oldest of Berlin’s Spree River crossings are the Mill Dam Bridge , City Hall Bridge and Ross Road bridge , where the present buildings are more recent. The longest bridge is the Rudolf-Wissel-bridge with a length of 930 meters. Nationally known also Oberbaumbrücke , the landmark of the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg , and the Glienicke bridge , which was held in 1986, an internationally esteemed agents exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The former longest pedestrian bridge was located on the grounds of the Central and cattle slaughterhouse in Prenzlauer Berg .
Parks, zoos, protected areas

The castle gardens in Charlottenburg Palace
Berlin has a vast forest areas in addition to the west and southeast of the city ( Berlin forests ), many large parks. As almost all the streets are lined with trees, Berlin is a very green city.
In Berlin it a total of 420,000 street trees, including 153 000 Linden , 82,000 maple trees , 35,000 oaks , 25,000 planes and 21,000 chestnuts . [65] The more than 2,500 public parks, recreation and parks have a total area of over 5,500 acres and offer a variety of leisure and recreational opportunities.

The tropical house in the Botanical Garden
In the center of town lies the Great Tiergarten . He is the oldest and largest with 210 hectares and most important park in Berlin and was designed in the course of more than 500 years. Originally a wooded area just outside the city, used by the Prussian nobility for hunting and riding area was surrounded by little of this urban development. Today, the park stretches from Zoo Station to Brandenburg Gate and is in close proximity to the parliamentary and government quarter. Some major roads cut through the zoo, including the east-west axis of 17th Street In June . They intersect at the Grosser Stern in the middle since 1939, the Victory Column stands. The design of the Tiergarten is shown as a natural park : are characterized by the wide, traversed by small streams with groups of trees and lawns and lakes with small islands and numerous bridges and avenues. Facilities such as the English Garden , the Rose Garden of the island and Luis put on some jewelry sites horticultural accents.

Panda Bao Bao in the Zoological Garden , the oldest zoo in Germany
In addition to the zoo is one of the Treptow Park in the southeast of Berlin’s most important parks in the city. He was from 1876 to 1882 from Berlin’s first gardening director Gustav Meyer created and was in 1896 the scene of the Great Berlin Industrial Exhibition . The wide at the Spree protracted garden is one of the most popular attractions of Berlin, not least because of the already 1821/1822 by Carl Ferdinand Langhans as a guest house on the river Spree built modern restaurant Zenner .
A special feature at the park is the Botanical Garden in Berlin . Located in the southwest of the city, he is in addition to his scientific determination (he belongs to the Free University of Berlin used) as a recreational park. The previous facility had existed since 1697 on the grounds of today’s Heinrich von Kleist Park in Schöneberg , from 1897 was the construction of the new park in Dahlem . With an area of over 43 acres and about 22,000 different plant species it is the third largest botanical garden in the world. The 25 meters high, 30 meters wide and 60 meters long, large tropical house is the tallest glasshouse in the world.

The Gardens of the World in the Marzahn Recreational Park (Chinese Garden)
Berlin also has several other cultural institutions : the Berlin Zoological Garden , together with Aquarium Berlin and the Berlin Zoo . Already in 1844 in Charlottenburg opened Zoological Garden is the oldest zoo in Germany and also the richest in the world (approximately 15,000 animals in 1500 species). The much younger zoo owes its origin to the division of Germany after the Second World War: Because the zoological garden in the British sector of the city was, lacked the capital of the GDR’s own horticultural animal facility. In 1954, therefore Friedrichsfelde an animal park established. He has cash loans 160 acres of the largest landscape zoo in Europe.
Many other parks dominate the green face of Berlin: Besides the castle gardens in Charlottenburg , Glienicke and on the Peacock Island (including the last two to the UNESCO world heritage ) these are also the historic parks pleasure garden , Victoria Park , Rudolph-Wilde-Park and Schiller Park , but also The numerous large public gardens . In the south of the city is also the Britz Garden , on whose grounds the 1985 Federal Garden Show was held. The eastern counterpart, the 20-acre recreation park Marzahn , 1987 as the Berlin Garden Show was opened. Newly created parks are the Wall Park on the former death strip of the Berlin Wall, the nature reserve Beautiful Südgelände , the Görlitz Park and Spreebogenpark near central station and government quarters.
See also : Category: Park in Berlin
In Berlin, there are 38 nature reserves . (May 2009) with a total area of approximately 1990 hectares, which corresponds to 2.2% of the country [66] There are also 52 conservation areas are taking the additional 13% of the country. [67] have also the Charlottenburg district of Pankow and an area fraction of 5.4% on cross-country, 75,000-acre nature park Barnim . [68]
See also : List of Protected Areas in Berlin
Recreation

