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Berlin

2018-10-15T11:09:37Z

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{{About|the capital of Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox German state
|Name=Berlin
|German_name=
|image_photo={{Photomontage|position=center
| photo1a = Berlin Skyline Fernsehturm 02.jpg
| photo2a = Bikinihaus_Berlin-1210760.jpg
| photo2b = Brandenburger_Tor_Nachts.JPG
| photo3a = East Side Gallery - Thierry Noir - 2011.jpg
| photo3b = 3806 Berlin.JPG
| photo4a = Reichstag_Berlin_Germany.jpg
| size = 280
| spacing = 2
| color =
| border = 0
| foot_montage = {{nobreak|From top: Skyline including the [[Fernsehturm Berlin|TV Tower]],}} [[City West]] skyline with [[Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church]], [[Brandenburg Gate]], [[East Side Gallery]] ([[Berlin Wall]]), [[Oberbaum Bridge]] over the [[Spree]], [[Reichstag building]] ([[Bundestag]])
}}
|state_coa=Coat of arms of Berlin.svg
|coa_size=70
|map=Deutschland Lage Berlins.svg
|coordinates={{coord|52|31|00|N|13|23|20|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|flag=Flag_of_Berlin.svg
|area=891.7
|area_source=
|population=3711930
|pop_ref=<ref name="Population11">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/pms/2018/18-02-22a.pdf|title=Amt für Statistik Berlin Brandenburg|website=[[Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg]]|year=2017|accessdate=22 February 2018|language=German}}</ref>
|pop_date=2017
|pop_metro=6004857
|elevation=34
|population_demonym=Berliner (m), Berlinerin (f)
|GDP=137
|GDP_year=2017
|GDP_ref=<ref>https://www.statistik-bw.de/VGRdL/tbls/tab.jsp?rev=RV2014&tbl=tab01&lang=de-DE#tab01</ref>
|GDP_per_capita=38,000(~[[US$]]48,000)
|GDP_per_capita_year=2017
|GDP_percent=
|Website=[https://www.berlin.de/en/ berlin.de]
|governing_body=[[Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin]]
|leader_title=[[Governing Mayor of Berlin|Governing Mayor]]
|leader=[[Michael Müller (politician)|Michael Müller]]
|leader_party=[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
|ruling_party1=[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
|ruling_party2=[[The Left (Germany)|Left]]
|ruling_party3=[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]]
|votes=4
|NUTS=DE3
|Vorwahl=030
|Kfz=B<ref>Prefixes for vehicle registration were introduced in 1906, but often changed due to the political changes after 1945. Vehicles were registered under the following prefixes: "I A" (1906 – April 1945; devalidated on 11 August 1945); no prefix, only digits (from July to August 1945), "БГ" (=BG; 1945–46, for cars, lorries and busses), "ГФ" (=GF; 1945–46, for cars, lorries and busses), "БM" (=BM; 1945–47, for motor bikes), "ГM" (=GM; 1945–47, for motor bikes), "KB" (i.e.: [[Allied Kommandatura|Kommandatura]] of Berlin; for all of Berlin 1947–48, continued for [[West Berlin]] until 1956), "GB" (i.e.: Greater Berlin, for [[East Berlin]] 1948–53), "I" (for East Berlin, 1953–90), "B" (for West Berlin from 1 July 1956, continued for all of Berlin since 1990).</ref>
|iso region=DE-BE
|date=April 2017}}
'''Berlin''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɜːr|ˈ|l|ɪ|n}}; {{IPA-de|bɛɐ̯ˈliːn|de-Berlin.ogg}}) is the [[Capital city|capital]] and [[List of cities in Germany by population|largest city]] of [[Germany]] by both area and population, and its 3,711,930 (2017)<ref name="Population11">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/pms/2018/18-02-22a.pdf|title=Amt für Statistik Berlin Brandenburg|website=[[Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg]]|year=2017|accessdate=22 February 2018|language=German}}</ref> inhabitants make it the [[List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits|second most populous city proper]] of the [[European Union]] after [[London]].<ref name="Insee - -" >{{cite web|url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?ref_id=cmptef01103&id=18|title=Population des villes et unités urbaines de plus de 1 million d'habitants de l'Union européenne|author=[[INSEE]]|accessdate=17 August 2008|language=French}}</ref> The city is one of Germany's [[States of Germany|16 federal states]], and it is surrounded by the state of [[Brandenburg]], the capital of which, [[Potsdam]], is contiguous with Berlin. The two cities are at the center of the [[Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region]], which is, with 6,004,857 (2015)<ref>[https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/Statistiken/statistik_SB.asp?Ptyp=700&Sageb=12015&creg=BBB&anzwer=6 Bevölkerungsstand 2015]</ref> inhabitants, Germany's [[Metropolitan regions in Germany|third-largest]] metropolitan region after the [[Rhine-Ruhr]] and [[Rhine-Main]] regions.

Berlin straddles the banks of the [[River Spree]], which flows into the [[River Havel]] (a [[tributary]] of the [[River Elbe]]) in the western borough of [[Spandau]]. Among the city's main topographical features are the many lakes in the western and southeastern boroughs, formed by the Spree, Havel, and [[Dahme (river)|Dahme]] rivers, the largest of which is [[Lake Müggelsee]]. Due to its location in the [[European Plain]], Berlin is influenced by a [[Temperate climate|temperate]] seasonal climate. About one-third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals and lakes.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/?id=94LP4xCb-KcC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=%22Berlin+%22+rivers+lakes+foreests+%22one+third%22#v=onepage&q=&f=false|title=Gren Berlin|work=[[Lonely Planet]]|accessdate=9 October 2009|isbn=9781740594721|author1=Schulte-Peevers|first1=Andrea|last2=Parkinson|first2=Tom|year=2004}}</ref> The city lies in the [[Central German]] dialect area, the [[Berlin dialect]] being a variant of the [[Lusatian-New Marchian dialects]].

First documented in the 13th century and situated at the crossing of two important historic [[trade route]]s,<ref name="staple">[http://www.diegeschichteberlins.de/geschichteberlins/berlin-abc/stichwortehn/599-niederlagsrecht.html ''Niederlagsrecht''], Verein für die Geschichte Berlins. Retrieved 21 November 2015 (German).</ref> Berlin became the capital of the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] (1417{{ndash}}1701), the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] (1701–1918), the [[German Empire]] (1871–1918), the [[Weimar Republic]] (1919–1933), and the [[Third Reich]] (1933–1945).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/germanunification.html|title=Documents of German Unification, 1848–1871|website=Modern History Sourcebook|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> [[1920s Berlin|Berlin in the 1920s]] was the third largest municipality in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=23505|title=Topographies of Class: Modern Architecture and Mass Society in Weimar Berlin (Social History, Popular Culture and Politics in Germany)|publisher=www.h-net.org|accessdate=9 October 2009}}</ref> After [[World War II]] and its subsequent occupation by the victorious countries, the city was divided; [[West Berlin]] became a de facto [[West Germany|West German]] [[Enclave and exclave|exclave]], surrounded by the [[Berlin Wall]] (1961–1989) and East German territory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/62202/Berlin-Wall|title=Berlin Wall|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> [[East Berlin]] was declared capital of [[East Germany]], while [[Bonn]] became the West German capital. Following [[German reunification]] in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all of Germany.

Berlin is a [[Global city|world city]] of culture, politics, media and science.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/04__W__t__G/03/01/03/Feature__3.html |title=Berlin – Capital of Germany |website=German Embassy in Washington |accessdate=18 August 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112204045/http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/04__W__t__G/03/01/03/Feature__3.html |archivedate=12 January 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/04/10/cities.dominate.world/?hpt=C2|title=Revealed: Cities that rule the world – and those on the rise|first=Catriona|last=Davies|publisher=CNN|date=10 April 2010|accessdate=11 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/travel/22iht-22berlin.13882912.html?_r=1|title=Berlin, the big canvas|first=Sam|last=Sifton|work=The New York Times|accessdate=18 August 2008 |date=31 December 1969}} See also: {{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb146.html#t5|title=Sites and situations of leading cities in cultural globalisations/Media|website=GaWC Research Bulletin 146|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref><ref>
{{cite journal|title=Global Power City Index 2009|journal=Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation|date=22 October 2009|url=http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2009_English.pdf|accessdate=29 October 2009}}</ref> Its economy is based on [[High tech|high-tech]] firms and the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of [[creative industries]], research facilities, media corporations and convention venues.<ref name=congress>{{cite web|url=http://www.iccaworld.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=1577|title=ICCA publishes top 20 country and city rankings 2007|website=ICCA|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref><ref name=Cityofdesign>{{cite press release|url=http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29376&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080816140547/http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29376&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html|dead-url=yes|archive-date=16 August 2008|title=Berlin City of Design|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|accessdate=18 August 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Berlin serves as a continental hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular [[Tourism in Germany|tourist destination]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Berlin Beats Rome as Tourist Attraction as Hordes Descend|journal=Bloomberg L.P.|date=4 September 2014|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-03/berlin-beats-rome-as-tourist-attraction-as-hordes-descend.html|accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref> Significant industries also include [[information technology|IT]], pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, [[biotechnology]], construction and electronics.

Berlin is home to world-renowned universities, orchestras, museums, and entertainment venues, and is host to many sporting events.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/896|title=World Heritage Site Museumsinsel|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> Its [[Berlin Zoological Garden|Zoological Garden]] is the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. With the [[Babelsberg Studio|world's oldest large-scale movie studio complex]], Berlin is an increasingly popular location for international [[List of films set in Berlin|film productions]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3549403,00.html|title=Hollywood Helps Revive Berlin's Former Movie Glory|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=9 August 2008|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> The city is well known for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts and a [[Mercer Quality of Living Survey|very high quality of living]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/travel/12surf.html?ex=1150862400&en=f2c1cc6c507fea18&ei=5070 |title=The Club Scene, on the Edge |work=The New York Times |accessdate=18 August 2008 |first=Sunshine |last=Flint |date=12 December 2004 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402221310/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/travel/12surf.html?ex=1150862400&en=f2c1cc6c507fea18&ei=5070 |archivedate=2 April 2013 }} See also: {{cite web|url=http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html|title=Ranking of best cities in the world|website=City mayors|accessdate=18 August 2008}} and {{cite web|url=http://monocle.com/film/affairs/the-monocle-quality-of-life-survey-2015/|title=The Monocle Quality Of Life Survey 2015|publisher=Monocle|accessdate=20 July 2015}}</ref> Since the 2000s Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan [[entrepreneurship|entrepreneurial]] [[Startup ecosystem|scene]].<ref>
{{cite journal|title=Young Israelis are Flocking to Berlin|journal=Newsweek|date=13 June 2014|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2014/06/20/young-israelis-are-flocking-berlin-262139.html|accessdate=28 August 2014}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Berlin|Timeline of Berlin}}

===Etymology===
Berlin lies in northeastern Germany, east of the River (Saxon or Thuringian) [[Saale]], that once constituted, together with the River [[Elbe]] (from their [[confluence]] onwards), the eastern border of the [[Francia|Frankish Realm]]. While the Frankish Realm was primarily inhabited by [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] tribes like the [[Franks]] and the [[Saxons]], the regions east of the border rivers were inhabited by [[Slavs|Slavic]] tribes. This is why most of the cities and villages in northeastern Germany bear [[Slavic languages|Slavic]]-derived names ([[Germania Slavica]]). Typical [[Germanisation|Germanised]] place name [[suffix]]es of Slavic origin are ''-ow'', ''-itz'', ''-vitz'', ''-witz'', ''-itzsch'' and ''-in'', [[prefix]]es are ''Windisch'' and ''Wendisch''. The name ''Berlin'' has its roots in the language of [[West Slavs|West Slavic]] inhabitants of the area of today's Berlin, and may be related to the Old [[Polabian language|Polabian]] stem ''berl-''/''birl-'' ("swamp").<ref>{{Cite book|last=Berger|first=Dieter|title=Geographische Namen in Deutschland|publisher=Bibliographisches Institut|year=1999|isbn=978-3-411-06252-2}}</ref> Since the ''Ber-'' at the beginning sounds like the German word ''Bär'' (bear), a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city. It is therefore a [[canting arms|canting arm]].

Of Berlin's [[Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin|twelve boroughs]], five bear a (partly) Slavic-derived name: [[Pankow]] (the most populous), [[Steglitz-Zehlendorf]], [[Marzahn-Hellersdorf]], [[Treptow-Köpenick]] and [[Spandau]] (named Spandow until 1878). Of its ninety-six neighborhoods, twenty-two bear a (partly) Slavic-derived name: [[Altglienicke]], [[Alt-Treptow]], [[Britz]], [[Buch (Berlin)|Buch]], [[Buckow (Berlin)|Buckow]], [[Gatow]], [[Karow (Berlin)|Karow]], [[Kladow]], [[Köpenick]], [[Lankwitz]], [[Lübars]], [[Malchow (Berlin)|Malchow]], [[Marzahn]], [[Pankow (locality)|Pankow]], [[Prenzlauer Berg]], [[Rudow]], [[Schmöckwitz]], [[Spandau (locality)|Spandau]], [[Stadtrandsiedlung Malchow]], [[Steglitz]], [[Tegel]] and [[Zehlendorf (Berlin)|Zehlendorf]]. The neighborhood of [[Moabit]] bears a [[French language|French]]-derived name, and [[Französisch Buchholz]] is named after the [[Huguenots]].

===12th to 16th centuries===
[[File:ZLB-Berliner Ansichten-Januar.jpg|thumb|Map of Berlin in 1688]]

The earliest evidence of settlements in the area of today's Berlin are a wooden beam dated from approximately 1192,<ref name="zycwaq">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22920517/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/berlin-dig-finds-city-older-thought/|title=Berlin dig finds city older than thought|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref> and remnants of a house foundation dated to 1174, found in excavations in Berlin Mitte.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=dpa |title=Berlin ist älter als gedacht: Hausreste aus dem Jahr 1174 entdeckt|accessdate=24 August 2012|url=http://www.berlin.de/aktuelles/berlin/2674414-958092-berlin-ist-aelter-als-gedacht-hausreste-.html}}</ref> The first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. [[Spandau]] is first mentioned in 1197 and [[Köpenick]] in 1209, although these areas did not join Berlin until 1920.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten.en/00175.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612020333/http://www.berlin.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten.en/00175.html|archivedate=12 June 2008|title=Spandau Citadel|website=Berlin tourist board|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> 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.<ref name="zycwaq"/> 1237 is considered the founding date of the city.<ref name=Medtradc>{{cite web|title=The medieval trading center|url=http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/geschichte/handelsstadt.en.html|accessdate=11 June 2013|location=www.berlin.de}}</ref> The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the [[staple right]] on the two important [[trade route]]s ''[[Via Imperii]]'' and from [[Bruges]] to [[Novgorod]].<ref name="staple"/> In 1307, they formed an alliance with a common external policy, their internal administrations still being separated.<ref name="Stöver2010">Stöver B. Geschichte Berlins. Verlag CH Beck, 2010. {{ISBN|978-3-406-60067-8}}</ref><ref name="Lui stadtgr">[http://berlingeschichte.de/stadtentwicklung/texte/articles/1_02_stadtgr Stadtgründung Und Frühe Stadtentwicklung] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130620011811/http://berlingeschichte.de/stadtentwicklung/texte/articles/1_02_stadtgr |date=20 June 2013 }}, Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein. Retrieved 10 June 2013</ref>

In 1415, [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick I]] became the [[prince-elector|elector]] of the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]], which he ruled until 1440.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.west.net/~antipas/protected_files/news/europe/hohenzollerns.html|title=The Hohenzollern Dynasty|website=Antipas|accessdate=18 August 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807093738/http://www.west.net/~antipas/protected_files/news/europe/hohenzollerns.html |archivedate=7 August 2007}}</ref> During the 15th century, his successors established Berlin-Cölln as capital of the margraviate, and subsequent members of the [[Hohenzollern]] family ruled in Berlin until 1918, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia, and eventually as [[German emperor]]s. In 1443, [[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II Irontooth]] started the construction of a new [[Stadtschloss, Berlin|royal palace]] in the twin city Berlin-Cölln. The protests of the town citizens against the building culminated in 1448, in the "Berlin Indignation" ("Berliner Unwille").<ref>[http://www.diegeschichteberlins.de/geschichteberlins/berlinabc/stichworteag/555-berliner-unwillen.html Berliner Unwillen]. ''Verein für die Geschichte Berlins e. V.'' Retrieved 30 May 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/serie-was-den-berliner-unwillen-erregte/7301932.html Was den "Berliner Unwillen" erregte.]. ''Der Tagesspiegel'', 26 October 2012</ref> This protest was not successful and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic privileges. After the royal palace was finished in 1451, it gradually came into use. From 1470, with the new elector [[Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg|Albrecht III Achilles]], Berlin-Cölln became the new royal residence.<ref name="Lui stadtgr"/> Officially, the Berlin-Cölln palace became permanent residence of the Brandenburg electors of the Hohenzollerns from 1486, when [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg|John Cicero]] came to power.<ref>{{cite web|title=The electors' residence|url=http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/geschichte/residenzstadt.en.html|accessdate=11 June 2013|location=www.berlin.de}}</ref> Berlin-Cölln, however, had to give up its status as a free [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] city. In 1539, the electors and the city officially became [[Lutheran]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smp-protein.de/SMPConference/berlin.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818100934/http://www.smp-protein.de/SMPConference/berlin.htm|archivedate=18 August 2006|title=Berlin Cathedral|website=SMPProtein|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref>

===17th to 19th centuries===
[[File:Friedrich Zweite Alt.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Frederick the Great]] (1712–1786) was one of Europe's [[enlightened monarch]]s.]]

