Berlin

Berlin, Almanya'nın başkenti ve en büyük şehridir.

II.Dünya Savaşı öncesinde 4.3 milyon kişinin yaşadığı şehirde 2005 itibariyla 3.4 milyon kişi yaşamaktadır. Berlin, kuzey Almanya'da, Spree ve Havel nehirlerinin arasındaki kumluk bölgeye kuruludur. 1949'dan 1990'a kadar Doğu ve Batı Berlin olarak ikiye ayrılmış olan kenti ikiye bölen duvara (Berlin Duvarı) sonradan "Utanç duvarı" adı da verilmiştir.
1989 yılı kasımında Doğu ve Batı Berlin'i ikiye ayıran duvar yıkıldıktan sonra tekrar birleşen kentin doğu kesimlerinde yoğun bir tadilat yaşanmaktadır.

Kenti ikiye bölen Spree Nehri'nin, iki kıyısında, Cölln ve Berlin adlı iki balıkçı köyü olarak bölünmüş bir halde iken ilk kez 1307 yılında birleşti. Brandenburg'un (daha sonra ise Prusya'nın) başkentliğini yapan Berlin, 18. yüzyıla kadar önemli arz eden bir şehir değildi. Ancak Prusya'nın güçlenmesi sürecinde öncelikle Kuzey Alman'nın ve sonrasında da Avrupa'nın siyasi, ekonomik ve kültürel anlamda önemli merkezlerinden biri haline geldi. 1871 yılında kurulan Alman İmparatorluğu'na da başkentlik yapan Berlin, İkinci Dünya Savaşı'nın ardından harabeye döndü, müttefik devletler tarafından işgal edildi.

İkinci Dünya Savaşı'ndan sonra şehir Doğu ve Batı Berlin olarak ikiye ayrılmıştır. Kentin imparatorluk merkezi Mitte ile birlikte, Berlin'i inşa eden mimar Karl Friderich Schinkel'in tasarladığı binalar, büyükelçilikler, saraylar, müzeler tamamen kentin doğu kesiminde kaldı. Türkiye'den kaçak yollarla getirilen Bergama Sunağı'nın sergilendiği dünyanın en önemli müzelerinden biri olan Bergama Müzesi , Cölln ile Berlin'i birleştiren anlaşmanın yapıldığı St. Nicholas Kilisesi de tıpkı diğer önemli yapılar gibi Doğu Berlin'de kaldı
Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million in its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the ninth most populous urban area in the European Union.[2] Located in northeastern Germany, it is the centre of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area, comprising 5 million people from over 180 nations.[3]

First documented in the 13th century, Berlin was successively the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701-1918), the German Empire (1871-1918), the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and the Third Reich (1933-1945).[4] After the Second World War, the city was divided; East Berlin became the capital of East Germany while West Berlin became a Western enclave, surrounded by the Berlin Wall from 1961-1989.[5] Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of all Germany.[6]

Berlin is a major center in European politics, culture, media, and science.[7][8][9] It serves as a continental hub for air and rail transport. The city's economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations, environmental services, congress and convention venues.[10][11] Berlin is the third most-visited tourist destination in the EU.[12] Other industries include traffic engineering, optoelectronics, IT, vehicle manufacturing, health care, biomedical engineering, and biotechnology.

The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities.[13] Berlin's urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions.[14] The city is recognized for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts and a high quality of living.[15][16][17] During the last decade Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist.

The name Berlin, which is pronounced /bɚˈlɪn/ in English and /bɛɐˈliːn/ (help·info) in German, is of unknown origin, but may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl- "swamp".[20]

The earliest evidence of Berlin is an artifact dated approximately 45 years before the official founding of the city. A wooden beam from a cellar near the (demolished) Petrikirche in Petriplatz, which is now located in Berlin's Mitte District but was originally part of Cölln, has been dated to 1157.[21] The first written mention of towns in the area of present-day Berlin dates from the late 12th and early 13th century. The suburb of Spandau is first mentioned in 1197,[22] and Köpenick in 1209, though these areas did not join Berlin until 1920. The central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns: Cölln (on the Fisher Island) is first mentioned in a 1237 document that references a priest at Petrikirche.[21] Berlin (across the Spree in what is now called the Nikolaiviertel) is referenced in a document from 1244. From the beginning, the two cities formed an economic and social unit. In 1307, the two cities were united politically. Over time, the twin cities came to be known simply as Berlin, the larger of the pair.

In 1415, Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440.[23] His successor, Frederick II, established Berlin as capital of the margraviate, and subsequent members of the Hohenzollern family ruled until 1918 in Berlin, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of Prussia, and finally as German emperors. In 1448 citizens rebelled in the “Berlin Indignation” against the construction of a new royal palace by Elector Frederick II Irontooth. This protest was not successful, however, and the citizenry lost many of its political and economic privileges. In 1451 Berlin became the royal residence of the Brandenburg electors, and Berlin had to give up its status as a free Hanseatic city. In 1539, the electors and the city officially became Lutheran
In 2007, the nominal GDP of the citystate Berlin experienced a growth rate of 1.8% (2.5% in Germany) and totaled €81.7 ($114) billion.[50] During the last decade Berlin has experienced significant changes towards a service orientated economy. After the reunification of Germany and Berlin in 1990, substantial subsidies were phased out, formerly received by the city of West Berlin. The industrial base of former East Berlin decreased significantly within a decade, leading to stagnant nominal GDP growth and high unemployment rates until 2005. Since then the unemployment rate steadily decreased and reached a 13 year-low with 13.6% in June 2008, but remains above the German (7.5%/June/2008) average.[51][52]

Among the Forbes Global 2000 and the 30 German DAX companies, only Siemens and Deutsche Bahn control a headquarters in Berlin. Nevertheless, a multitude of German and international companies established secondary departments or service offices in the city. Among the 20 largest employers in Berlin are the railway company Deutsche Bahn AG, the hospital company Charité, the local public transport company BVG, the service provider Dussmann and the Piepenbrock Group. Daimler manufactures cars, and BMW builds motorcycles in Berlin. BayerSchering Pharma and Berlin Chemie are major pharmaceutical companies headquartered in the city.

The Science and Business Park of Berlin-Adlershof is among the 15 largest technology parks world-wide. Research and development have established economic significance, and the Berlin Brandenburg region ranks among the top three innovative regions in the EU.[53][46]

Fast-growing sectors are communications, life sciences, mobility and services with information and communication technologies, media and music, advertising and design, biotechnology and environmental services, transportation and medical engineering.[54] Berlin is among the top three congress cities in the world and is home to Europe's biggest convention center in the form of the Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC).[10] It contributes to the rapidly increasing tourism sector encompassing 592 hotels with 90,700 beds and numbered 17.3 million overnight stays and 7.5 million hotel guests in 2007. Berlin has established itself as the third most visited city destination in the European Union