The banks of the Spree in Berlin-Mitte
In Berlin, about 18 percent of the city’s area is forested. stretch marks The City of Forest Management Berlin forests managed with some 29,000 hectares, the largest forest area in Germany. One of the largest forests of Grunewald , the of the Grunewald chain of lakes and is traversed in the west of the Havel and the Spandau Forest in the extreme northwest of the city. The 273-acre Wannsee is a projection of the Havel . With it has Zehlendorf, a popular recreation area, which mainly through the Wannsee beach is known.
In the southeast of Berlin forms Müggelsee with Müggelbergen and the lido Müggelsee in Rahnsdorf a large recreational area. The Müggelsee is Berlin’s largest lake, it expands (up to 4.3 km long, 2.6 km wide) over 7.4 square kilometers and is made ​​of up to eight feet deep. The Müggelberge with 114.7 m above mean sea level the highest elevations in Berlin, she emerged during reputation management the Pleistocene . On the western slope of the Little Müggelberge was from 1959 to 1961, the new Müggelturm built after the old one was burned down in May 1958. It offers a far-reaching views over the lakes and forests of the environment, to Berlin’s city skyline.
In the more urban areas of the town have access to the river and lake areas of the Spree and Havel founded numerous beach bars.
The nightlife of Berlin takes a special position in Europe. Reasons behind the high number of students, young party tourists, with the low cost airlines arrive and the number of after the fall vacant or otherwise occupied commercial buildings. Noteworthy in this context, the Kunsthaus Tacheles , the vault , the UFO , the E-Werk , the KitKatClub and Berghain .
Sports

The Olympic Stadium
In Berlin there are about 2,000 sports clubs, where some 550,000 active in the diet solution diet the grassroots focus. [69] 2010 145 Berlin teams in the First and Second German leagues are represented. [70] Some clubs are also in the field of professional sport operates. These include in particular football Hertha BSC and the first FC Union Berlin , in hockey the Berlin Polar Bears in basketball Alba Berlin and in the palm of the foxes in Berlin . In the first Volleyball league is the capital with the SCC Berlin for the men and the ladies with the Köpenicker SC Berlin represented. [71] The water polo the water Spandau 04 with 29 national championship titles German record champions .

Berlin Olympian Katarina Witt , 1986
Berlin was the venue several times in the history of international sports competitions. 1936 in the city of the Olympic Games were held. In July 2006 preliminary matches were held in Berlin, a quarter-final and final of the soccer World Cup place. 2009 were World Athletics Championships held. Every year there is also one of the world’s largest marathon , the final of the DFB Cup and the athletics event ISTAF place. Every two years the European Football Championship and will find wide public viewing place, where tens of thousands of spectators follow the public football matches on giant screens. The venue, called the Fan Mile, has its place in the street of the 17th In June . [72]

Alba Berlin in the O 2 World
In Berlin, both the marathon ( Haile Gebrselassie ) completed with world record several times, as well as the 100-meter run ( Usain Bolt ) registered with the currently existing world record time. [73] [74]
The German Olympic Sports Federation has its greatest Olympic Training Center in Berlin. Around 700 athletes from 35 National Team Olympic sports (about 15 percent of all German national squad athletes) are the athletic performance quota. Berlin’s Olympic athletes are known Katarina Witt , Franziska van Almsick and Claudia Pechstein . [75]
One of the greatest sports venues in the city’s Olympic Stadium are among 74 Plastic Containers 200 seats, [76] the stadium at the old forester with 19,000 seats, the O 2 World with more than 17,000 spectators, the Velodrome with a maximum of 12,000 seats and the Max-Schmeling-Halle with up to 11 900 seats.
See also : List of attractions in Berlin
Infrastructure

Development of the Modal Split in Berlin [77]
Transportation 1992 1998 2008
Public transportation 31% 27% 26%
Motorised individual 35% 38% 32%
Bicycle 7% 10% 13%
On foot 27% 25% 29%
Public transportation
→ Main article : Transport in Berlin
The importance of motorized individual has taken in Berlin, while the bicycle traffic could grow in importance. The decrease in the proportion of pedestrian traffic could be stopped, while public transport is more easily lost. From the buy spice political side is intended to promote cycling, walking and public transport in the coming years, while the share of automobile traffic will be reduced further.