The [[Thirty Years' War]] between 1618 and 1648 devastated Berlin. One third of its houses were damaged or destroyed, and the city lost half of its population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/germany/bra30.html|title=Brandenburg during the 30 Years War|website=WHKMLA|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> [[Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William]], known as the "Great Elector", who had succeeded his father [[George William, Elector of Brandenburg|George William]] as ruler in 1640, initiated a policy of promoting immigration and religious tolerance.<ref name="Carlyle1853">{{cite book|author=Thomas Carlyle|title=Fraser's Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PME1mMFlEMcC&pg=PA63|year=1853|publisher=J. Fraser|page=63|accessdate=11 February 2016}}</ref> With the [[Edict of Potsdam]] in 1685, Frederick William offered asylum to the French [[Huguenot]]s.<ref name="Plaut1995">{{cite book|author=W. Gunther Plaut|title=Asylum: A Moral Dilemma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oirvylPVAhAC&pg=PA42|date=1 January 1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95196-2|page=42}}</ref> By 1700, approximately 30 percent of Berlin's residents were French, because of the Huguenot immigration.<ref name="Gray2007">{{cite book|author=Jeremy Gray|title=Germany|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5t5mZE_s5YC&pg=PA49|year=2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74059-988-7|page=49}}</ref> Many other immigrants came from [[Bohemia]], [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]], and [[Archbishopric of Salzburg|Salzburg]].<ref name="Cybriwsky2013">{{cite book|author=Roman Adrian Cybriwsky|title=Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qb6NAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|date=23 May 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-248-9|page=48}}</ref>

[[File:Berlin Unter den Linden Victoria Hotel um 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Berlin became the capital of the [[German Empire]] in 1871 and expanded rapidly in the following years. (Unter den Linden in 1900)]]

Since 1618, the Margraviate of Brandenburg had been in [[personal union]] with the [[Duchy of Prussia]]. In 1701, the dual state formed the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], as [[Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg]], crowned himself as king [[Frederick I of Prussia|Frederick I in Prussia]]. Berlin became the capital of the new Kingdom,<ref>Bernd Horlemann (Hrsg.), Hans-Jürgen Mende (Hrsg.): Berlin 1994. Taschenkalender. Edition Luisenstadt Berlin, Nr. 01280.</ref> replacing [[Königsberg]]. This was a successful attempt to centralise the capital in the very far-flung state, and it was the first time the city began to grow. In 1709, Berlin merged with the four cities of Cölln, Friedrichswerder, Friedrichstadt and Dorotheenstadt under the name Berlin, "Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin".<ref name="Stöver2010"/>

In 1740, Frederick II, known as [[Frederick the Great]] (1740–1786), came to power.<ref name="Zaide1965">{{cite book|author=Gregorio F. Zaide|title=World History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq512SmGMIsC&pg=PA273|year=1965|publisher=Rex Bookstore, Inc.|isbn=978-971-23-1472-8|page=273}}</ref> Under the rule of Frederick II, Berlin became a center of [[the Enlightenment]], but also, was briefly occupied during the [[Seven Years' War]] by the Russian army.<ref name="PerryChase2012">{{cite book|author1=Marvin Perry|author2=Myrna Chase|author3=James Jacob |author4=Margaret Jacob |author5=Theodore Von Laue|title=Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YYIJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA444|date=1 January 2012|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-133-70864-3|page=444}}</ref> Following France's victory in the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]], [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] marched into Berlin in 1806, but granted self-government to the city.<ref name="Lewis2013">{{cite book|author=Peter B. Lewis|title=Arthur Schopenhauer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6TBXX9KVtzsC&pg=PA57|date=15 February 2013|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-069-6|page=57}}</ref> In 1815, the city became part of the new [[Province of Brandenburg]].<ref name="StaffInc.2010">{{cite book|author1=Harvard Student Agencies Inc. Staff|author2=Harvard Student Agencies, Inc.|title=Let's Go Berlin, Prague & Budapest: The Student Travel Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nj0YqD4ntvIC&pg=PA83|date=28 December 2010|publisher=Avalon Travel|isbn=978-1-59880-914-5|page=83}}</ref>

The [[Industrial Revolution]] transformed Berlin during the 19th century; the city's economy and population expanded dramatically, and it became the main railway hub and economic centre of Germany. Additional suburbs soon developed and increased the area and population of Berlin. In 1861, neighbouring suburbs including [[Wedding (Berlin)|Wedding]], [[Moabit]] and several others were incorporated into Berlin.<ref name="Schulte-Peevers2010">{{cite book|author=Andrea Schulte-Peevers|title=Lonel Berlin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DKlXQS6c3p0C&pg=PA25|date=15 September 2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74220-407-9|page=25}}</ref> In 1871, Berlin became capital of the newly founded [[German Empire]].<ref name="Stöver2013">{{cite book|author=Bernd Stöver|title=Berlin: A Short History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LVA8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|date=2 October 2013|publisher=C.H.Beck|isbn=978-3-406-65633-0|page=20}}</ref> In 1881, it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.<ref name="Strassmann2008">{{cite book|author=W. Paul Strassmann|title=The Strassmanns: Science, Politics and Migration in Turbulent Times (1793–1993)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5cCuBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA26|date=15 June 2008|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-84545-416-6|page=26}}</ref>

===20th to 21st centuries===
{{Main|West Berlin|East Berlin}}
{{See also|1920s Berlin}}
[[File:Kirchner 1913 Street, Berlin.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|''Street, Berlin'' (1913) by [[Ernst Ludwig Kirchner]] ]]

In the early 20th century, Berlin had become a fertile ground for the [[German Expressionism|German Expressionist]] movement.<ref name="HollandGawthrop2001">{{cite book|author1=Jack Holland|author2=John Gawthrop|title=The Rough Guide to Berlin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-EsJWmKCSa8C&pg=PA361|year=2001|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-85828-682-2|page=361}}</ref> In fields such as [[architecture]], [[painting]] and [[film|cinema]] new forms of artistic styles were invented. At the end of the [[First World War]] in 1918, a [[Weimar Republic|republic]] was proclaimed by [[Philipp Scheidemann]] at the [[Reichstag (building)|Reichstag building]]. In 1920, the [[Greater Berlin Act]] incorporated dozens of suburban cities, villages and estates around Berlin into an expanded city. The act increased the area of Berlin from {{convert|66|to|883|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. The population almost doubled and Berlin had a population of around four million. During the [[Weimar culture|Weimar era]], Berlin underwent political unrest due to economic uncertainties, but also became a renowned centre of the [[Roaring Twenties]]. The metropolis experienced its heyday as a major world capital and was known for its leadership roles in science, technology, arts, the humanities, city planning, film, higher education, government and industries. [[Albert Einstein]] rose to public prominence during his years in Berlin, being awarded the [[Nobel Prize for Physics]] in 1921.

[[File:Potsdamer Platz 1945.jpg|thumb|left|Berlin in ruins after the [[Second World War]] ([[Potsdamer Platz]], 1945)]]

In 1933, [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazi Party]] [[Adolf Hitler's rise to power#Seizure of control (1931–1933)|came to power]]. NSDAP rule diminished Berlin's Jewish community from 160,000 (one-third of all Jews in the country) to about 80,000 as a result of emigration between 1933 and 1939. After [[Kristallnacht]] in 1938, thousands of the city's Jews were imprisoned in the nearby [[Sachsenhausen concentration camp]]. Starting in early 1943, many were shipped to [[death camp]]s, such as [[Auschwitz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005450|title=Berlin|publisher=}}</ref> Berlin is the most heavily bombed city in history. During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in [[Battle of Berlin (air)|the 1943–45 air raids]] and during the [[Battle of Berlin]]. The Allies dropped 67,607.3 tons of bombs on the city, destroyed 6,427 acres of the built up area of the city. Around 125,000 civilians were killed.<ref>{{citation|last=Clodfelter|first=Michael|title=Warfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500–2000|edition=2nd|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7864-1204-4}}</ref> After the [[end of World War II in Europe|end of the war in Europe]] in May 1945, Berlin received large numbers of refugees from the Eastern provinces. The victorious powers divided the city into four sectors, analogous to the [[Allied-occupied Germany|occupation zones]] into which Germany was divided. The sectors of the [[Allies of World War II|Western Allies]] (the United States, the United Kingdom and France) formed [[West Berlin]], while the [[Soviet Union|Soviet sector]] formed [[East Berlin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/psf/box31/t297c01.html|title=Agreement to divide Berlin|website=FDR-Library|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Berlinermauer.jpg|thumb|The [[Berlin Wall]] (painted on the western side) was a barrier that divided the city from 1961 to 1989.]]

All four [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] shared administrative responsibilities for Berlin. However, in 1948, when the Western Allies extended the currency reform in the Western zones of Germany to the three western sectors of Berlin, the [[Soviet Union]] imposed a [[Berlin Blockade|blockade]] on the access routes to and from West Berlin, which lay entirely inside Soviet-controlled territory. The [[Berlin airlift]], conducted by the three western Allies, overcame this blockade by supplying food and other supplies to the city from June 1948 to May 1949.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.western-allies-berlin.com/historic-events/detail/airlift-blockade|title=Berlin Airlift / Blockade|publisher=Western Allies Berlin|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref> In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in [[West Germany]] and eventually included all of the American, British and French zones, excluding those three countries' zones in Berlin, while the [[Marxist-Leninist]] [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] was proclaimed in East Germany. West Berlin officially remained an occupied city, but it politically was aligned with the Federal Republic of Germany despite West Berlin's geographic isolation. Airline service to West Berlin was granted only to American, British and French airlines.

[[File:Thefalloftheberlinwall1989.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Berlin Wall#The Fall|fall of the Berlin Wall]] on 9 November 1989. On [[German Unity Day|3 October 1990]], the [[German reunification]] process was formally finished.]]

The founding of the two German states increased [[Cold War]] tensions. West Berlin was surrounded by East German territory, and East Germany proclaimed the Eastern part as its capital, a move that was not recognised by the western powers. East Berlin included most of the historic centre of the city. The West German government established itself in [[Bonn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/geschichte/1945.en.html|title=Berlin official website; History after 1945|publisher=City of Berlin|accessdate=8 April 2009}}</ref> In 1961, East Germany began the building of the [[Berlin Wall]] around West Berlin, and events escalated to a tank standoff at [[Checkpoint Charlie]]. 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. [[John F. Kennedy]] gave his "''[[Ich bin ein Berliner]]''" speech in 1963, underlining the US support for the Western part of the city. Berlin was completely divided. Although it was possible for Westerners to pass to the other side through strictly controlled checkpoints, for most Easterners travel to West Berlin or West Germany was prohibited by the government of East Germany. In 1971, a [[Four Power Agreement on Berlin|Four-Power agreement]] guaranteed access to and from West Berlin by car or train through East Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/ga5-710903.htm|title=Ostpolitik: The Quadripartite Agreement of September 3, 1971|publisher=US Berlin Embassy|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref>

In 1989, with the end of the Cold War and pressure from the East German population, the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November and was subsequently mostly demolished. Today, the [[East Side Gallery]] preserves a large portion of the wall. On 3 October 1990, the two parts of Germany were [[German reunification|reunified]] as the Federal Republic of Germany and Berlin again became the official German capital. In 1991, the German Parliament, the [[Bundestag]], [[Decision on the Capital of Germany|voted to move the seat]] of the German capital from Bonn to Berlin, which was completed in 1999. On 18 June 1994, soldiers from the United States, France and Britain marched in a parade which was part of the ceremonies to mark the final withdrawal of foreign troops allowing a [[German reunification#Reunified Berlin|reunified Berlin]].<ref name=ReUnificationParade>{{cite news | last = Kinzer | first = Stephan | title = Allied Soldiers March to Say Farewell to Berlin | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/19/world/allied-soldiers-march-to-say-farewell-to-berlin.html | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | location = New York City | date = 19 June 1994 | accessdate = 20 November 2015}}</ref> [[Berlin's 2001 administrative reform]] merged several districts. The number of boroughs was reduced from 23 to 12.

In 2002, the German parliament voted to allow the [[reconstruction (architecture)|reconstruction]] of the [[Berlin Palace]], which started in 2013 and will be finished in 2019. In 2006, the [[2006 FIFA World Cup Final|FIFA World Cup Final]] was held in Berlin.

In a [[2016 Berlin attack|2016 terrorist attack]] linked to [[ISIL]], a truck was deliberately driven into the Christmas market next to the [[Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church]], leaving 12 people dead and 56 others injured.

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Berlin}}

{{multiple image
|align=center
|image2=Über den Dächern von Berlin.jpg
|width2=310
|caption2=[[Mitte (locality)|Mitte]], the historical center: [[Unter den Linden]] boulevard in the foreground, high-rise buildings of [[Potsdamer Platz]] up to the right
|image1= Cityscape Berlin.jpg
|width1=347
|caption1= [[Mitte (locality)|Berlin Mitte]] landmarks from left to right (seen from [[Berlin Victory Column|Victory Column]]): [[Reichstag (building)|Reichstag building]], [[Fernsehturm Berlin|Fernsehturm]], [[Berlin Cathedral|Cathedral]], [[Rotes Rathaus|City Hall]], [[Brandenburg Gate]], [[Gendarmenmarkt]]}}

===Topography===
[[File:16-07-04-Abflug-Berlin-DSC 0122.jpg|thumb|Aerial photography over central Berlin with [[Tiergarten (park)|Tiergarten]]]]

Berlin is situated in northeastern [[Germany]], in an area of low-lying marshy woodlands with a mainly flat [[topography]], part of the vast [[Northern European Plain]] which stretches all the way from northern [[France]] to western [[Russia]]. The ''Berliner Urstromtal'' (an ice age [[glacial valley]]), between the low [[Barnim Plateau]] to the north and the [[Teltow plateau|Teltow Plateau]] to the south, was formed by meltwater flowing from ice sheets at the end of the last [[Weichselian glaciation]]. The [[Spree]] follows this valley now. In Spandau, a borough in the west of Berlin, the Spree empties into the river [[Havel]], which flows from north to south through western Berlin. The course of the Havel is more like a chain of lakes, the largest being the Tegeler See and the [[Großer Wannsee]]. A series of lakes also feeds into the upper Spree, which flows through the [[Müggelsee|Großer Müggelsee]] in eastern Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.5333,13.38000&spn=0.060339,0.085316&t=k&hl=en|title=Satellite Image Berlin|publisher=[[Google Maps]]|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref>

Substantial parts of present-day Berlin extend onto the low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Large parts of the boroughs [[Reinickendorf]] and [[Pankow]] lie on the Barnim Plateau, while most of the boroughs of [[Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf]], [[Steglitz-Zehlendorf]], [[Tempelhof-Schöneberg]], and [[Neukölln]] lie on the Teltow Plateau.

The borough of Spandau lies partly within the Berlin Glacial Valley and partly on the Nauen Plain, which stretches to the west of Berlin. Since 2015, the highest elevation in Berlin is found on the Arkenberge hills in Pankow, at {{convert|122|m|ft|abbr=off}}. Through the dumping of construction debris, they surpassed [[Teufelsberg]] ({{convert|120.1|m|ft|disp=or|abbr=on}}), a [[Schuttberg|hill made of rubble]] from the ruins of the Second World War.<ref>[http://www.qiez.de/pankow/wohnen-und-leben/gruenes-berlin/der-hoechste-berg-von-berlin-liegt-nun-in-pankow-arkenberge/169588800 Berlin hat eine neue Spitze], Qiez, 27 January 2015.</ref> The highest natural elevation is found on the [[Müggelberge]] at {{convert|114.7|m|ft|abbr=off}}, and the lowest at the Spektesee in Spandau, at {{convert|28.1|m|ft|abbr=off}}.<ref>Stefan Jacobs: [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/bezirke/pankow/das-ist-die-hoehe-arkenberge-der-hoechste-berg-von-berlin-ist-neuerdings-in-pankow/11406254.html Der höchste Berg von Berlin ist neuerdings in Pankow], 22 February 2015.</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Luftbild bln-schmoeckwitz.jpg|thumb|The outskirts of Berlin are covered with woodlands and numerous lakes.]]

Berlin has a [[Oceanic climate#Marine west coast (Cfb)|"marine west coast" (Cfb)]] climate according to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system. This type of climate features moderate summer temperatures and mild winters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=58301&cityname=Berlin%2C+Berlin%2C+Germany&units=|title=Berlin, Germany Climate Summary|publisher=Weatherbase|accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref> There are significant continental climate influences due to its inland position, with frosts being common in winter and there being larger temperature differences between seasons than typical for many oceanic climates. Furthermore, Berlin is classified as a [[Temperate climate|temperate]] [[humid continental climate|continental climate]] (''Dc'') under the [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha climate scheme]].<ref>Gerstengarbe FW, Werner PC (2009) A short update on Koeppen climate shifts in Europe between 1901 and 2003. Clim Change 92: 99–107</ref>

Summers are warm and sometimes humid with average high temperatures of {{convert|22|–|25|C|F}} and lows of {{convert|12|–|14|C|F}}. Winters are cool with average high temperatures of {{convert|3|C|F}} and lows of {{convert|−2|to|0|C|F}}. Spring and autumn are generally chilly to mild. Berlin's built-up area creates a microclimate, with [[urban heat island|heat stored by the city's buildings and pavement]]. Temperatures can be {{convert|4|C-change|sigfig=1}} higher in the city than in the surrounding areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/ |title=weather.com |publisher=weather.com |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>

Annual precipitation is {{convert|570|mm|in|sp=us}} with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Snowfall mainly occurs from December through March.<ref name=worldweather>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldweather.org/016/c00059.htm|title=Climate figures|website=World Weather Information Service|accessdate=18 August 2008}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

{{Weather box
|location=Berlin- Tempelhof (1971–2000), extremes (1876– 2015) (Source: DWD)
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|Jan record high C = 15.5
|Feb record high C = 18.7
|Mar record high C = 24.8
|Apr record high C = 31.3
|May record high C = 35.5
|Jun record high C = 35.9
|Jul record high C = 38.1
|Aug record high C = 38.0
|Sep record high C = 34.2
|Oct record high C = 28.1
|Nov record high C = 20.5
|Dec record high C = 16.0
|year record high C = 38.1

|Jan high C=3.3
|Feb high C=5.0
|Mar high C=9.0
|Apr high C=15.0
|May high C=19.6
|Jun high C=22.3
|Jul high C=25.0
|Aug high C=24.5
|Sep high C=19.3
|Oct high C=13.9
|Nov high C=7.7
|Dec high C=3.7
|year high C=

|Jan mean C=0.6
|Feb mean C=1.4
|Mar mean C=4.8
|Apr mean C=8.9
|May mean C=14.3
|Jun mean C=17.1
|Jul mean C=19.2
|Aug mean C=18.9
|Sep mean C=14.5
|Oct mean C=9.7
|Nov mean C=4.7
|Dec mean C=2.0

|Jan low C=−1.9
|Feb low C=−1.5
|Mar low C=1.3
|Apr low C=4.2
|May low C=9.0
|Jun low C=12.3
|Jul low C= 14.3
|Aug low C=14.1
|Sep low C=10.6
|Oct low C=6.4
|Nov low C=2.2
|Dec low C=-0.4
|year low C=

|Jan record low C = -23.1
|Feb record low C = -26.0
|Mar record low C = -16.5
|Apr record low C = -8.1
|May record low C = -4.0
|Jun record low C = 1.5
|Jul record low C = 5.4
|Aug record low C = 3.5
|Sep record low C = -1.5
|Oct record low C = -9.6
|Nov record low C = -16.0
|Dec record low C = -20.5
|year record low C = -26.0
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm=42.3
|Feb rain mm=33.3
|Mar rain mm=40.5
|Apr rain mm=37.1
|May rain mm=53.8
|Jun rain mm=68.7
|Jul rain mm=55.5
|Aug rain mm=58.2
|Sep rain mm=45.1
|Oct rain mm=37.3
|Nov rain mm=43.6
|Dec rain mm=55.3
|Jan rain days=10.0
|Feb rain days=8.0
|Mar rain days=9.1
|Apr rain days=7.8
|May rain days=8.9
|Jun rain days=7.0
|Jul rain days=7.0
|Aug rain days=7.0
|Sep rain days=7.8
|Oct rain days=7.6
|Nov rain days=9.6
|Dec rain days=11.4
|unit rain days= 1.0 mm
|Jan sun=46.5
|Feb sun=73.5
|Mar sun=120.9
|Apr sun=159.0
|May sun=220.1
|Jun sun=222.0
|Jul sun=217.0
|Aug sun=210.8
|Sep sun=156.0
|Oct sun=111.6
|Nov sun=51.0
|Dec sun=37.2
|year sun=1625.6
|source 1=[[World Meteorological Organization]] (UN),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldweather.wmo.int/016/c00059.htm |title=World Weather Information Service – Berlin |publisher=Worldweather.wmo.int |date=5 October 2006 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> HKO<ref name=HKO>{{cite web|url=http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/ger_pl/berlin_e.htm|title=Climatological Normals of Berlin|accessdate=20 May 2010|publisher=[[Hong Kong Observatory]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berliner-extremwerte.com/Berliner-Extremwerte.htm|title=Berliner Extremwerte}}</ref>
|date=April 2013}}

===Cityscape===
[[File:View from Park inn Berlin November 2013.jpg|thumb|Typically dense cityscape of core Berlin: [[Mitte]] area]]

Berlin's history has left the city with a [[wikt:polycentric|polycentric]] organization and a highly eclectic array of architecture and buildings. The city's appearance today is predominantly shaped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century. Each of the national governments based in Berlin{{snd}} the Kingdom of Prussia, the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany{{snd}} initiated ambitious reconstruction programs, with each adding its own distinctive style to the city's architecture.
[[File:Sunrise Berlin 2014.jpg|thumb|left|Berlin skyline in 2014]]
Berlin was devastated by [[Bombing of Berlin in World War II|bombing raids]], fires and street battles during World War II, and many of the buildings that had remained after the war were demolished in the post-war period in both West and East Berlin. Much of this demolition was initiated by municipal architecture programs to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. Many [[Ornament (art)|ornaments]] of pre-war buildings were destroyed following [[Ornament and Crime|modernist dogmas]]. While in both systems and in reunified Berlin, various important heritage monuments were also (partly) [[Reconstruction (architecture)|reconstructed]], including the ''Forum Fridericianum'' with e.g., the [[Berlin State Opera|State Opera]] (1955), [[Charlottenburg Palace]] (1957), the main monuments of the [[Gendarmenmarkt]] (1980s), [[Alte Kommandantur|Kommandantur]] (2003) and the project to reconstruct the baroque façades of the [[City Palace, Berlin|City Palace]]. A number of new buildings are inspired by historical predecessors or the general classical style of Berlin, such as [[Hotel Adlon]].

Clusters of [[List of tallest buildings in Berlin|high-rise buildings]] emerge at disperse locations, e.g. [[Potsdamer Platz]], [[City West]], and [[Alexanderplatz]], the latter two representing the previous centers of West and East Berlin, respectively, and the former representing the new Berlin of the 21st century built upon the previous no-man's land of the Berlin Wall. Berlin has three of the top 40 [[List of tallest buildings in Germany|tallest buildings]] in Germany.

===Architecture===
{{Main|Architecture in Berlin}}
{{See also|List of sights in Berlin|List of tallest buildings in Berlin}}
[[File:Berlin, Kreuzberg, Chamissoplatz 4, Mietshaus.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[Mixed-use development|mixed-use]] building in [[Kreuzberg]]. The 'blockrand' structure of the 1862 [[Hobrecht-Plan]] is typical for Berlin.]]

The [[Fernsehturm Berlin|Fernsehturm]] (TV tower) at [[Alexanderplatz]] in [[Mitte]] is among the tallest structures in the European Union at {{convert|368|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Built in 1969, it is visible throughout most of the central districts of Berlin. The city can be viewed from its {{convert|204|m|ft|abbr=on}} high observation floor. Starting here the [[Karl-Marx-Allee]] heads east, an avenue lined by monumental residential buildings, designed in the [[Socialist Classicism]] style. Adjacent to this area is the [[Rotes Rathaus]] (City Hall), with its distinctive red-brick architecture. In front of it is the [[Neptunbrunnen]], a fountain featuring a mythological group of [[Triton (mythology)|Tritons]], [[Anthropomorphism|personifications]] of the four main Prussian rivers and [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]] on top of it.

[[File:Brandenburger Tor abends.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Brandenburg Gate]], icon of Berlin and Germany]]

The [[Brandenburg Gate]] is an iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany; it stands as a symbol of eventful European history and of unity and peace. The [[Reichstag building]] is the traditional seat of the German Parliament. It was remodelled by British architect [[Norman Foster (architect)|Norman Foster]] in the 1990s and features a glass dome over the session area, which allows free public access to the parliamentary proceedings and magnificent views of the city.

The [[East Side Gallery]] is an open-air exhibition of art painted directly on the last existing portions of the Berlin Wall. It is the largest remaining evidence of the city's historical division.

The [[Gendarmenmarkt]] is a [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] square in Berlin, the name of which derives from the headquarters of the famous Gens d'armes regiment located here in the 18th century. It is bordered by two similarly designed cathedrals, the [[Französischer Dom]] with its observation platform and the [[Deutscher Dom]]. The Konzerthaus (Concert Hall), home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, stands between the two cathedrals.

[[File:Berlin Museumsinsel Fernsehturm.jpg|thumb|[[Bode Museum]], part of [[Museum Island]], a UNESCO World Heritage Site]]

The [[Museum Island]] in the [[River Spree]] houses [[Berlin#Museums|five museums]] built from 1830 to 1930 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Restoration and construction of a main entrance to all museums, as well as reconstruction of the [[Stadtschloss, Berlin|Stadtschloss]] continues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/newsticker/neumann--stadtschloss-wird-teurer,10917074,10924086.html |title=Neumann: Stadtschloss wird teurer|website= Berliner Zeitung |language=de |date=24 June 2011 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/die-nullerjahre--nation-building---der-wiedervereinigte-staat-baut-sich-eine-neue-hauptstadt-das-pathos-der-berliner-republik,10810590,10717494.html |title=Das Pathos der Berliner Republik|website= Berliner Zeitung |language=de |date=19 May 2010 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> Also located on the island and adjacent to the [[Lustgarten]] and palace is [[Berlin Cathedral]], emperor William II's ambitious attempt to create a Protestant counterpart to [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome. A large crypt houses the remains of some of the earlier Prussian royal family. [[St. Hedwig's Cathedral]] is Berlin's Roman Catholic cathedral.

[[File:17 20 pm (570903628).jpg|thumb|left|Potsdamer Platz, Kollhoff Tower at the center and headquarters of [[Deutsche Bahn]] to the right.]]

[[Unter den Linden]] is a tree-lined east–west avenue from the Brandenburg Gate to the site of the former Berliner Stadtschloss, and was once Berlin's premier promenade. Many Classical buildings line the street and part of [[Humboldt University]] is located there. [[Friedrichstraße]] was Berlin's legendary street during the [[Golden Twenties]]. It combines 20th-century traditions with the modern architecture of today's Berlin.
[[File:Unter den Linden Berlin2007.jpg|thumb|left|[[Unter den Linden]] boulevard with [[Zeughaus]], [[Berlin Cathedral]] and [[Fernsehturm Berlin]] at night.]]

[[Potsdamer Platz]] is an entire quarter built from scratch after 1995 after the [[Berlin Wall|Wall]] came down.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/baubilanz/en/potsdamer_platz.html |title=Construction and redevelopment since 1990 |publisher=Senate Department of Urban Development |accessdate=18 August 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610103008/http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/baubilanz/en/potsdamer_platz.html |archivedate=10 June 2008 }}</ref> To the west of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum, which houses the [[Gemäldegalerie, Berlin|Gemäldegalerie]], and is flanked by the [[Neue Nationalgalerie]] and the [[Berliner Philharmonie]]. The [[Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe]], a [[Holocaust]] memorial, is situated to the north.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/arts/design/09holo.html?ex=1162962000&en=272335914d8b80d6&ei=5070 |title=A Forest of Pillars, Recalling the Unimaginable |work=The New York Times |accessdate=18 August 2008 |first=Nicolai |last=Ouroussoff |date=9 May 2005 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205123448/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/arts/design/09holo.html?ex=1162962000&en=272335914d8b80d6&ei=5070 |archivedate=5 December 2013 }}</ref>

The area around [[Hackescher Markt]] is home to fashionable culture, with countless clothing outlets, clubs, bars, and galleries. This includes the [[Hackesche Höfe]], a conglomeration of buildings around several courtyards, reconstructed around 1996. The nearby [[New Synagogue, Berlin|New Synagogue]] is the center of Jewish culture.

[[File:Le château de Charlottenburg (Berlin) (6340508573).jpg|thumb|[[Charlottenburg Palace]] is the largest existing palace in Berlin.]]

The [[Straße des 17. Juni]], connecting the Brandenburg Gate and Ernst-Reuter-Platz, serves as the central east-west axis. Its name commemorates the [[Uprising of 1953 in East Germany|uprisings in East Berlin of 17 June 1953]]. Approximately halfway from the Brandenburg Gate is the Großer Stern, a circular traffic island on which the [[Siegessäule]] (Victory Column) is situated. This monument, built to commemorate Prussia's victories, was relocated in 1938–39 from its previous position in front of the Reichstag.

The [[Kurfürstendamm]] is home to some of Berlin's luxurious stores with the [[Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church]] at its eastern end on [[Breitscheidplatz]]. The church was destroyed in the Second World War and left in ruins. Nearby on Tauentzienstraße is [[KaDeWe]], claimed to be continental Europe's largest department store. The [[Rathaus Schöneberg]], where [[John F. Kennedy]] made his famous "[[Ich bin ein Berliner]]!" speech, is situated in [[Tempelhof-Schöneberg]].

West of the center, [[Bellevue Palace (Germany)|Bellevue Palace]] is the residence of the German President. [[Charlottenburg Palace]], which was burnt out in the Second World War, is the largest historical palace in Berlin.

The [[Funkturm Berlin]] is a {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall lattice radio tower in the fairground area, built between 1924 and 1926. It is the only observation tower which stands on insulators and has a restaurant {{convert|55|m|ft|abbr=on}} and an observation deck {{convert|126|m|ft|abbr=on}} above ground, which is reachable by a windowed elevator.
[[File:Sala de Conciertos, Berlín, Alemania, 2016-04-22, DD 22-24 HDR.jpg|thumb|[[Konzerthaus Berlin]].]]

The [[Oberbaumbrücke]] is Berlin's most iconic bridge, crossing the [[Spree|River Spree]]. It was a former East-West border crossing and connects the boroughs of [[Friedrichshain]] and [[Kreuzberg]]. It was completed in a [[brick gothic]] style in 1896. The center portion has been reconstructed with a steel frame after having been destroyed in 1945. The bridge has an upper deck for the [[Berlin U-Bahn]] line {{BVG lines|U1}}.

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Berlin}}

On 30 June 2017 the city-state of Berlin had a population of 3.69 million registered inhabitants<ref name="Population">{{Cite web |url=https://m.morgenpost.de/berlin/article211682483/Boom-haelt-an-Berlin-zaehlt-mehr-Einwohner.html |title=Boom hält an. Berlin zählt mehr Einwohner |last=Abel |first=Andreas |date=23 August 2017 |website=[[Berliner Morgenpost]] |language=German |access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> in an area of {{convert|891.85|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="statoffice">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistik-berlin.de/|title=Berlin statistical figures|website=[[Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg]]|accessdate=19 August 2008|language=German}}</ref> The city's population density was 4,048 inhabitants per km2. Berlin is the second [[Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits|most populous city proper]] in the EU. The [[urban area]] of Berlin comprised about 4.1 million people in 2014 in an area of {{convert|1347|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, making it the seventh [[Largest urban areas of the European Union|most populous urban area]] in the [[European Union]].<ref name="Insee - -"/><ref name=Demographia>[http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf Demographia: World Urban Areas]. Retrieved 6 September 2015.</ref> The [[urban agglomeration]] of the metropolis was home to about 4.5 million in an area of {{convert|5370|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. {{As of|2014}} the [[Larger Urban Zones|functional urban area]] was home to about 5 million people in an area of approximately {{convert|15000|km²|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=urb_lpop1&lang=en Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas, Eurostat]. Retrieved 29 September 2016.</ref> The entire [[Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region|Berlin-Brandenburg capital region]] has a population of more than 6 million in an area of {{convert|30370|km²|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{de icon}} [http://www.deutsche-metropolregionen.org/mitglieder/berlin-brandenburg/ Hauptstadtregion Berlin-Brandenburg]</ref>

In 2014, the city state Berlin had 37,368 live births (+6,6%), a record number since 1991. The number of deaths was 32,314. Almost 2.0 million households were counted in the city. 54 percent of them were single-person households. More than 337,000 families with children under the age of 18 lived in Berlin. In 2014 the German capital registered a migration surplus of approximately 40,000 people.<ref>[https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/produkte/kleinestatistik/AP_kleinestatistik_en_2015_be.pdf statistics Berlin Brandenburg]. www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de Retrieved 10 October 2016.</ref>

[[File:Berlin population2.svg|thumb|left|Berlin's population 1880–2012]]

===Nationalities===
{|class="infobox" style="float:right;"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | '''Residents by Citizenship''' (Dec. 2017)<ref name="pop-detail">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/publikationen/Stat_Berichte/2018/SB_A01-05-00_2017h02_BE.pdf|format=PDF|title=Statistischer Bericht: Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner im Land Berlin am 31. Dezember 2017|trans-title=Statistical Report: Residents in the state of Berlin on 31 December 2017 |pages=4, 13, 18–22 |website=[[Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg]]|accessdate=25 March 2018|language=German}}</ref>
|-
! Country|| Population
|-
| {{flag|Germany}} || 3,000,648
|-
| {{flag|Turkey}} || 98,121
|-
| {{flag|Poland}} || 56,856
|-
| {{flag|Syria}} ||32,704
|-
| {{flag|Italy}} || 29,405
|-
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} || 28,593
|-
| {{flag|Russia}} || 23,568
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || 21,235
|-
| {{flag|United States}} ||19,990
|-
| {{flag|Serbia}} || 19,378
|-
| {{flag|France}} || 19,240
|-
| {{flag|Vietnam}} || 17,123
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || 15,602
|-
| {{flag|Spain}} || 14,525
|-
| {{flag|Greece}} ||14,195
|-
| {{flag|Croatia}} ||13,282
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || 11,898
|-
| {{flag|Afghanistan}} || 11,806
|-
| {{flag|Austria}} || 11,600
|-
| {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} || 11,583
|-
| {{flag|China}} || 11,229
|-
| Other Middle East and Asia || 74,684
|-
| Other Europe || 74,319
|-
| Africa || 30,950
|-
| Other Americas || 21,807
|-
| Oceania and Antarctica || 4,943
|-
| Stateless or Unclear || 22,646
|-
|}

National and international migration into the city has a long history. In 1685, following the revocation of the [[Edict of Nantes]] in France, the city responded with the [[Edict of Potsdam]], which guaranteed religious freedom and tax-free status to French Huguenot refugees for ten years. The [[Greater Berlin Act]] in 1920 incorporated many suburbs and surrounding cities of Berlin. It formed most of the territory that comprises modern Berlin and increased the population from 1.9 million to 4 million.