Central Station
On 28 May 2006, the new station as the central train station in Berlin and in connection with the Tiergarten tunnel , the train stations Gesundbrunnen and Southern Cross stations and the regional Potsdamer Platz (underground), Jungfernheide and Lichterfelde East commissioned. So who won regional and long-distance transport of railway under the so-called mushroom concept applied in addition to the east-west light rail underground regional and long distance public transport links to north-south direction. The transition between the north-south Tiergarten tunnel and east-west light rail is the main station. Trains that reach Berlin from northern or southern directions go, since most of the new north-south route east of Lichterfelde on Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz, the Central Station via the overpasses to Gesundbrunnen or west over Jungfernheide to Spandau .

S-and U-Bahn network
The inner-city public transport system serving 15 suburban train lines (operated by the S-Bahn Berlin GmbH) and nine underground -, 23 tram -, 150 bus – and six ferry routes (all operated by the BVG ). The downtown area is in east-west direction of the applied as elevated railway rail crossing, which is traversed in parallel by S-Bahn, regional and mainline services. It connects the West Cross with the Ostkreuz , and passes under the other stations Charlottenburg , Zoologischer Garten , Hauptbahnhof , Friedrichstraße , Alexanderplatz and Ostbahnhof . On the north-south axis to take the metro line 9 and U6, the bulk of the ridership, supplemented by the underground north-south route of the train. The S-Bahn route crosses the Friedrichstrasse station by tram. To complete the rail traffic through the circle line , which includes the downtown area. All other lines cross those tracks. The accessibility of train stations is ensured increasingly since 1992. [78]

The U1 on the Oberbaumbrücke
The city bus network is divided into express buses (letter X), buses, metro (letter M) and buses (with a three digit number). Similarly, there is the MetroTram (letter M) and tram (two-digit number). night buses have a line called an N before the number line, metro lines (both buses and trams) run at night. In the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, in addition, almost all S-and U-train lines run through, with the S-Bahn partially modified route. The long-distance bus to German and European destinations will be the central bus station handled at the radio tower (ZOB). Compared to the fairgrounds located, it is directly over the Berlin ring road ( A100 ) and accessible to the public transport connected by bus, subway and commuter rail lines.
See also : List of railway stations in the Berlin area , List of Berlin U-Bahn stations and long distance buses in Germany
Road network