Active immigration and asylum politics in West Berlin triggered waves of immigration in the 1960s and 1970s. Currently, Berlin is home to at least 178,000 [[Turkish people|Turkish]] and [[Turks in Germany|Turkish German]] residents,<ref name="pop-detail"/> making it the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey. In the 1990s the ''Aussiedlergesetze'' enabled immigration to Germany of some residents from the former [[Soviet Union]]. Today ethnic [[History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union|Germans]] from countries of the former Soviet Union make up the largest portion of the Russian-speaking community.<ref>{{cite web |author=Dmitry Bulgakov |url=http://www.russiajournal.com/node/4653 |title=Berlin is speaking Russians' language |publisher=Russiajournal.com |date=11 March 2001 |accessdate=10 February 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406142034/http://www.russiajournal.com/node/4653 |archivedate=6 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The last decade experienced an influx from various Western countries and some African regions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/print-wams/article616463/Berlin_wird_farbiger_Die_Afrikaner_kommen.html |title=Berlin wird farbiger. Die Afrikaner kommen – Nachrichten WELT am SONNTAG – WELT ONLINE |language=de |website=Die Welt |date=28 October 2001 |accessdate=2 June 2011}}</ref> A portion of the African immigrants have settled in the [[Afrikanisches Viertel]].<ref>{{cite press release |author= |date=6 February 2009 |title=Zweites Afrika-Magazin "Afrikanisches Viertel" erschienen Bezirksbürgermeister Dr. Christian Hanke ist Schirmherr |url=http://www.berlin.de/ba-mitte/aktuell/presse/archiv/20090206.1305.119894.html |location=Berlin |publisher=berlin.de |access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> Young Germans, EU-Europeans and Israelis have also settled in the city.<ref>
{{cite journal|title=Hummus In The Prenzlauer Berg|journal=The Jewish Week|date=12 December 2014|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/special-sections/jewish-journeys/hummus-prenzlauer-berg|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref>

In December 2016, there were 676,741 registered residents of foreign nationality and another 474,991 German citizens with a "migration background" ''(Migrationshintergrund, MH)'',<ref name="Population" /> meaning they or one of their parents immigrated to Germany after 1955. Foreign residents of Berlin originate from approximately 190 different countries.<ref name="Foreign residents of Berlin">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/BasisZeitreiheGrafik/Bas-Einwohnerregister.asp?Ptyp=300&Sageb=12041&creg=BBB&anzwer=10 |title=Einwohner am Ort der Hauptwohnung am 31.12.2016|website=[[Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg]] |accessdate=4 August 2017 |language=German}}</ref> 48 percent of the residents under the age of 15 have migration background.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rbb-online.de/politik/beitrag/2017/05/migrationshintergrund-berlin-jeder-dritte.html|title=Fast jeder Dritte in Berlin hat einen Migrationshintergrund|website=www.rbb-online.de}}</ref> Berlin in 2009 was estimated to have 100,000 to 250,000 non-registered inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|author=Von Andrea Dernbach |url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/deutschland/berlin-will-illegalen-einwanderern-helfen/1452916.html |title=Migration: Berlin will illegalen Einwanderern helfen – Deutschland – Politik – Tagesspiegel |publisher=Tagesspiegel.de |date=23 February 2009 |accessdate=15 September 2011}}</ref> Boroughs of Berlin with a significant number of migrants or foreign born population are [[Mitte (locality)|Mitte]], [[Neukölln]] and [[Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg]].<ref>[https://jungefreiheit.de/politik/deutschland/2016/zahl-der-auslaender-in-berlin-steigt-auf-rekordhoch/ "Zahl der Ausländer in Berlin steigt auf Rekordhoch"], retrieved 13 June 2017.</ref>

There are more than 20 non-indigenous communities with a population of at least 10,000 people, including [[Turks in Berlin|Turkish]], Polish, Russian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Serbian, Italian, Bosnian, [[Vietnamese community of Berlin|Vietnamese]], American, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Chinese, Austrian, Ukrainian, French, British, Spanish, Israeli, Thai, Iranian, Egyptian and Syrian communities.

===Languages===
{{Main|German language|Berlinerisch dialect}}
[[German language|German]] is the official and predominant spoken language in Berlin. It is a [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic language]] that derives most of its vocabulary from the Germanic branch of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language family. German is one of 24 languages of the European Union,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/linguistic-diversity/official-languages-eu_en.htm |title=Official Languages |author=European Commission |accessdate=29 July 2014}}</ref> and one of the three [[working language]]s of the [[European Commission]].

Berlinerisch or Berlinisch is not a dialect linguistically, but has features of [[Lausitzisch-neumärkisch dialects]]. It is spoken in Berlin and the [[Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region|surrounding metropolitan area]]. It originates from a [[Mark Brandenburgish dialects|Mark Brandenburgish]] variant. The dialect is now seen more as a [[sociolect]], largely through increased immigration and trends among the educated population to speak [[standard German]] in everyday life.

The most-commonly-spoken foreign languages in Berlin are Turkish, English, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Kurdish, Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Vietnamese, and French. Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Serbo-Croatian are heard more often in the western part, due to the large Middle Eastern and former-Yugoslavian communities. English, Vietnamese, Russian, and Polish have more native speakers in East Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/printarchiv/wirtschaft/article1309952/Zwei-Millionen-Berliner-sprechen-mindestens-zwei-Sprachen.html |title=Studie – Zwei Millionen Berliner sprechen mindestens zwei Sprachen – Wirtschaft – Berliner Morgenpost – Berlin |publisher=Morgenpost.de |date=18 May 2010 |accessdate=2 June 2011}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Berlin}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = Religion in Berlin (2016)<ref name=stats2016>[https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/publikationen/stat_berichte/2016/SB_A01-05-00_2016h01_BE.pdf ''Statistischer Bericht Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner im Land Berlin am 30. Juni 2016''] (PDF; 426 kB). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. Abgerufen am 8. November 2016.</ref>
</big>
|label1 = Not religious or other
|value1 = 75
|color1 = Honeydew
|label2 = [[Evangelical Church in Germany|EKD Protestants]]
|value2 = 16.1
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = [[Catholic Church]]
|value3 = 8.9
|color3 = DarkOrchid
}}
[[File:View from Humboldtbox - Berlin Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The [[Berlin Cathedral]], a [[United Protestant]] church held by the [[Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia]]]]

More than 60% of Berlin residents have no registered religious affiliation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/26/berlin-germany-religious-education-ethics|title=Atheist Berlin to decide on religion's place in its schools|author=Connolly, Kate|work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=26 April 2009|accessdate=10 May 2010}}</ref> Non-religious groups that seek to represent the non-religious majority include the [[Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands|Humanist Association of Germany]], which has its headquarters and its largest group in Berlin. The largest religious denomination recorded in 2010 was the [[Protestant]] [[Landeskirche|regional church body]] – the [[Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia|Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO)]] – a [[United church]]. EKBO is a member of the [[Evangelical Church in Germany|Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)]] and [[Union Evangelischer Kirchen|Union Evangelischer Kirchen (UEK)]], and accounts for 18.7% of the local population.<ref name="kirchenmitglieder2010">Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland: ''Kirchenmitgliederzahlen am 31. Dezember 2010''. EKD, 2011, ([http://www.ekd.de/download/Ber_Kirchenmitglieder_2010.pdf PDF; 0,45 MB]) Retrieved, 10 March 2012.</ref> The [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] has 9.1% of residents registered as its members.<ref name="kirchenmitglieder2010"/> About 2.7% of the population identify with other Christian denominations (mostly [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], but also various Protestants).<ref name="klStatistik2010">Amt für Statistik Berlin Brandenburg: ''Die kleine Berlin-Statistik 2010.'' ([http://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/Produkte/kleinestatistik/kBEst_2010.pdf PDF-Datei]). Retrieved, 4 January 2011. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904233957/http://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/Produkte/kleinestatistik/kBEst_2010.pdf |date=4 September 2012 }}</ref>

In 2009, approximately 249.000 [[Muslim]]s were reported to be members of Islamic religious organizations in Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/produkte/jahrbuch/jb2010/JB_201004_BE.pdf |title=Statistisches Jahrbuch für Berlin 2010. January 10 Märch 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=10 February 2013}}</ref> In 2017, more than 400,000 registered residents, about 10.8% of the total, reported having a migration background from [[Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|Islamic countries]].<ref name="pop-detail"/><ref>[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/muslime-im-fastenmonat-ramadan-in-fluechtlingsheimen-und-schulen-in-berlin/13696160.html "Ramadan in Flüchtlingsheimen und Schulen in Berlin"], retrieved 13 June 2017.</ref> Between 1992 and 2011 the Muslim population almost doubled.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schupelius |first=Gunnar |date=28 May 2015 |title=Wird der Islam künftig die stärkste Religion in Berlin sein? |url=http://www.bz-berlin.de/berlin/kolumne/wird-der-islam-kuenftig-die-staerkste-religion-in-berlin-sein |work=B.Z. |location=Berlin |access-date=13 June 2017}}</ref>

About 0.9% of Berliners belong to other religions. Of the estimated population of 30,000–45,000 Jewish residents,<ref name="The Boston Globe 2014-11-01">{{cite web| url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/11/01/germany-jewish-community-now-thrives/fcPnmnfpbLQ0hM1A6zDyNN/story.html| title=In Germany, a Jewish community now thrives| author=Mike Ross| date=1 November 2014| website=The Boston Globe| publisher=| accessdate=19 August 2016 }}</ref> approximately 12,000 are registered members of religious organizations.<ref name="klStatistik2010"/>

Berlin is the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin|Roman Catholic archbishop of Berlin]] and [[Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia|EKBO]]'s elected chairperson is titled the bishop of EKBO. Furthermore, Berlin is the seat of many Orthodox cathedrals, such as the Cathedral of St. Boris the Baptist, one of the two seats of the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Bulgarian Orthodox]] Diocese of Western and Central Europe, and the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral of the Diocese of Berlin (Patriarchate of Moscow).

The faithful of the different religions and denominations maintain many [[List of places of worship in Berlin|places of worship in Berlin]]. The [[Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church]] has eight parishes of different sizes in Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.selk-berlin.de/|title=Lutheran Diocese Berlin-Brandenburg|website=Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche|accessdate=19 August 2008}}</ref> There are 36 [[Baptist]] congregations (within [[Union of Evangelical Free Church Congregations in Germany]]), 29 [[New Apostolic Church]]es, 15 [[United Methodist]] churches, eight Free Evangelical Congregations, four [[Church of Christ, Scientist|Churches of Christ, Scientist]] (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 11th), six congregations of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], an [[Old Catholic]] church, and an [[Anglican]] church in Berlin.

Berlin has more than 80 mosques,<ref name="Deutsche Welle 2014-04-16">{{cite web| url=http://www.dw.com/en/berlins-mosques/g-17572423| title=Berlin′s mosques| author=| date=16 April 2014| website=Deutsche Welle| publisher=| accessdate=19 August 2016 }}</ref> 11 synagogues, and two [[Buddhist]] temples.

==Government==
{{Main|Politics of Berlin|Berlin Police}}

===City state===
[[File:Berlin Rotes rathaus.jpg|thumb|[[Rotes Rathaus]] (''Red City Hall''), seat of the Senate and Mayor of Berlin]]

Since [[German reunification|the reunification]] on 3 October 1990, Berlin has been one of the three [[States of Germany#Subdivisions|city states in Germany]] among the present 16 states of Germany. The [[Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin|House of Representatives]] (''Abgeordnetenhaus'') functions as the city and state parliament, which currently has 141 seats. Berlin's executive body is the [[Senate of Berlin]] (''Senat von Berlin''). The Senate consists of the [[List of mayors of Berlin|Governing Mayor]] (''Regierender Bürgermeister'') and up to eight senators holding ministerial positions, one of them holding the title of "Mayor" (''Bürgermeister'') as deputy to the Governing Mayor. The total annual state budget of Berlin in 2015 exceeded €24.5 ($30.0) billion including a budget surplus of €205 ($240) million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/berlin/berliner-haushalt-finanzsenator-bleibt-trotz-sprudelnder-steuereinnahmen-vorsichtig-24702234|title=Berliner Haushalt Finanzsenator bleibt trotz sprudelnder Steuereinnahmen vorsichtig |work=Berliner Zeitung |accessdate=20 September 2016}}</ref>

The [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD) and [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke) took control of the city government after the [[Berlin state election, 2001|2001 state election]] and won another term in the [[Berlin state election, 2006|2006 state election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistik-berlin.de/produkte/Faltblatt_Brochure/berlin_in_Zahlen_engl.pdf |title=Berlin state election, 2006 |website=Der Landeswahlleiter für Berlin |accessdate=17 August 2008 |language=German |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323161037/https://www.statistik-berlin.de/produkte/Faltblatt_Brochure/berlin_in_Zahlen_engl.pdf |archivedate=23 March 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> Since the [[Berlin state election, 2016|2016 state election]], there has been a coalition between the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Left Party.

The Governing Mayor is simultaneously Lord Mayor of the City of Berlin (''Oberbürgermeister der Stadt'') and Minister President of the Federal State of Berlin (''Ministerpräsident des Bundeslandes''). The office of the Governing Mayor is located in the [[Rotes Rathaus|Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall)]]. Since 2014 this office has been held by [[Michael Müller (politician)|Michael Müller]] of the Social Democrats.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2051103,00.html|title=The Glamor Guy|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time Europe]]|date=8 May 2005|accessdate=17 August 2008}} See also: {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/world/europe/23wowereit.html?ex=1161489600&en=2129daf9965bf613&ei=5070|title=Berlin Mayor, Symbol of Openness, Has National Appeal|work=The New York Times|accessdate=17 August 2008|first=Mark|last=Landler|date=23 September 2006}}</ref>

===Boroughs===
{{Main|Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin}}
[[File:Berlin Subdivisions.svg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin|Berlin's twelve boroughs and their 96 neighborhoods]] ]]

Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs or districts (''Bezirke''). Each borough is made up by a number of subdistricts or neighborhoods (''Ortsteile''), which have historic roots in much older municipalities that predate the formation of Greater Berlin on 1 October 1920. These subdistricts became urbanized and incorporated into the city later on. Many residents strongly identify with their neighbourhoods, colloquially called ''[[Kiez]]''. At present, Berlin consists of 96 subdistricts, which are commonly made up of several smaller residential areas or quarters.

Each borough is governed by a borough council (''Bezirksamt'') consisting of five councilors (''Bezirksstadträte'') including the borough's mayor (''Bezirksbürgermeister''). The council is elected by the borough assembly (''Bezirksverordnetenversammlung''). However, the individual boroughs are not independent municipalities, but subordinate to the Senate of Berlin.  The borough's mayors make up the council of mayors (''Rat der Bürgermeister''), which is led by the city's Governing Mayor and advises the Senate. The neighborhoods have no local government bodies.

===Twin towns – sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}

Berlin maintains official partnerships with 17 cities.<ref name=Berlinsistercities>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/en/international-relations/city-partnerships/ |title=City Partnerships |type=official web site |publisher=Governing Mayor of Berlin, Senate Chancellery, Directorate for Protocol and International Relations |website=Berlin.de |accessdate=16 November 2014}}</ref> [[Twin towns and sister cities|Town twinning]] between Berlin and other cities began with its sister city Los Angeles in 1967. East Berlin's partnerships were canceled at the time of German reunification but later partially reestablished. West Berlin's partnerships had previously been restricted to the borough level. During the Cold War era, the partnerships had reflected the different power blocs, with West Berlin partnering with capitals in the Western World, and East Berlin mostly partnering with cities from the [[Warsaw Pact]] and its allies.

There are several joint projects with many other cities, such as [[Beirut]], [[Belgrade]], [[São Paulo]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Helsinki]], [[Johannesburg]], [[Mumbai]], [[Oslo]], [[Shanghai]], [[Seoul]], [[Sofia]], [[Sydney]], [[New York City]] and [[Vienna]]. Berlin participates in international city associations such as the Union of the Capitals of the European Union, Eurocities, Network of European Cities of Culture, Metropolis, Summit Conference of the World's Major Cities, and Conference of the World's Capital Cities. Berlin's official sister cities are:<ref name=Berlinsistercities/>

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* 1967 {{flagdeco|US}} [[Los Angeles]], United States
* 1987 {{flagdeco|FRA}} [[Paris]], France
* 1988 {{flagdeco|ESP}} [[Madrid]], Spain
* 1989 {{flagdeco|TUR}} [[Istanbul]], Turkey
* 1991 {{flagdeco|POL}} [[Warsaw]], Poland<ref name="Warsaw">{{cite web|url=http://www.um.warszawa.pl/node/2920?page=0,0|title=Miasta partnerskie Warszawy| publisher=Biuro Promocji Miasta|date=4 May 2005|accessdate=29 August 2008}}</ref>
* 1991 {{flagdeco|RUS}} [[Moscow]], Russia
* 1992 {{flagdeco|BEL}} [[Brussels]], Belgium
* 1992 {{flagdeco|HUN}} [[Budapest]], Hungary<ref name="Budapest twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|title=Budapest – Testvérvárosok|accessdate=14 August 2013|website=Budapest Főváros Önkormányzatának hivatalos oldala [Official site of the Municipality of Budapest]|language=Hungarian|trans-title=Budapest – Twin Cities|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809185135/http://budapest.hu/Lapok/Fovaros/Testvervarosok.aspx|archivedate=9 August 2013|deadurl=yes|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* 1993 {{flagdeco|UZB}} [[Tashkent]], Uzbekistan
* 1993 {{flagdeco|MEX}} [[Mexico City]], Mexico
* 1993 {{flagdeco|IDN}} [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
* 1994 {{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Beijing]], China
* 1994 {{flagdeco|JPN}} [[Tokyo]], Japan
* 1994 {{flagdeco|ARG}} [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina
* 1995 {{flagdeco|CZE}} [[Prague]], Czech Republic<ref name="Prague twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html#|title=Partnerská města HMP|accessdate=5 August 2013|date=18 July 2013|website = Portál „Zahraniční vztahy“ [Portal "Foreign Affairs"]|language=Czech|trans-title=Prague – Twin Cities HMP|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625205859/http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html|archivedate =25 June 2013}}</ref>
* 2000 {{flagdeco|NAM}} [[Windhoek]], Namibia
* 2000 {{flagdeco|UK}} [[London]], United Kingdom
{{div col end}}

===Capital city===
Berlin is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. The [[President of Germany]], whose functions are mainly ceremonial under the [[Grundgesetz|German constitution]], has their official residence in [[Bellevue Palace (Germany)|Bellevue Palace]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bundespraesident.de/DE/Home/home_node.html |title=Bundespräsident Horst Köhler |language=de |publisher=Bundespraesident.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> Berlin is the [[Seat of government|seat]] of the [[Chancellor of Germany (1949–)|German Chancellor]] ([[Prime Minister]]), housed in the [[Federal Chancellery (Berlin)|Chancellery building]], the ''Bundeskanzleramt''. Facing the Chancellery is the [[Bundestag]], the German Parliament, housed in the renovated [[Reichstag building]] since the government's relocation to Berlin in 1998. The [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]] ("federal council", performing the function of an [[upper house]]) is the [[federalism|representation]] of the [[States of Germany|Federal States]] (''Bundesländer'') of Germany and has its seat at the former [[Prussian House of Lords]]. The total annual federal budget managed by the German government exceeded €310 ($375) billion in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buzer.de/gesetz/11213/a188132.htm|title=Gesetz über die Feststellung des Bundeshaushaltsplans für das Haushaltsjahr 2014 |website=buzer.de|accessdate=20 September 2016}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Berlin reichstag west panorama.jpg|[[Reichstag building|Reichstag]], seat of the [[Bundestag]]
File:Bundeskanzleramt, Berlin, 150515, ako.jpg|[[Federal Chancellery (Berlin)|Federal Chancellery building]], seat of the [[Chancellor of Germany (1949–)|Chancellor of Germany]]
File:Be ItalianEmbassy 01.JPG|The Italian embassy
File:Berlin, Mitte, Wilhelmstraße, Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus.jpg|The Federal Ministry of Finance
</gallery>

The relocation of the federal [[Cabinet of Germany|government]] and Bundestag to Berlin was mostly completed in 1999, however some ministries as well as some minor departments stayed in the [[federal city]] [[Bonn]], the former capital of West Germany. [[Berlin-Bonn Act|Discussions about moving]] the remaining ministries and departments to Berlin continue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/der-regierungsumzug-ist-ueberfaellig,10810590,10751012.html |title=Der Regierungsumzug ist überfällig|website= Berliner Zeitung|language=de|date=26 October 2010 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> The ministries and departments of [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Defence]], [[Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection|Justice and Consumer Protection]], [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Finance]], [[Federal Ministry of the Interior (Germany)|Interior]], [[Foreign Office (Germany)|Foreign]], [[Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Germany)|Economic Affairs and Energy]], [[Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs|Labour and Social Affairs]]
, [[Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth|Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth]], [[Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety|Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety]], [[Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture|Food and Agriculture]], [[Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development|Economic Cooperation and Development]], [[Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)|Health]], [[Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure|Transport and Digital Infrastructure]] and [[Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany)|Education and Research]] are based in the capital.

Berlin hosts in total 158 foreign embassies<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.embassypages.com/germany|title=Germany – Embassies and Consulates|website=embassypages.com|accessdate=23 August 2014}}</ref> as well as the headquarters of many think tanks, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups, and professional associations. Due to the influence and international partnerships of the Federal Republic of Germany, the capital city has become a significant centre of German and European affairs. Frequent official visits, and diplomatic consultations among governmental representatives and national leaders are common in contemporary Berlin.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Berlin}}
[[File:Berlin Panorama 2010.jpg|thumb|Berlin is a UNESCO "City of Design" and recognized for its [[creative industries]] and [[startup ecosystem]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.credit-suisse.com/us/en/news-and-expertise/entrepreneurs/articles/news-and-expertise/2015/08/en/berlin-europes-new-start-up-capital.html|title=Berlin – Europe's New Start-Up Capital|website=Credit Suisse|access-date=27 March 2016|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331043259/https://www.credit-suisse.com/us/en/news-and-expertise/entrepreneurs/articles/news-and-expertise/2015/08/en/berlin-europes-new-start-up-capital.html|archivedate=31 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>]]

In 2015 the nominal GDP of the citystate Berlin totaled €124.16 (~$142) billion compared to €117.75 in 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.statistik-portal.de/Statistik-Portal/de_jb27_jahrtab65.asp|title=Volkswirtschaftliche Gesamtrechnungen – Bruttoinlandsprodukt|agency=statistik-portal |accessdate=21 May 2016|language=German}}</ref> an increase of about 5.4%. Berlin's economy is dominated by the service sector, with around 84% of all companies doing business in services. In 2015, the total labour force in Berlin was 1.85 million. The unemployment rate reached a 24-year low in November 2015 and stood at 10.0% .<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/wirtschaft/arbeitsmarkt-in-berlin-berlin-hat-so-wenig-arbeitslose-wie-seit-24-jahren-nicht,10808230,32678128.html|title=Berlin hat so wenig Arbeitslose wie seit 24 Jahren nicht|publisher=Berliner Zeitung |accessdate=1 November 2015|language=German}}</ref> From 2012–2015 Berlin, as a German state, had the highest annual employment growth rate. Around 130,000 jobs were added in this period.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/berlin/rekord-in-der-hauptstadt-in-berlin-gibt-es-so-viele-beschaeftigte-wie-nie-zuvor,10809148,33634676.html|title=In Berlin gibt es so viele Beschäftigte wie nie zuvor|publisher=Berliner Zeitung |date=28 January 2015|accessdate=16 February 2016|language=German}}</ref>

Important economic sectors in Berlin include life sciences, transportation, information and communication technologies, media and music, advertising and design, biotechnology, environmental services, construction, e-commerce, retail, hotel business, and medical engineering.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=7953479|title=Poor but sexy|work=The Economist|accessdate=19 August 2008|date=21 September 2006}}</ref>

Research and development have economic significance for the city.<ref name="factsheet">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/produkte/kleinestatistik/AP_kleinestatistik_de_2013_be.pdf |format=PDF |title=Die kleine Berlin Statistik |website=berlin.de |accessdate=26 August 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163544/https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/produkte/kleinestatistik/AP_kleinestatistik_de_2013_be.pdf |archivedate=14 July 2014 }}</ref> Several major corporations like Volkswagen, Pfizer, and SAP operate innovation laboratories in the city.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.morgenpost.de/wirtschaft/article208628997/Immer-mehr-Konzerne-suchen-den-Spirit-Berlins.html|title=Immer mehr Konzerne suchen den Spirit Berlins|publisher=Berliner Morgenpost|accessdate=13 January 2017}}</ref>
The Science and Business Park in Adlershof is the largest technology park in Germany measured by revenue.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Science and Technology Park Berlin-Adlershof|url=http://www.adlershof.de/en/facts-figures/adlershof-in-numbers/|website=Berlin Adlershof: Facts and Figures|publisher=Adlershof|accessdate=13 January 2017}}</ref> Within the [[Eurozone]], Berlin has become a center for business relocation and international [[investment]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kpmg.com/FR/fr/IssuesAndInsights/News/Documents/GPIA-KPMG-CIM-2012.pdf|title=Global Cities Investment Monitor 2012|publisher=KPMG |accessdate=28 August 2014}}</ref>

===Companies===
[[File:DBBuildingBerling150809.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Deutsche Bahn]], the second-largest transport company in the world, is headquartered in Berlin.]]

Many German and international companies have business or service centers in the city. For several years Berlin has been recognized as a major center of [[Entrepreneurship|business founders]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/03/berlin-poor-sexy-silicon-valley-microsoft-google |title=Berlin's 'poor but sexy' appeal turning city into European Silicon Valley |publisher=The Guardian |date=3 January 2014 |accessdate=6 September 2014}}</ref> In 2015 Berlin generated the most venture capital for young [[Startup company|startup companies]] in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Frost|first1=Simon|title=Berlin outranks London in start-up investment|url=http://www.euractiv.com/sections/innovation-industry/berlin-outranks-london-start-investment-317140|website=euractiv.com|accessdate=28 October 2015}}</ref>

Among the 10 largest employers in Berlin are the City-State of Berlin, [[Deutsche Bahn]], the hospital provider [[Charité]] and Vivantes, the Federal Government of Germany, the local public transport provider [[Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe|BVG]], [[Siemens]] and [[Deutsche Telekom]]. The two largest banks headquartered in the capital are ''Investitionsbank Berlin'' and [[Landesbank Berlin]].

[[Daimler AG|Daimler]] manufactures cars, and [[BMW Motorrad|BMW builds motorcycles]] in Berlin. [[Bayer Schering Pharma|Bayer Health Care]] and ''Berlin Chemie'' are major pharmaceutical companies in the city.

[[Siemens]], a [[Fortune Global 500|Global 500]] and [[DAX]]-listed company is partly headquartered in Berlin. The national railway operator [[Deutsche Bahn]], the [[MDAX]]-listed firms [[Axel Springer AG|Axel Springer SE]] and [[Zalando]], and the [[SDAX]] listed company [[Rocket Internet]] have their main headquarters in the central districts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deutschebahn.com/site/bahn/en/group/group__affairs/schenker__frankfurt__20100714.html |title=DB Schenker to concentrate control functions in Frankfurt am Main |accessdate=6 June 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922063223/http://www.deutschebahn.com/site/bahn/en/group/group__affairs/schenker__frankfurt__20100714.html |archivedate=22 September 2010 }}</ref> Among the largest international corporations who operate a German or European headquarter in Berlin are [[Bombardier Transportation]], [[Gazprom Germania]], [[Coca-Cola]], [[Pfizer]] and [[Total S.A.]].

===Tourism and conventions===
{{Main|List of sights in Berlin|}}

{{multiple image
|align=left
|image1=Berlin Fashion Week 2013.jpg
|width1=206
|caption1= The [[Berlin Fashion Week]].
|image2=IFA 2012 IMG 7677.JPG
|width2=206
|caption2=[[Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin|IFA]] is the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics.
}}

Berlin had 788 hotels with 134,399 beds in 2014.<ref name=visitberlin>{{cite web|url=http://press.visitberlin.de/en/news-release/berlin-welcomes-record-numbers-of-tourists-and-convention-participants-in-2014-287-mill|title=Berlin Welcomes Record Numbers of Tourists and Convention Participants in 2014|website=visitBerlin|accessdate=5 March 2015|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305115925/http://press.visitberlin.de/en/news-release/berlin-welcomes-record-numbers-of-tourists-and-convention-participants-in-2014-287-mill|archivedate=5 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The city recorded 28.7 million overnight hotel stays and 11.9 million hotel guests in 2014.<ref name=visitberlin/> Tourism figures have more than doubled within the last ten years and Berlin has become the third most-visited city destination in Europe. Some of the most visited places in Berlin include: [[Potsdamer Platz]], [[Brandenburg Gate|Brandenburger Tor,]] [[Berlin Wall|the Berlin wall]], [[Alexanderplatz]], [[Museum Island|Museumsinsel]], [[Fernsehturm Berlin|Fernsehturm]], the [[East Side Gallery|East-Side Gallery]], [[Charlottenburg Palace|Schloss-Charlottenburg,]] [[Berlin Zoological Garden|Zoologischer Garten]], [[Berlin Victory Column|Siegessäule]], [[Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer]], [[Mauerpark]], [[Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum|Botanical Garden]], [[French Cathedral, Berlin|Französischer Dom]], [[Deutscher Dom]] and [[Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe|Holocaust-Mahnmal]]. The largest visitor groups are from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and the United States.

According to figures from the [[International Congress and Convention Association]] in 2015 Berlin became the leading organizer of conferences in the world hosting 195 international meetings.<ref>[http://www.c-mw.net/berlin-no-1-city-germany-no-2-country-new-icca-rankings/ Berlin No.1 city and Germany No.2 country in new ICCA rankings], CMW, retrieved 12 January 2017</ref> Some of these congress events take place on venues such as CityCube Berlin or the Berlin Congress Center (bcc).

The [[Messe Berlin]] (also known as Berlin ExpoCenter City) is the main convention organizing company in the city. Its main exhibition area covers more than {{convert|160,000|m2|0|abbr=off}}. Several large-scale trade fairs like the consumer electronics trade fair [[IFA Berlin|IFA]], the [[ILA Berlin Air Show]], the [[Berlin Fashion Week]] (including the ''Premium Berlin'' and the ''Panorama Berlin''),<ref>{{cite web|title=Following the Followers of Fashion|url=https://global.handelsblatt.com/companies-markets/following-the-followers-of-fashion-683735|publisher=Handelsblatt Global|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> the [[Berlin International Green Week|Green Week]], the ''Fruit Logistica'', the transport fair [[InnoTrans]], the tourism fair [[ITB Berlin|ITB]] and the adult entertainment and erotic fair [[Venus Award|Venus]] are held annually in the city, attracting a significant number of business visitors.
{{Clear}}

===Creative industries===
{{Main|List of films set in Berlin}}
[[File:European Film Academy - European Film Awards logo.svg|thumb|frame|The [[European Film Academy]] (logo pictured) was founded in Berlin.]]

The [[Creative industries|creative arts and entertainment]] business is an important and sizable sector of the economy of Berlin. The sector comprises music, film, advertising, architecture, art, design, [[German fashion|fashion]], [[performing arts]], publishing, [[research and development|R&D]], [[software]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-12/berlin-cracks-the-startup-code |title=Berlin Cracks the Startup Code |publisher=Businessweek |date=12 April 2012 |accessdate=10 February 2013}}</ref> TV, radio, and [[Video gaming in Germany|video games]].

In 2014, around 30,500 creative companies were operating in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region, predominantly [[Small and medium-sized enterprises|SMEs]]. Generating a revenue of 15.6 billion Euro and 6% of all private economic sales, the culture industry grew from 2009 to 2014 at an average rate of 5.5% per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.creative-city-berlin.de/en/good-to-know/facts-figures/ |title=Culture and Creative Industries Index Berlin-Brandenburg 2015 |publisher=Creative City Berlin |date=7 June 2015 |accessdate=3 January 2016}}</ref>

Berlin is an important centre in the European and [[Cinema of Germany|German film industry]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/walltowall-culture/2007/11/09/1194329483873.html|title=Wall-to-wall culture|work=The Age |location=Australia|date=10 November 2007|accessdate=30 November 2007}}</ref> It is home to more than 1,000 film and television production companies, 270 movie theaters, and around 300 national and international co-productions are filmed in the region every year.<ref name="factsheet"/> The historic [[Babelsberg Studios]] and the production company [[Universum Film AG|UFA]] are located adjacent to Berlin in [[Potsdam]]. The city is also home of the [[Deutsche Filmakademie|German Film Academy]] (Deutsche Filmakademie), founded in 2003, and the [[European Film Academy]], founded in 1988.

===Media===
{{Main|Media in Berlin}}
[[File:Berlin, Kreuzberg, Rudi-Dutschke-Strasse, Axel-Springer-Hochhaus.jpg|thumb|upright|Headquarter of the [[Axel Springer AG|Axel Springer SE]] ]]
Berlin is home to numerous magazine, newspaper, book and scientific/academic publishers, as well as their associated service industries. In addition around 20 news agencies, more than 90 regional daily newspapers and their websites, as well as the Berlin offices of more than 22 national publications such as [[Der Spiegel]], and [[Die Zeit]] re-enforce the capital's position as Germany's epicenter for influential debate. Therefore, many international journalists, bloggers and writers live and work in the city.

Berlin is the central location to several international and regional television and radio stations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medienboard.de/WebObjects/Medienboard.woa/wa/CMSshow/2809830 |title=Media Companies in Berlin and Potsdam |website=medienboard |accessdate=19 August 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602163244/http://www.medienboard.de/WebObjects/Medienboard.woa/wa/CMSshow/2809830 |archivedate=2 June 2013 }}</ref> The public broadcaster [[Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg|RBB]] has its headquarters in Berlin as well as the commercial broadcasters [[MTV Europe]], [[Viva (TV station)|VIVA]], and [[N24 (Germany)|N24]]. German international public broadcaster [[Deutsche Welle]] has its TV production unit in Berlin, and most national German broadcasters have a studio in the city including [[ZDF]] and [[RTL Television|RTL]].

Berlin has Germany's largest number of daily newspapers, with numerous local [[broadsheet]]s (''[[Berliner Morgenpost]]'', ''[[Berliner Zeitung]]'', ''[[Der Tagesspiegel]]''), and three major [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloids]], as well as national dailies of varying sizes, each with a different political affiliation, such as ''[[Die Welt]]'', ''[[Neues Deutschland]]'', and ''[[Die Tageszeitung]]''. The ''[[Exberliner]]'', a monthly magazine, is Berlin's English-language periodical and [[La Gazette de Berlin]] a French-language newspaper.

Berlin is also the headquarter of major German-language [[publishing house]]s like [[Walter de Gruyter]], [[Axel Springer AG|Springer]], the Ullstein Verlagsgruppe (publishing group), [[Suhrkamp]] and Cornelsen are all based in Berlin. Each of which publish books, periodicals, and multimedia products.

==Infrastructure==
===Transport===
{{Main|Transport in Berlin}}

;Road
[[File:Berlin Hauptbahnhof0514.JPG|thumb|[[Berlin Hauptbahnhof]] is the largest grade-separated railway station in Europe.]]

Berlin's transport infrastructure is highly complex, providing a diverse range of urban mobility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesslocationcenter.de/en/business-location/business-location/infrastructure/transport-infrastructure/passenger-and-freight-service|title=Mobile capital|website=BLC|date=2011|accessdate=14 February 2016|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414050459/http://www.businesslocationcenter.de/en/business-location/business-location/infrastructure/transport-infrastructure/passenger-and-freight-service|archivedate=14 April 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A total of 979 bridges cross {{convert|197|km|0|abbr=on}} of inner-city waterways. {{convert|5422|km|0|abbr=on}} of roads run through Berlin, of which {{convert|77|km|0|abbr=on}} are motorways ("[[Autobahn]]").<ref name="statistics"/> In 2013, 1.344 million motor vehicles were registered in the city.<ref name="statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/BasisZeitreiheGrafik/Bas-Strassenverkehr.asp?Ptyp=300&Sageb=46002&creg=BBB&anzwer=6|title=Straßenverkehr 2013|website=Amt für Statistik Belrin Brandenburg|accessdate=28 March 2015|language=German}}</ref> With 377 cars per 1000 residents in 2013 (570/1000 in Germany), Berlin as a [[Western World|Western]] global city has one of the lowest numbers of cars per capita. In 2012, around 7,600 mostly beige colored [[taxicab]]s were in service. Since 2011, a number of app based [[Electric vehicle|e-car]] and [[Electric motorcycles and scooters|e-scooter]] sharing services have evolved.