Map of Wire Shelving the Berlin transport network

A Berlin city ring 100 on Kaiserdamm
The inner city is from the west by a highway semi-circle ( A 100 – Berlin city ring) surrounded the long term is to be completed to form a ring and a pure motorway represents. Around Berlin motorway runs along the A 10 ( E 55 – Berliner Ring). The A 100 is the triangular radio tower of the busiest section of motorway in Germany.
From the A100 leading from within the city limits several sections of motorway in the direction of Berliner Ring. The A 111 ( E 26 ) leads to the northwest in the direction of Hamburg and Rostock . The A 113 in the southeast (after Dresden and Cottbus ) starts at the triangle Neukölln and leads to the beautiful cross Fields (A 10) and binds to the airport under construction at Berlin Brandenburg to the motorway network. The A 115 ( E 51 ) extends to the southwest (towards Hanover and Leipzig ). Its northern, straight section is colloquially AVUS called.
In addition to this, it is in the north of the city nor the A 114 of the Prenzlauer Promenade in the Pankow district to the A 10 towards Stettin . The former only a few kilometers long A 104 , the southwest of the city the Berlin ring road (A 100) to the south of Berlin-Steglitz was connected, now the highway downgraded. The A 103 (west bypass) on which the Federal Highway 1 runs, connects the Berlin city ring – from a port further east – to the southwest with the Steglitz roundabout in the direction of Potsdam .
The historic center of Berlin is the city ring enclosed, which is apart of the invalids in the northwestern section of road is already fully developed. There, the expansion take place until 2013. [79] [80] Furthermore, the roads run through Berlin, 1 , 2 , 5 , 96 , 96a , 101 , 109 and 158 .
The Berlin streets are numbered according to two different house numbering systems. Until 1929, the running around was horseshoe numbering used, since the zigzag orientation numbering . Since renamed, not least because of the numerous political upheavals Berlin streets were after 1929 and these changes were often used to introduce the orientation numbering in the street are concerned, the two systems in use today.
In Berlin, there were about 7,200 taxis in January 2011 [81] and about 3,300 taxi companies, many of them with only one vehicle. In Berlin there is – in contrast to many other cities – no admission of concessions . Therefore, there are plenty of taxis per head of population relative and absolute terms the largest fleet in Germany. Berlin is the largest taxi cab office in Berlin – and also in Germany.
See also : taxi business in Berlin
Bicycle traffic
In Berlin there are in addition to a variety of landscaped bicycle paths, bicycle lanes and first road bike and cross-regional cycle routes such as the Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle , the cycle path running between Berlin-Usedom and the R1 European cycle route . Along the former course of the Berlin Wall leads the Berlin Wall. Several thousands of rental bikes can be hired at short notice in the center by phone or call (mobile) Internet. The share of cycling in the total volume of traffic was in Berlin in 2009 about 15 percent. [82]
Air traffic
→ Main article : Berlin Brandenburg airport

Location of the Berlin airports
Since 31 October 2008, there are the Tegel Airport ( IATA code : TXL) airport only one currently operating in the area of the city of Berlin. The central airport Tempelhof (THF) was on 30 Closed in October 2008. Situated just beyond the outskirts of Berlin Airport Berlin-Schoenefeld (SXF) is indeed the land of Brandenburg , but is often counted as a Berlin airport.
Adjacent to the area south of the current airport Berlin-Schoenefeld, is the new Berlin Brandenburg international airport (LAX), on 3 June 2012 to be opened, under construction. With its opening should then also the airports Tegel and Schönefeld are closed.
IWT

West Harbour (North Basin with BEHALA Administration Building)
Berlin is located in the center of the Federal Water Street area of east. The city is accessible on the water side in many ways, the inland waterway transport to and from Berlin are three waterways available. Here is the link about Havel , Elbe-Havel Canal and the Midland Canal to the Elbe and North Sea or the Weser and the Rhine to the most important. Also joining Havel-Oder waterway Berlin with the lower Oder and the Baltic Sea . Limited and less developed is also frequented the Spree-Oder waterway as a link on the Spree to the Oder and after upper Silesia .

Inland waterways in Berlin
Handling of goods, three port facilities are used: the Neukölln, the Spandau South Harbour and West Harbour . The latter is located in Moabit on the northern edge of the inner city and has all three of the largest and most important ports. Its facilities include a cargo and logistics center, which allows the movement of goods between barge, rail and truck. Operated at the ports of the BEHALA . The former eastern harbor is now used as a media center and has lost its port function.
Water supply
The water supply of Berlin is provided by the nine waterworks Beelitzhof, Frederick Hagen, Kaulsdorf, Kladow, Spandau, Stolpe, Tegel, and Tiefwerder Wuhlheide, by the Berlin Water Works ( ipc be operated). The water consumption of the city after reunification declined significantly, especially in the eastern part of town. Due to the lower groundwater extraction occurred in many parts of the glacial valley to a significant rise in groundwater levels. Especially near the water works was causing Vernässungsschäden to buildings. [83] are per day on average provided 585 000 m³ of drinking water and drained approximately 602 000 m³ of waste water. [84] [85] over the 9,500 km-long canal system, the sewage entering six major wastewater treatment plants . [86]
Energy supply