;Rail
Long-distance rail lines connect Berlin with all of the major cities of Germany and with many cities in neighboring European countries. Regional rail lines of the [[Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg]] provide access to the surrounding regions of Brandenburg and to the [[Baltic Sea]]. The [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof]] is the largest [[Grade separation|grade-separated]] [[railway station]] in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://berliner-hbf.de/bahnhof_berlin_hbf_daten_und_fakten.html|title=Bahnhof Berlin Hbf Daten und Fakten|website=Berliner HBF|accessdate=14 February 2016|language=German}}</ref> [[Deutsche Bahn]] runs high speed [[Intercity-Express|ICE trains]] to domestic destinations like [[Hamburg]], [[Munich]], [[Cologne]], [[Stuttgart]], [[Frankfurt am Main]] and others. It also runs an SXF airport express rail service, as well as trains to several international destinations like [[Vienna]], [[Prague]], [[Zürich]], [[Warsaw]], [[Budapest]] and [[Amsterdam]].

;Intercity buses
Similarly to other German cities, there is an increasing quantity of [[intercity bus service]]s. The city has more than 10 stations<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelinho.com/en/travel/berlin|title=Berlin: Stations|publisher= Travelinho.com}}</ref> that run buses to destinations throughout Germany and Europe, being Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin the biggest station.

;Public transport
[[File:Heidelberger Platz Berlin U3 562-d.jpg|thumb|Berlin U-Bahn (Metro) at [[Berlin Heidelberger Platz station|Heidelberger Platz station]]]]
The {{lang|de|[[Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe]]}} and the Deutsche Bahn manage several extensive urban public transport systems.<ref>[https://www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de/produkte/kleinestatistik/AP_kleinestatistik_de_2015_be.pdf Die kleine Berlin-Statistik 2015]. (German). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. Accessed 14 February 2016.</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|System
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Stations / Lines / Net length
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Annual Ridership
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Operator / Notes
|-
|[[Berlin S-Bahn|S-Bahn]]
|166 / 16 / {{convert|331|km|abbr=on}}
|431,000,000 (2016)
|[[Deutsche Bahn|DB]] / Mainly overground [[rapid transit]] rail system with suburban stops
|-
|[[Berlin U-Bahn|U-Bahn]]
|173 / 10 / {{convert|146|km|abbr=on}}
|563,000,000 (2017)
|[[Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe|BVG]] / Mainly underground rail system / 24h-service on weekends
|-
|[[Tram transport in Berlin|Tram]]
|404 / 22 / {{convert|194|km|abbr=on}}
|197,000,000 (2017)
|BVG / Operates predominantly in eastern boroughs
|-
|[[Bus transport in Berlin|Bus]]
|3227 / 198 / {{convert|1675|km|abbr=on}}
|440,000,000 (2017)
|BVG / Extensive services in all boroughs / 62 Night Lines
|-
|[[Ferry transport in Berlin|Ferry]]
|6 lines
|
|BVG / Transportation as well as recreational ferries
|}
All modes of transport can be accessed with a single ticket

;Airports
[[File:BER-Destinations.png|thumb|Flights departing from Berlin serve 163 destinations around the globe.]]

Berlin has two commercial international airports. [[Tegel Airport]] (TXL) is situated within the city limits. [[Schönefeld Airport]] (SXF) is located just outside Berlin's south-eastern border in the state of Brandenburg. Both airports together handled 29.5 million passengers in 2015. In 2014, 67 airlines served 163 destinations in 50 countries from Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin-airport.de/en/press/press-releases/2014/2014-03-28-summer-flight-schedule/index.php|title=2014 summer flight schedule|website=FBB|accessdate=10 September 2014}}</ref> Tegel Airport is a focus city for [[Lufthansa]] and [[Eurowings]]. Schönefeld serves as an important destination for airlines like [[Germania (airline)|Germania]], [[easyJet]] and [[Ryanair]].

The new [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] (BER), currently under construction, will replace Tegel as single commercial airport of Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin-airport.de/en/ber/index.php|title=The latest from Berlin Brandenburg Airport|website=FBB|date=2016|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> The airport is going to integrate Schönefeld (SXF) facilities and is estimated to open in October 2019. The BER will have an initial capacity of around 35 million passengers per year. {{As of|2016}}, plans for further expansion bringing the terminal capacity to approximately 50 million per year are in development.

;Cycling
{{Main|Cycling in Berlin}}

Berlin is well known for its highly developed bicycle lane system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/bike_city_berli.php|title=Bike City Berlin|website=Treehugger|accessdate=19 August 2008}}</ref> It is estimated that Berlin has 710 bicycles per 1000 residents. Around 500,000 daily bike riders accounted for 13% of total traffic in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/193840.platz-da-8211-fuer-die-radfahrer.html|title=Platz da! – für die Radfahrer|website=ND|accessdate=22 March 2011}}</ref> Cyclists have access to {{convert|620|km|0|abbr=on}} of bicycle paths including approximately {{convert|150|km|0|abbr=on}} of mandatory bicycle paths, {{convert|190|km|0|abbr=on}} of off-road bicycle routes, {{convert|60|km|0|abbr=on}} of bicycle lanes on roads, {{convert|70|km|0|abbr=on}} of shared bus lanes which are also open to cyclists, {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=on}} of combined pedestrian/bike paths and {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=on}} of marked bicycle lanes on roadside pavements (or sidewalks).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/verkehr/politik_planung/zahlen_fakten/download/Mobility_en_komplett.pdf|title=Berlin Traffic in Figures|website=Senate Department of urban development|date=2013|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> Riders are allowed to carry their bicycles on [[Regionalbahn]], S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains, on trams, and on night buses if a bike ticket is purchased.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/verkehr/mobil/fahrrad/bus_bahn/ | title = Mit dem Fahrrad – In Bussen und Bahnen |trans-title=By Bicycle – In Buses and Trains | publisher = Senate Department of Urban Development | language = German | accessdate = 15 June 2010}}</ref>

===Energy===
[[File:Berlin-mitte heizkraftwerk-mitte 20060605 629.jpg|thumb|Power plant Heizkraftwerk Mitte]]

Berlin's two largest energy provider for private households are the Swedish firm [[Vattenfall]] and the Berlin-based company [[GASAG]]. Both offer electric power and natural gas supply. Some of the city´s electric energy is imported from nearby power plants in southern [[Brandenburg]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siemens.com/entry/cc/features/greencityindex_international/all/en/pdf/berlin.pdf|title=European Green City Index Berlin Germany|website=Siemens|date=2009|accessdate=19 December 2016}}</ref>

{{As of|2015}} the five [[List of power stations in Germany|largest power plants measured by capacity]] are the Heizkraftwerk Reuter West, the Heizkraftwerk Lichterfelde, the Heizkraftwerk Mitte, the Heizkraftwerk Wilmersdorf, and the Heizkraftwerk Charlottenburg. All of these [[power station]]s generate [[electricity generation|electricity]] and [[Heat|useful heat]] at the same time to facilitate buffering during load peaks.

In 1993 the power grid connections in the Berlin-Brandenburg capital region were renewed. In most of the inner districts of Berlin power lines are underground cables; only a 380 kV and a 110 kV line, which run from Reuter substation to the urban [[Autobahn]], use overhead lines. The [[Berlin 380-kV electric line]] is the backbone of the city's energy grid.

===Health===
[[File:2016 Charite Hospital.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Charité]] university hospital]]

Berlin has a long history of discoveries in medicine and innovations in medical technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/magazin/wissen/Elitewettbewerb-Universitaeten;art304,2400973|title=Berlin leuchtet|first1=Anja|last1=Kühne|first2=Tilmann|last2=Warnecke|website=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|date=17 October 2007|accessdate=18 December 2016|language=German}}</ref> The modern history of medicine has been significantly influenced by scientists from Berlin. [[Rudolf Virchow]] was the founder of cellular pathology, while [[Robert Koch]] developed vaccines for anthrax, cholera, and tuberculosis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charite.de/en/the_charite/about_us/history/|title=History of the Charité of Berlin|website=[[Charité]]|date= 2015|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref>

The [[Charité]] complex (Universitätsklinik Charité) is the largest [[university hospital]] in Europe, tracing back its origins to the year 1710. The Charité is spread over four sites and comprises 3,300 beds, around 14,000 staff, 7,000 students, and more than 60 operating theaters, and it has a turnover of over one billion euros annually. The [[Charité]] is a joint institution of the [[Free University of Berlin|Freie Universität Berlin]] and the [[Humboldt University of Berlin]], including a wide range of institutes and specialized medical centers.

Among them are the German Heart Center, one of the most renowned transplantation centers, the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics. The scientific research at these institutions is complemented by many research departments of companies such as Siemens and Bayer. The [[World Health Summit]] and several international health related conventions are held annually in Berlin.

===Telecommunication===
{{see also|Radio and telecommunication in Berlin}}
[[File:St oberholz.jpg|thumb|Café customers in Berlin Mitte using [[Wi-Fi]] devices]]

Since 2017, the [[digital television]] standard in Berlin and Germany is [[DVB-T2]]. This system transmits [[video compression|compressed]] [[digital audio]], [[digital video]] and other data in an [[MPEG transport stream]].

Berlin has installed several hundred free public [[Wireless LAN]] sites across the capital since 2016. The wireless networks are concentrated mostly in central districts; 650 hotspots (325 indoor and 325 outdoor access points) are installed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/berlin-to-get-free-public-wi-fi-in-early-2016--1115805|title=Berlin to get free public Wi-Fi in early 2016|website=telecompaper|date=26 November 2015|accessdate=14 February 2016}}</ref> Deutsche Bahn is planning to introduce Wi-Fi services in long distance and regional trains in 2017.

The [[UMTS]] (3G) and [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]] (4G) networks of the three major cellular operators [[Vodafone]], [[T-Mobile]] and [[Telefónica Germany|O2]] enable the use of mobile broadband applications citywide.

The [[Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications|Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute]] develops mobile and stationary [[broadband]] communication networks and multimedia systems. Focal points are [[Photonics|photonic components and systems]], [[Optical fiber|fiber optic]] sensor systems, and [[Digital image processing|image signal processing]] and [[Signal processing|transmission]]. Future applications for broadband networks are developed as well.

==Education==
{{Main|Education in Berlin}}
[[File:Humboldt monument.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Humboldt University of Berlin]]. 40 [[List of Nobel laureates by university affiliation#Humboldt University Berlin (13th)|Nobel Prize winners]] are affiliated with the Berlin-based colleges.]]

As of 2014, Berlin had 878 schools, teaching 340,658 children in 13,727 classes and 56,787 trainees in businesses and elsewhere.<ref name="factsheet"/> The city has a 6-year primary education program. After completing primary school, students continue to the {{lang|de|Sekundarschule}} (a comprehensive school) or {{lang|de|Gymnasium}} (college preparatory school). Berlin has a special bilingual school program in the {{lang|de|Europaschule}}, in which children are taught the curriculum in German and a foreign language, starting in primary school and continuing in high school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/;art270,2185300|title=Jahrgangsstufe Null|website=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|accessdate=19 August 2008|language=German|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520234625/http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/;art270,2185300|archivedate=20 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The [[Französisches Gymnasium Berlin]], which was founded in 1689 to teach the children of Huguenot refugees, offers (German/French) instruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fg-berlin.de/WebObjects/FranzGym.woa/wa/CMSshow/1064384 |title=Geschichte des Französischen Gymnasiums |website=Französisches Gymnasium Lycée Français Berlin |accessdate=17 August 2008 |language=German |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615205603/http://www.fg-berlin.de/WebObjects/FranzGym.woa/wa/CMSshow/1064384 |archivedate=15 June 2008 }}</ref> The [[John F. Kennedy School, Berlin|John F. Kennedy School]], a bilingual German–American public school located in [[Zehlendorf (Berlin)|Zehlendorf]], is particularly popular with children of diplomats and the English-speaking expatriate community. 82 {{lang|de|Gymnasien}} teach [[Latin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gymnasium-berlin.net/latein |title=Latein an Berliner Gymnasien |accessdate=6 May 2018 |language=German |deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004133934/https://www.gymnasium-berlin.net/latein |archivedate=4 October 2017}}</ref> and 8 teach [[Classical Greek]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gymnasium-berlin.net/alt-griechisch |title=Alt-Griechisch an Berliner Gymnasien |accessdate=6 May 2018 |language=German |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012215308/http://www.gymnasium-berlin.net/alt-griechisch |archivedate=12 October 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Higher education===
{{Main|Universities and research institutions in Berlin}}
[[File:Freie Universitaet Berlin - Gebaeudekomplex Rost- und Silberlaube.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|The [[Free University of Berlin|Free University]] is one of Germany's eleven "Universities of Excellence".]]

The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region is one of the most prolific centres of higher education and research in Germany and Europe. Historically, 40 Nobel Prize winners are affiliated with the Berlin-based universities.

The city has four public research universities and more than 30 private, professional, and technical colleges ''(Hochschulen)'', offering a wide range of disciplines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin-partner.de/622/?L=1|title=Metropolis of Sciences|website=Berlin Partner GmbH|accessdate=19 August 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424003113/http://www.berlin-partner.de/622/?L=1 |archivedate=24 April 2008}}</ref> A record number of 175,651 students were enrolled in the winter term of 2015/16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.focus.de/regional/brandenburg/hochschulen-berlin-mit-neuem-studentenrekord_id_5111299.html|title=HochschulenBerlin mit neuem Studentenrekord|website=Focus|date=25 November 2015|accessdate=1 December 2015|language=German}}</ref> Among them around 18% have an international background.

The three largest universities combined have approximately 100,000 enrolled students. There are the [[Humboldt University of Berlin|Humboldt Universität zu Berlin]] ''(HU Berlin)'' with 33,000 students, the [[Free University of Berlin|Freie Universität Berlin]] ''(Free University of Berlin, FU Berlin)'' with about 33,000 students, and the [[Technical University of Berlin|Technische Universität Berlin]] ''(TU Berlin)'' with 33,000 students. The FU and the HU are part of the [[German Universities Excellence Initiative]]. The [[Berlin University of the Arts|Universität der Künste]] ''(UdK)'' has about 4,000 students. The [[Berlin School of Economics and Law]] has an enrollment of about 10,000 students and the [[HTW Berlin|Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft]] (University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics) of about 13.000 students.

===Research===
[[File:Berlin Adlershof Photonics Center 2016.jpg|thumb|The [[WISTA|WISTA Science and Technology Park]] in [[Berlin-Adlershof|Adlershof]] is home to several innovative businesses and research institutes.]]

The city has a high density of internationally renowned research institutions, such as the [[Fraunhofer Society]], the [[Leibniz Association]], the [[Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres|Helmholtz Association]], and the [[Max Planck Society]], which are independent of, or only loosely connected to its universities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ten institutions that dominated science in 2015|url=http://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/ten-institutions-that-dominated-science-in-twentyfifteen|website=Nature Index|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> In 2012, around 65,000 professional scientists were working in [[research and development]] in the city.<ref name="factsheet"/>

Berlin is one of the knowledge and innovation communities (KIC) of the [[European Institute of Innovation and Technology]] (EIT).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eit.europa.eu/home.html |title=European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Home |website=Europa (web portal) |accessdate=8 June 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529152704/http://eit.europa.eu/home.html |archivedate=29 May 2010 }}</ref> The KIC is based at the Centre for Entrepreneurship at TU Berlin and has a focus in the development of IT industries. It partners with major multinational companies such as Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, and SAP.<ref>{{cite web|title=EIT ICT Labs – Turn Europe into a global leader in ICT Innovation|url=http://www.entrepreneurship.tu-berlin.de/menue/masterprogramme_qualifizierung/eit_ict_labs/|website=Technische Universität Berlin Centre for Entrepreneurship|accessdate=25 October 2016}}</ref>

One of Europe's successful research, business and technology [[List of technology centers|clusters]] is based at [[WISTA]] in [[Berlin-Adlershof]], with more than 1,000 affiliated firms, university departments and scientific institutions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Adlershof in Brief|url=http://www.adlershof.de/en/facts-figures/adlershof-in-numbers/|website=Adlershof.de|accessdate=27 October 2016}}</ref>

In addition to the libraries that are affiliated with the various universities, the [[Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin]] is a major research library. Its two main locations are on Potsdamer Straße and on [[Unter den Linden]]. There are also 86 public libraries in the city.<ref name="factsheet"/> [[ResearchGate]], a global social networking site for scientists, is based in Berlin.

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture in Berlin}}
{{multiple image
|align=right
|image1=AlteNationalgalerie_1a.jpg
|width1=200
|caption1= The [[Alte Nationalgalerie]] is part of the [[Museum Island]], a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]
|image2=20150208 - Berlinale Palast and Red Carpet.JPG
|width2=225
|caption2= The [[Berlinale]] is the largest international spectator film festival.
}}

Berlin is known for its numerous cultural institutions, many of which enjoy international reputation.<ref name=UNESCO/><ref name=UNESCO2>{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532|title=World Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin|website=[[UNESCO]]|accessdate=19 August 2008}}</ref> The diversity and vivacity of the metropolis led to a trendsetting atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hubculture.com/groups/hubnews/news/162/|title=Hub Culture's 2009 Zeitgeist Ranking|website=Hub Culture|accessdate=30 April 2009}}</ref> An innovative music, dance and art scene has developed in the 21st century.

Young people, international artists and entrepreneurs continued to settle in the city and made Berlin a popular entertainment center in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.observer.com/node/39370|title=A New Williamsburg! Berlin's Expats Go Bezirk|first=Nicholas|last=Boston|website=[[The New York Observer]]|date=10 September 2006|accessdate=17 August 2008}} See also: {{cite web|url=http://www.magazine-deutschland.de/magazin/J-Kunstszene_2-05.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211095052/http://www.magazine-deutschland.de/magazin/J-Kunstszene_2-05.php|archivedate=11 December 2007|title=Die Kunstszene|website=Deutschland Online|accessdate=19 August 2008|language=German}} and {{cite web|url=http://www.metropolis2005.org/en/berlin/kultur.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928020742/http://www.metropolis2005.org/en/berlin/kultur.html|archivedate=28 September 2007|title=Culture of Berlin|website=Metropolis|accessdate=19 August 2008}}</ref>

The expanding cultural performance of the city was underscored by the relocation of the [[Universal Music Group]] who decided to move their headquarters to the banks of the River Spree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/bueroflaechen/en/friedrichshain.shtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911125347/http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/bueroflaechen/en/friedrichshain.shtml|archivedate=11 September 2007|title=Berlin's music business booms|website=Expatica|accessdate=19 August 2008}}</ref> In 2005, Berlin was named "City of Design" by [[UNESCO]] and has been part of the [[Creative Cities Network]] ever since.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projektzukunft.berlin.de/en/projekt-zukunft/services/international/unesco-creative-cities-network/|title=Unesco Creative Cities Network|website=projektzukunft.berlin.de|language=de|access-date=2018-10-03}}</ref><ref name=Cityofdesign/>

===Galleries and museums===
{{See also|List of museums and galleries in Berlin}}
[[File:Jewishmuseumberlin2007.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[Jewish Museum Berlin|Jewish Museum]] presents two millennia of [[German Jews|German–Jewish history]] ]]

{{As of|2011}} Berlin is home to 138 museums and more than 400 art galleries.<ref name="factsheet"/>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://service.zitty.de/kultur-kunst/14539/ |title=Sprung in die Wolken |website=Zitty |date=2 July 2008 |accessdate=19 August 2008 |language=German |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402162248/http://service.zitty.de/kultur-kunst/14539/ |archivedate=2 April 2012 }}</ref> The ensemble on the [[Museum Island]] is a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] and is situated in the northern part of the Spree Island between the Spree and the Kupfergraben.<ref name=UNESCO/> As early as 1841 it was designated a "district dedicated to art and antiquities" by a royal decree. Subsequently, the [[Altes Museum]] was built in the Lustgarten. The [[Neues Museum]], which displays the [[Nefertiti Bust|bust of Queen Nefertiti]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expatica.com/de/life_in/leisure/a-3000-year-old-smile-the-strange-history-of-queen-nefertiti-22752.html |title=A 3,000-year-old smile |publisher=Expatica.com |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> [[Alte Nationalgalerie]], [[Pergamon Museum]], and [[Bode Museum]] were built there.

Apart from the Museum Island, there are many additional museums in the city. The [[Gemäldegalerie, Berlin|Gemäldegalerie]] (Painting Gallery) focuses on the paintings of the "old masters" from the 13th to the 18th centuries, while the [[Neue Nationalgalerie]] (New National Gallery, built by [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]]) specializes in 20th-century European painting. The [[Hamburger Bahnhof]], located in [[Moabit]], exhibits a major collection of modern and contemporary art. The expanded [[Deutsches Historisches Museum]] re-opened in the Zeughaus with an overview of German history spanning more than a millennium. The [[Bauhaus Archive]] is a museum of 20th century design from the famous [[Bauhaus]] school.

[[File:Ishtar Gate at Berlin Museum.jpg|thumb|The reconstructed [[Ishtar Gate]] of Babylon at the [[Pergamon Museum]] ]]

The [[Jewish Museum Berlin|Jewish Museum]] has a standing exhibition on two millennia of German-Jewish history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de/site/EN/01-Exhibitions/exhibitions.php|title=Exhibitions|website=[[Jewish Museum Berlin]]|accessdate=10 August 2008|archiveurl=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090714235317/http%3A//www%2Ejuedisches%2Dmuseum%2Dberlin%2Ede/site/EN/01%2DExhibitions/exhibitions%2Ephp|archivedate=14 July 2009|deadurl=yes|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[German Museum of Technology (Berlin)|German Museum of Technology]] in [[Kreuzberg]] has a large collection of historical technical artifacts. The ''[[Natural History Museum, Berlin|Museum für Naturkunde]]'' (Berlin's [[natural history museum]]) exhibits [[natural history]] near [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof]]. It has the largest mounted [[dinosaur]] in the world (a ''[[Giraffatitan]]'' skeleton). A well-preserved specimen of ''[[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus rex]]'' and the early bird ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'' are at display as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/en/ausstellungen/the-world-of-dinosaurs.html?Fsize=0&Lightversion=0%3Ftypo%3D2%3Ftypo%3D1%3Ftypo%3D0 |title=The World of Dinosaurs |publisher=Naturkundemuseum-berlin.de |date=20 October 2011 |accessdate=7 April 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322182246/http://www.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/en/ausstellungen/the-world-of-dinosaurs.html?Fsize=0&Lightversion=0%3Ftypo=2%3Ftypo=1%3Ftypo=0 |archivedate=22 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In [[Dahlem (Berlin)|Dahlem]], there are several museums of world art and culture, such as the [[Museum of Asian Art]], the [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin|Ethnological Museum]], the [[Museum Europäischer Kulturen|Museum of European Cultures]], as well as the [[Allied Museum]]. The [[Brücke Museum]] features one of the largest collection of works by artist of the early 20th-century expressionist movement. In [[Lichtenberg]], on the grounds of the former [[Stasi|East German Ministry for State Security]], is the [[Stasi Museum]]. The site of [[Checkpoint Charlie]], one of the most renowned crossing points of the Berlin Wall, is still preserved. A private [[Checkpoint Charlie Museum|museum venture]] exhibits a comprehensive documentation of detailed plans and strategies devised by people who tried to flee from the East. The [[Beate Uhse Erotic Museum]] claims to be the world's largest erotic museum.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/index/stories/beck04181999.htm |title=In Berlin, the Art of Sex |publisher=Washingtonpost.com |date=18 April 1999 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>

The cityscape of Berlin displays large quantities of urban [[street art]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitberlin.de/en/see/museums-art/street-art|title=Berlin – Urban Art – visitBerlin.de EN|publisher=|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031125131/http://www.visitberlin.de/en/see/museums-art/street-art|archivedate=31 October 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It has become a significant part of the city's cultural heritage and has its roots in the graffiti scene of [[Kreuzberg]] of the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/travel/02headsup.html|title=One Wall Down, Thousands to Paint|date=2 March 2008|work=The New York Times}}</ref> The [[Berlin Wall graffiti art|Berlin Wall]] itself has become one of the largest open-air canvasses in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/apr/03/thierry-noir-graffiti-berlin-wall|title=Graffiti in the death strip: the Berlin wall's first street artist tells his story|website=the Guardian|accessdate=11 February 2016}}</ref> The leftover stretch along the Spree river in [[Friedrichshain]] remains as the [[East Side Gallery]]. Berlin today is consistently rated as an important world city for street art culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/best-street-art-cities_n_5155653.html|title=The 26 Best Cities In The World To See Street Art|date=17 April 2014|website=The Huffington Post}}</ref>

===Nightlife and festivals===
[[File:Festival of Lights 2012 - Französischer Dom.jpg|thumb|right|[[French Cathedral, Berlin|French Cathedral]] during the annual [[Festival of Lights (Berlin)|Festival of Lights]] ]]

Berlin's nightlife has been celebrated as one of the most diverse and vibrant of its kind.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=6949|title=Losing your mind in Berlin|first=Walter|last=Wasacz|website=[[Metro Times]]|date=11 October 2004|accessdate=18 November 2006}}</ref> In the 1970s and 80s the [[SO36]] in [[Kreuzberg]] was a centre for [[punk music]] and culture. The ''SOUND'' and the ''Dschungel'' gained notoriety. Throughout the 1990s, people in their 20s from all over the world, particularly those in [[Western Europe|Western]] and [[Central Europe]], made Berlin's club scene a premier nightlife venue. After the [[fall of the Berlin Wall]] in 1989, many historic buildings in Mitte, the former city centre of East Berlin, were illegally occupied and re-built by young squatters and became a fertile ground for underground and [[counterculture]] gatherings. The central boroughs are home to many nightclubs, including the Watergate, [[Tresor (club)|Tresor]] and [[Berghain]]. The [[KitKatClub]] and several other locations are known for their sexually uninhibited parties.

Clubs are not required to close at a fixed time during the weekends, and many parties last well into the morning, or even all weekend. The ''Berghain'' features the well-known ''Panorama Bar'', a bar that opens its shades at daybreak, allowing party-goers a panorama view of Berlin after dancing through the night. The ''Weekend Club'' near [[Alexanderplatz]] features a roof terrace that allows partying at night. Several venues have become a popular stage for the [[Neo-Burlesque]] scene.

[[File:In Berghain.jpg|thumb|left|[[Berghain]] nightclub]]

Berlin has a long history of gay culture, and is an important [[Scientific-Humanitarian Committee|birthplace of the LGBT rights movement]]. Same-sex bars and dance halls operated freely as early as the 1880s, and the first gay magazine, ''Der Eigene'', started in 1896. By the 1920s, gays and lesbians had an unprecedented visibility.<ref name=Krauss>{{cite book|last=Krauss|first=Kenneth|title=The drama of fallen France: reading la comédie sans tickets|year=2004|publisher=State University of New York|location=Albany|isbn=978-0-7914-5953-9|page=11}}</ref><ref name="The New Yorker">{{cite magazine| url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/berlin-story| title=Berlin Story – The New Yorker| author=Alex Ross| date=26 January 2015| magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| publisher=[[Condé Nast]]| accessdate=6 June 2016 }}</ref> Today, in addition to a positive atmosphere in the wider club scene, the city again has a huge number of queer clubs and festivals. The most famous and largest are [[Berlin Pride]], the [[Christopher Street Day]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_gay_bezirke.php |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007101504/http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_gay_bezirke.php |archivedate=7 October 2006 |title=Berlin for Gays and Lesbians |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=7 October 2006 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> the [[Lesbian and Gay City Festival]] in Berlin-Schöneberg, the [[Kreuzberg Pride]] and [[Hustlaball]].

The annual [[Berlin International Film Festival]] (Berlinale) with around 500,000 admissions is considered to be the largest publicly attended film festival in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/ |title=European Film Academy |publisher=European Film Academy |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlinale.de/ |title=Berlin Film Festival |publisher=Berlinale.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> The Karneval der Kulturen (''Carnival of Cultures''), a multi-ethnic street parade, is celebrated every [[Pentecost]] weekend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.karneval-berlin.de/de/english.175.html |title=English Summary |publisher=Karneval-berlin.de |accessdate=7 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419112335/http://www.karneval-berlin.de/de/english.175.html |archive-date=19 April 2012 |dead-url=yes |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Berlin is also well known for the cultural festival, [[Berliner Festspiele]], which includes the jazz festival [[JazzFest Berlin]]. Several technology and media art festivals and conferences are held in the city, including [[Transmediale]] and [[Chaos Communication Congress]]. The annual [[Berlin Festival]] focuses on indie rock, electronic music and synthpop and is part of the International Berlin Music Week.<ref>[http://www.berlinfestival.de/en.html Berlin Festival] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314234453/http://www.berlinfestival.de/en.html |date=14 March 2015 }} website</ref><ref>[http://www.berlin-music-week.de/en/ Berlin Music Week] website</ref> Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in the world, attended by well over a million people. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate, where midnight fireworks are centred, but various private fireworks displays take place throughout the entire city. Partygoers in Germany often toast the New Year with a glass of [[Sekt|sparkling wine]].

===Performing arts===
{{Main|Music in Berlin}}
[[File:Rattle BPH-Rittershaus1-Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sir]] [[Simon Rattle]] conducting the renowned [[Berlin Philharmonic]] ]]

Berlin is home to 44 theaters and stages.<ref name="factsheet"/> The [[Deutsches Theater (Berlin)|Deutsches Theater]] in Mitte was built in 1849–50 and has operated almost continuously since then. The [[Volksbühne]] at [[Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz]] was built in 1913–14, though the company had been founded in 1890. The [[Berliner Ensemble]], famous for performing the works of [[Bertolt Brecht]], was established in 1949. The [[Schaubühne]] was founded in 1962 and moved to the building of the former Universum Cinema on Kurfürstendamm in 1981. With a seating capacity of 1,895 and a stage floor of {{convert|2,854|m2|0|abbr=off}}, the [[Friedrichstadt-Palast]] in Berlin Mitte is the largest show palace in Europe.

[[File:2010-03-13-friedrichstadtpalast-by-RalfR-1.jpg|thumb|Dance show at [[Friedrichstadt-Palast]] ]]

Berlin has three major [[opera house]]s: the [[Deutsche Oper]], the [[Berlin State Opera]], and the [[Komische Oper]]. The Berlin State Opera on [[Unter den Linden]] opened in 1742 and is the oldest of the three. Its current musical director is [[Daniel Barenboim]]. The Komische Oper has traditionally specialized in [[operetta]]s and is located at Unter den Linden as well. The Deutsche Oper opened in 1912 in Charlottenburg.

The city's main venue for musical theater performances are the Theater am Potsdamer Platz and [[Theater des Westens]] (built in 1895). Contemporary dance can be seen at the ''Radialsystem V''. The [[Tempodrom]] is host to concerts and circus inspired entertainment. It also houses a multi-sensory spa experience. The [[Admiralspalast]] in Mitte has a vibrant program of [[variety show|variety]] and music events.

There are seven symphony orchestras in Berlin. The [[Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra]] is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world;<ref>{{cite news|author=Charlotte Higgins and Ben Aris in Berlin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/29/germany.arts |title=Is Rattle's Berlin honeymoon over? |publisher=Guardian |date= 29 April 2004|accessdate=7 April 2012 |location=London}}</ref> it is housed in the [[Berliner Philharmonie]] near Potsdamer Platz on a street named for the orchestra's longest-serving conductor, [[Herbert von Karajan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/travel/25berlin.html?ex=1162962000&en=36217d7f20459f88&ei=5070 |title=Music: Berlin |first=Daniel J. |last=Wakin |work=The New York Times |date=25 September 2005 |accessdate=7 November 2006 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205123518/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/travel/25berlin.html?ex=1162962000&en=36217d7f20459f88&ei=5070 |archivedate=5 December 2013 }}</ref> The current principal conductor is [[Simon Rattle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culturekiosque.com/klassik/news/rherattle.htm |title=Berlin Philharmonic elects Sir Simon Rattle |publisher=Culturekiosque.com |date=24 June 1999 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> The [[Konzerthausorchester Berlin]] was founded in 1952 as the orchestra for East Berlin. Its current principal conductor is [[Ivan Fischer]]. The [[Haus der Kulturen der Welt]] presents various exhibitions dealing with intercultural issues and stages world music and conferences.<ref>{{cite web|author=D |url=http://www.hkw.de/en/bottom/impressum/impressum.php |title=Haus der Kulturen der Welt |publisher=Hkw.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> The ''Kookaburra'' and the ''Quatsch Comedy Club'' are known for satire and [[stand-up comedy]] shows.

===Cuisine===
{{See also|German cuisine}}
{{multiple image
| align = left
| image1 = Berlin-Mitte Deutsches Currywurst Museum.jpg
| width1 = 200
| caption1 = <center>[[Deutsches Currywurst Museum|Currywurst Museum]]</center>
| image2 = Currywurst-1.jpg
| width2 = 192
| caption2 = <center>Plate of [[Currywurst]]</center>
| footer = <center>Invented in Berlin, currywurst is an icon of German popular culture and cuisine.</center>
}}
The [[German cuisine|cuisine]] and culinary offerings of Berlin vary greatly. Twelve restaurants in Berlin have been included in the [[Michelin Guide]] of 2015, which ranks the city at the top for the number of restaurants having this distinction in Germany.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/fashion/09iht-luxmag18.html Berlin Minimalist Glamor]. New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2016.</ref> Berlin is well known for its offerings of [[Vegetarianism|vegetarian]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saveur.com/vegetarian-restaurants-berlin-germany |title=Good Taste Award Winner 2015: Berlin, The New Vegetarian Capital|publisher=SAVEUR |accessdate=1 March 2016}}</ref> and [[Veganism|vegan]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-vegan-capital-of-the-world/a-35951064 |title=Berlin: Vegan capital of the world?|publisher=DW |accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref> cuisine and is home to an innovative entrepreneurial food scene promoting cosmopolitan flavors, local and sustainable ingredients, pop-up street food markets, supper clubs, as well as food festivals, such as Berlin Food Week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/berlins-booming-food-scene/a-17983026 |title=Berlin's booming food scene|publisher=DW |accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://foodtank.com/news/2016/09/conscious-food-consumption-at-berlins-restlos-gluecklich/ |title=Conscious Food Consumption at Berlin's Restlos Glücklich|publisher=Food Tank |accessdate=4 April 2017}}</ref>

Many local foods originated from north German culinary traditions and include rustic and hearty dishes with pork, goose, fish, peas, beans, cucumbers, or potatoes. Typical Berliner fare include popular [[street food]] like the ''[[Currywurst]]'' (which gained popularity with post-war construction workers rebuilding the city), ''[[Frikadeller|Buletten]]'' and the ''[[Berliner (doughnut)|Berliner]]'' doughnut, known in Berlin as {{lang|de|Pfannkuchen}}.<ref>[http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/berlin.cfm Berlin] German Foods</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/spicy-sausage-that-is-worthy-of-a-shrine-in-berlin-1772530.html|title=Spicy sausage that is worthy of a shrine in Berlin|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|first=Tony|last=Paterson|date=15 August 2009}}</ref> German bakeries offering a variety of breads and pastries are widespread. One of Europe's largest [[delicatessen]] markets is found at the [[KaDeWe]], and among the world’s largest chocolate stores is ''Fassbender & Rausch''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://luxeadventuretraveler.com/fassbender-rausch/|title=Chocolate Heaven at Fassbender & Rausch
|publisher=Luxe Adventure Traveler|date=2013|accessdate=1 March 2016}}</ref>

Berlin is also home to a diverse gastronomy scene reflecting the immigrant history of the city. Turkish and Arab immigrants brought their culinary traditions to the city, such as the [[lahmajoun]] and [[falafel]], which have become common fast food staples. The modern fast food version of the [[doner kebab]] sandwich [[Kadir Nurman|evolved in Berlin]] in the 1970s, and became a favorite in Germany and elsewhere in the world.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304432704577350194262835880| title=There's Nothing More German Than a Big, Fat Juicy Döner Kebab| author=James Angelos| date=18 April 2012| newspaper=The Wall Street Journal| publisher=| accessdate=6 June 2016 }}</ref> Asian cuisine like Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, as well as Spanish tapas bars, Italian, and Greek cuisine, can be found in many parts of the city.