Kraftwerk Wilmersdorf and Highway 100 (Berlin ring road)
The energy supply of Berlin has some special features. During the Second World War was planned, designed as a Berlin underground high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) from the power plant Vockerode in Dessau to dine. The construction of this plant was started in 1943, but she went to the end of World War II no longer in operation ( Elbe-Project ).
During the period of division West Berlin was cut off from the power grid of the surrounding area. The power supply had on the city area the thermal power plants as the Reuter West power plant , the plant Wilmersdorf done, and others. To buffer the peak loads were in some of these power stations from the 1980s accumulators installed on the drive was connected to the mains and load during peak hours and were discharged during heavy load periods. [87]
In 1993 the 1951 interrupted line connection with the surrounding area has been restored. In the western districts of Berlin, almost all power lines are run underground cables, only one 380-kV and one 110-kV line leading from the power plant Reuter to the city highway are constructed as overhead lines. Berlin runs through the longest 380-kV three-phase cables in Germany, the 380-kV Transversal Berlin . They are probably the most expensive power line in Germany, but due to its high capacity it needs to operate a capacitive reactive power of 110 MVAr . [88]
Science and Education

Universities and research

Humboldt University of Berlin , Main Building
Berlin has a high concentration of scientific and research institutions . In the city on a total of 31 universities and colleges, including four study art schools , about 135,000 students. [89] The four universities in Berlin put together some 100,000 students (as of winter term 2008/2009). It is the Humboldt University of Berlin , with around 27,000 students (excluding Charité ), the Free University of Berlin , with about 31,500 students (excluding Charité), the Technical University of Berlin , with around 27,000 students and the University of the Arts in Berlin with about 4500 students. At the Charité study of about 7,200 students.

Building complex of the Free University
The medical faculties of the Free University and Humboldt University in 2003 for the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin summarized. Since then, these four sites with the largest medical faculty in Europe.
As part of the Excellence Initiative , the Free University of Berlin on 19 October 2007 in the third line of funding awarded. With the success of their future concept “International Network University” it is therefore one of the nine German elite universities .

The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
Every year some 1.8 billion euros in public funds to be invested in science and research, over 13 percent of patent applications of science in Germany come from Berlin. About 50,000 people teach, do research and work on the more than 70 non-university public research couettes institutions. Even the large national represented by several institutes, as well as various federal ministries with a total of eight research institutes. Most of the institutions of science focusing on the locations in book , Charlottenburg , Dahlem , middle and at the Adlershof science and business .
In Berlin, there are also branches of several private universities and educational institutes such as the Media Design School , the Games Academy and the institute Qantm .
See also : Universities and research institutions in Berlin
School System

Herder High School in West
Berlin has a six-year elementary school , and since 2010 an adjacent two-tier secondary school system with integrated secondary schools and high schools . [90] gave the school year 2007/2008 there Berlin 744 public general education schools, including 396 elementary, 48 total, 54 primary, 62 secondary schools, 97 secondary schools and 87 special schools . The number of general education private schools amounted to one hundred and first [91]
In February 2004 a new school law was passed. Significant reforms were the reduction in school until graduation from 13 to 12 years , bringing forward the enrollment age to five and a half years and the 10th in the Class held Mean education , a written test to obtain the secondary school Joann Fabric coupons completion. This test is also stored on the secondary schools. The Central School was in the subjects German , mathematics and foreign languages ​​were introduced and guaranteed freedom of the press for student publications.
As part of a since the 1990s in Berlin existing school test it is to be taken more quickly at 13 high schools with “high-speed program ‘, which high school a year, that is, since the enactment of new law school after eleven years. Since the 2008/2009 school year is in a pilot phase, the model of community schools tested.
See also : Berlin school structural reform
Libraries

Scharoun building the State Library at the Cultural Forum
The Berlin State Library with over 10 million printed volumes, the largest academic library in the German speaking countries. Other major research libraries, the Library of the Free University , the University Library of Humboldt University and the Central Library of the University and University of the Arts . For the Central and Regional Library Berlin is the American Memorial Library , a gift from the USA to Berlin after recovering from blockade 1948/1949.
The Berlin Art Library of the National Museums in Berlin provides with its stock (approximately 400,000 volumes on the history of European art from late antiquity to the present, about 1,400 international journals), one of the most important art specialist libraries in Germany dar.
With the support program in the district libraries (BIST) in the period 2007 to 2015, the decentralized supply of the population can be guaranteed. [92]
See also : Category: Library in Berlin