===Recreation===
[[File:Berlin Elefantentor 09-2017.jpg|thumb|left|Elephant Gate at [[Berlin Zoological Garden|Berlin Zoo]]]]

[[Berlin Zoological Garden|Zoologischer Garten Berlin]], the older of two zoos in the city, was founded in 1844. It is the most visited zoo in Europe and presents the most diverse range of species in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rbb-online.de/_/nachrichten/vermischtes/beitrag_jsp/key=news4382800.html|archive-url=https://archive.is/20061007155448/http://www.rbb-online.de/_/nachrichten/vermischtes/beitrag_jsp/key=news4382800.html|dead-url=yes|archive-date=7 October 2006|title=Hauptstadt-Zoo beliebtester Tierpark|website=[[Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg]]|accessdate=17 August 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was the home of the captive-born celebrity polar bear [[Knut (polar bear)|Knut]].<ref name="knutbbc1">{{Cite news|first=Tristana|last=Moore|title=Baby bear becomes media star|date=23 March 2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6486993.stm|work=BBC News |accessdate=17 August 2008}}</ref> The city's other zoo, [[Tierpark Berlin|Tierpark Friedrichsfelde]], was founded in 1955.

[[Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum|Berlin's Botanischer Garten]] includes the Botanic Museum Berlin. With an area of {{convert|43|ha|acre}} and around 22,000 different plant species, it is one of the largest and most diverse collections of botanical life in the world. Other gardens in the city include the [[Britzer Garten]], and the [[Erholungspark Marzahn|Gärten der Welt]] (Gardens of the World) in Marzahn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gruen-berlin.de/gesellschaft/ |title=Grün Berlin |language=German |trans-title=Green Berlin |publisher=Die Grün Berlin GmbH |accessdate=27 May 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Siegessäule10.jpg|thumb|[[Berlin Victory Column|Victory Column]] in [[Tiergarten (park)|Tiergarten]]]]
The [[Tiergarten (park)|Tiergarten park]] in Mitte, with landscape design by [[Peter Joseph Lenné]], is one of Berlin's largest and most popular parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/aktuell/wettbewerbe/lenne/en/biographie.shtml |title=Peter Joseph Lenné, Senate Department of Urban Development |publisher=Stadtentwicklung.berlin.de |date=30 September 2011 |accessdate=10 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421101545/http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/aktuell/wettbewerbe/lenne/en/biographie.shtml |archive-date=21 April 2013 |dead-url=yes |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In Kreuzberg, the [[Viktoriapark]] provides a viewing point over the southern part of inner-city Berlin. [[Treptower Park]], beside the Spree in [[Treptow]], features a large [[Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)|Soviet War Memorial]]. The Volkspark in [[Friedrichshain]], which opened in 1848, is the oldest park in the city, with monuments, a summer outdoor cinema and several sports areas.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Paul Sullivan|title=Volkspark Friedrichshain|url=http://www.slowtravelberlin.com/volkspark-friedrichshain/|website=Slow Travel Berlin|publisher=Slow Travel Berlin|accessdate=30 August 2014|date=30 July 2010}}</ref> [[Tempelhofer Feld]], the site of the former [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport|city airport]], is the world's largest inner-city open space.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stephan |first=Felix |url=http://www.zeit.de/lebensart/2012-09/lust-auf-stadt-tempelhofer-feld |title=Entfaltung auf dem Rollfeld |location=Berlin (Germany) |publisher=zeit.de |date=10 December 2012 |accessdate=8 February 2018}}</ref>

[[Potsdam]] is situated on the southwestern periphery of Berlin. The city was a residence of the [[Prussia]]n kings and the [[German Emperor|German Kaiser]], until 1918. The area around Potsdam in particular [[Sanssouci]] is known for a series of interconnected lakes and cultural landmarks. The [[Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin]] are the largest [[World Heritage Site]] in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532 |title=Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=3 January 2016}}</ref>

Berlin is also well known for its numerous cafés, street musicians, beach bars along the Spree River, flea markets, boutique shops and [[pop up store]]s, which are a source for recreation and leisure.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee |first=Denny |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/travel/10hours.html |title=36 Hours in Berlin |location=Berlin (Germany) |publisher=Travel.nytimes.com |date=10 December 2006 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Berlin}}
[[File:Berliner Olympiastadion night 2.jpg|thumb|The [[Olympic Stadium (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]] hosted the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2006 FIFA World Cup Final]] ]]
[[File:Berlin marathon.jpg|thumb|The [[Berlin Marathon]] is the current world record course.]]

Berlin has established a high-profile as a host city of major international sporting events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/01/2204562.htm?section=sport|title=Melbourne retains ultimate sports city title|website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|date=1 April 2008|accessdate=1 July 2008}}</ref> The city hosted the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] and was the host city for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/overview.html |title=Italy conquer the world as Germany wins friends |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821050509/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/overview.html |archivedate=21 August 2008 }}</ref> The [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics]] was held in the [[Olympiastadion]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlin2009.org/ |title=12. IAAF Leichtathletik WM berlin 2009 |publisher=Berlin2009.org |accessdate=10 February 2013}}</ref> The city hosted the Basketball [[Euroleague Final Four]] in [[2009 Euroleague Final Four|2009]] and [[2016 Euroleague Final Four|2016]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/5y55csanso845gfb|title=Euroleague Final Four returns to Berlin in 2016|publisher =Euroleague|date=11 May 2015}}</ref> and was one of the hosts of the FIBA [[EuroBasket 2015]]. In 2015 Berlin became the venue for the [[2015 UEFA Champions League Final|UEFA Champions League Final]].

The annual [[Berlin Marathon]]{{snd}} a course that holds the most top-10 world record runs{{snd}} and the [[Internationales Stadionfest|ISTAF]] are well-established athletic events in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scc-events.com/en/events/halbmarathon/ |title=Berlin Marathon |publisher=Scc-events.com |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref> The [[Mellowpark]] in Köpenick is one of the biggest skate and BMX parks in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbancatalyst-studio.de/en/projects/project-site/mellowpark-berlin.html |title=MELLOWPARK CAMPUS |publisher=urbancatalyst-studio.de |accessdate=29 August 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904031925/http://www.urbancatalyst-studio.de/en/projects/project-site/mellowpark-berlin.html |archivedate=4 September 2014 }}</ref> A Fan Fest at Brandenburg Gate, which attracts several hundred-thousand spectators, has become popular during international football competitions, like the [[UEFA European Championship]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.bettor.com/The-best-sports-stadiums-in-the-world-a21645 |title=500,000 spectators to watch the game together |publisher=Blogs.bettor.com |accessdate=7 April 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322085540/http://blogs.bettor.com/The-best-sports-stadiums-in-the-world-a21645 |archivedate=22 March 2012 }}</ref>

In 2013 around 600,000 Berliners were registered in one of the more than 2,300 sport and fitness clubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsb-berlin.net/wir-ueber-uns/der-lsb-berlin/ |title=Der Landessportbund Berlin – Mitglieder |publisher=LSB |accessdate=3 September 2014}}</ref> The city of Berlin operates more than 60 public indoor and outdoor swimming pools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newinthecity.de/en/sports-leisure-berlin/2976-berlin-swimming-pools-and-bathing-spots.html |title=Berlin's swimming pools and bathing spots |publisher=New in the City |accessdate=12 February 2016}}</ref> Berlin is the largest Olympic training centre in Germany. About 500 top athletes (15% of all German top athletes) are based there. Forty-seven elite athletes participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Berliners would achieve seven gold, twelve silver and three bronze medals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.berlin-sportmetropole.de/english/olympiastuetzpunkt/index.html |title=Sports Metropolis |publisher=Be Berlin |accessdate=12 February 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216042009/http://www.berlin-sportmetropole.de/english/olympiastuetzpunkt/index.html |archivedate=16 February 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Several professional clubs representing the most important spectator team sports in Germany have their base in Berlin:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Club
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Sport
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Founded
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|League
! style="background:gold; color:navy;"|Venue
|-
|[[Hertha BSC]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herthabsc.de/ |title=Hertha BSC |publisher=Herthabsc.de |date=27 December 2011 |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
|[[Association football|Football]]
|1892
|[[Bundesliga]]
|[[Olympic Stadium (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]]
|-
|[[1. FC Union Berlin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fc-union-berlin.de/ |title=Union Berlin |publisher=Fc-union-berlin.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
|[[Association football|Football]]
|1966
|[[2. Fußball-Bundesliga|2. Bundesliga]]
|[[Stadion An der Alten Försterei]]
|-
|[[ALBA Berlin]]<ref>{{cite web|author=SPORTWERK 2012 |url=http://www.albaberlin.de/ |title=ALBA Berlin |publisher=Albaberlin.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
|[[Basketball]]
|1991
|[[Basketball Bundesliga|BBL]]
|[[Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin)|Mercedes-Benz Arena]]
|-
|[[Eisbären Berlin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eisbaeren.de |title=Eisbären Berlin |publisher=Eisbaeren.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
|[[Ice hockey]]
|1954
|[[Deutsche Eishockey Liga|DEL]]
|[[Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin)|Mercedes-Benz Arena]]
|-
|[[Füchse Berlin Reinickendorf HBC|Füchse Berlin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fuechse-berlin.de/ |title=Füchse Berlin |publisher=Fuechse-berlin.de |accessdate=7 April 2012}}</ref>
|[[Team handball|Handball]]
|1891
|[[Bundesliga (handball)|HBL]]
|[[Max-Schmeling-Halle]]
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Berlin|Germany|European Union}}

{|
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
* [[List of fiction set in Berlin]]
* [[List of songs about Berlin]]
* [[List of people from Berlin]]
* [[List of honorary citizens of Berlin]]
* [[:Category:Video games set in Berlin|List of video games set in Berlin]]
* [[List of films set in Berlin]]
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Chandler|first=Tertius|title=Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census|publisher=Edwin Mellen Pr|year=1987|isbn=978-0-88946-207-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Gill|first=Anton|title=A Dance Between Flames: Berlin Between the Wars|publisher=John Murray|year=1993|isbn=978-0-7195-4986-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Gross|first=Leonard|title=The Last Jews in Berlin|publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers|year=1999|isbn=978-0-7867-0687-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Large|first=David Clay|title=Berlin|publisher=Basic Books|year=2001|isbn=978-0-465-02632-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Read|first=Anthony|author2=David Fisher|title=Berlin Rising: Biography of a City|publisher=W.W. Norton|year=1994|isbn=978-0-393-03606-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Ribbe|first=Wolfgang|title=Geschichte Berlins|publisher=Bwv – Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag|year=2002|isbn=978-3-8305-0166-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Roth|first=Joseph|title=What I Saw: Reports from Berlin 1920–33|publisher=Granta Books|year=2004|isbn=978-1-86207-636-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Frederick|title=The Berlin Wall: 13 August 1961 – 9 November 1989|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |year=2007|isbn=978-0-06-078614-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Maclean|first=Rory|title=Berlin: Imagine a City|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2014|isbn=978-0-297-84803-5}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Berlin|Berlin}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Berlin}}
* [http://www.berlin.de/en/ Berlin.de] – Official website
* {{Osmrelation-inline|62422}}


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[[Category:German state capitals]]
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Carl Hansen & Søn

2018-09-03T17:39:13Z

213.89.108.173:

{{Infobox company
| name = Carl Hansen & Søn
| logo = [[File:The logo of Carl Hansen & Søn.gif|220px|The logo for Hempel Group]]
| type = [[Privately held company|Privately held]]
| foundation = 1908
| founder = Carl Hansen
| location = [[Aarup]], [[Denmark]]
| locations =
| area_served = Worldwide
| industry = [[Furniture]]
| products = High-end furniture
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| num_employees =
| homepage = [http://www.carlhansen.com/frontpage/ carlhansen.com]
}}
'''Carl Hansen & Søn''' is a family-owned [[Denmark|Danish]] furniture company based on the island of [[Funen]]. Carl Hansen & S'n is the company behind many classical furniture designs by leading figures of the [[Danish modern]] movement but the company is also collaborating with contemporary designers. Knud Erik Hansen, its current owner and CEO, is the grandson of the founder.

==History==
The company was founded by master cabinetmaker Carl Hansen when he opened his first workshop in [[Odense]] on 28 October 1908. His first real factory opened in 1915, specializing in bed room furniture for the bourgeoisie and landed gentry on the island of [[Funen]].<ref name="Brancheforeningen">{{cite web |url=http://www.danishfurniture.dk/Default.aspx?ID=9&M=News&PID=28&NewsID=405 |title=15-10-2008 Hundrede år med håndværk fra Hansen |language=Danish |publisher=Møbel + Interiør Brancheforeningen |accessdate=2013-03-11 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221013209/http://www.danishfurniture.dk/Default.aspx?ID=9 |archivedate=2012-12-21 |df= }}</ref>

The global economic crisis which arrived with the 1930s also affected furniture sales in Denmark. It hit Carl Hansen hard and in 1934 his second-oldest son, Holger Hansen, took over the business after his father. A contract with the American sewing machine manufacturer [[Singer Corporation|Singer]] for the production of wooden cases for some of their models helped the company through the difficult times. Hansen Jr. also set up a small-scale export of furniture to [[Sweden]].<ref name="Brancheforeningen"/>

In the years after [[World War II]], a new generation of young Danish furniture designers such as [[Finn Juhl]], [[Hans Wegner|Hans J. Wegner]] and [[Børge Mogensen]]. Carl Hansen & Søn as the company was now called entered into a collaboration with the salesman Ejvind Kold Christensen who had an eye for the new trends. In 1949, he set up a meeting between Wegner and Holger Hansen which resulted in a lasting collaboration between the two parties. Instead of just promoting their furniture to retailers, the company also began a comprehensive exhibition and advertisement activity targeted on end consumers.<ref name="Brancheforeningen"/>

In the early 1950s, modern Danish furniture design also began to attract attention abroad and especially in the US. Together with four other manufacturers of Wegner furniture,
Carl Hansen & Søn established a joint sales company, Salesco, which was responsible for exhibitions and marketing abroad, including on the furniture fairs in [[Cologne]]. The Y Chair was a particularly big success for Hansen & Søn, accounting for more than half of its sales. In 1968, a failed [[exclusive dealing|exclusivity]] agreement with a dealer put a temporary end to the success on the US market.<ref name="Brancheforeningen"/>

The 1970s and 1980s were generally difficult times for Hansen & Søn. In 1988, Holger Hansen's son, cabinetmaker Jørgen Gerner Hansen, took over the company. He invested in new machines. The early 1990s brought a renewed interest in Danish furniture classics and a Japanese subsidiary was established in 1991. Carl Hansen & Søn relaunched several retired Wegner designs.In 2001, Carl Hansen & Søn purchased Tranekær Furniture, another high-end furniture manufacturer, located at the Tranekjær estate on the neighbouring island of [[Langeland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business.dk/evb-archive/stoleproducent-koeber-tranekaer-furniture|title=Stoleproducent køber Tranekær Furniture|language=Danish|publisher=Berlingske|accessdate=2013-04-19}}</ref>

In 2002, Jørgen Gerners' brother, Knud Erik Hansen, acquired all shares in the company. He built a new factory in [[Aarup]] and internationalized the organization, leading to an increase in export from 20% in 1998 to over 50% in 2008.<ref name="Brancheforeningen"/>

In 2011, Carl Hansen & Søn took over the highend Rud. Rasmussen furniture workshop in Copenhagen, notable for its production of furniture by [[Mogens Koch]] and [[Kaare Klint]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wood-supply.dk/article/view/72761/carl_hansen_son_kober_op_i_kobenhavn|title=Carl Hansen & Søn køber op i København|language=Danish|publisher=Wood Supply|accessdate=2013-04-11}}</ref> An attempt to incorporate luxury products in the product portfolio failed and in 2016 Carl Hansen & Søn abolished Rud. Rasmussen as an independent brand and all employees are dismissed.

==Designers==
Carl Hansen & Søn is the manufacturer of many classical furniture designs from the period now known as [[Danish Modern]] by designers such as [[Hans J. Wegner]], [[Kaare Klint]], [[Arne Jacobsen]], [[Ole Wanscher]], [[Børge Mogensen]] and [[Poul Kjærholm]].

The company has also collaborated with contemporary designers such as [[ Tadao Ando]], EOOS, [[Naja Utzon Popov]], [[Anker Bak]] and [[Brad Ascalon]].<ref name=woodsupply>{{cite web|url=https://www.wood-supply.dk/article/view/608408/carl_hansen_son_abner_ny_flagshipstore_i_japan|title=Carl Hansen & Søn åbner ny flagshipstore i Japan|language=Danish|website=Eood Supply|accessdate=20 June 2018}}</ref>

==Location==
[[Image:Hans Wegner - Sawhorse Easy Chair.jpg|thumb|200px|Wegner's Sawhorse Easy Chair (CH28)]]
Carl Hansen & Søn is headquartered at its factory in [[Aarup]] outside Odense.

===Flagship stores===
In 2013, Carl Hansen & Søn opened a new flagship store at [[Bredgade]] in Copenhagen. Japan is the company's second most important market outside Scandinavia. It opened a flagship store in [[Tokyo]] in 2014 and another one in [[Osaka]] in 2018.<ref name=woodsupply/>

==Furniture==
* ''Elbow Chair'' (CH20)
* ''Shell Chair'' (CH07)
* ''Easy Chair'' (CH25)
* ''Wishbone Chair'' (CH24)
* ''Sawbuck Chair'' (CH29)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Carl Hansen & Søn}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130425164223/http://www.carlhansen.com/frontpage/ Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carl Hansen and Son}}
[[Category:Furniture companies of Denmark]]
[[Category:Design companies of Denmark]]
[[Category:Companies based in Assens Municipality]]
[[Category:Danish companies established in 1908]]
[[Category:Danish modern]]