BERLIN is our CITY

The Berlin Wall As a result of the second world war and the cold war East Germany built a wall to West Germany and around West Berlin. People from East Berlin could not go to West Berlin anymore and the people in West Berlin could not leave the town for many years.

The Berlin Wall was built 13 th August The Berlin Wall was 167,8 km Long. From the east side it was forbidden to go near it. From the west side people painted the wall with pictures and graffiti. The Wall lasted more than thirty years until the wall fell and the people in Berlin and Germany were united again.

The Wall was through the whole town. The famous Brandenburg Gate was directly on the borderline. For many years nobody was allowed to cross it. Many famous people like John F. Kennedy came to Berlin and demanded the opening of the wall.

„TODESSTREIFEN“ „DEATH STRIP“ That means that there was a zone where nobody was allowed to go. Who tried to cross it was killed. Regularly soldiers with dogs and guns patrolled the „Death Strip“ – day and night.

The fall of the Berlin Wall In summer and autumn 1989 the people in East Germany started to demonstrate against the government and demanded a free Germany. The Berlin Wall fell on 9 th November1989 Everybody in Germany was very happy. Thousands of Berliner went to the checkpoints. The first checkpoint opened at about p.m. in the Bornholmer Straße.

Sights of Berlin Bernauer Straße separates the districts Wedding and Mitte. Until 1989 the Wall ran along here. The documentation centre on the history of the division of Berlin was opened in November It shows the political background and people’s individual experience of being permanently faced with the wall in the daily life. Very little is left of the original Wall, most of the wall segments are given to museums all over the world or sold. Berlin Wall Memorial

Brandenburg Gate It was built as a victory gate. Berlin once had 18 city gates - this is the only one remaining. Badly damaged in the war, it was rebuilt in After the wall was built the Gate became a landmark and symbol of the division and reunification of Germany.

Siegessäule The 70-metre-high column is crowned by the gilded victory goddess, nicknamed "Goldelse" - Golden Lizzie -by the Berliners. Among other things, she has decorated the cover of certain books. Incidentally, the gun barrels around the column are genuine. Below are the Austrian, then the French and on top the Danish.

House at Checkpoint Charlie Permanent and special exhibition cover topics in German history after 1945, especially the division of Berlin, the building of the Wall and its influence on daily life. Documentary film shows and especially talks with eyewitnesses give a memorable picture of the relationship between the two parts of Germany during the Cold War.

Olympiastadion Olympic Stadium Built by Werner March on the Maifeld for the 1936 Olympic Games, the stadium holds up to76,000 spectators. In 1936 the black runner Jesse Owens won the 100-metre race here (a completely un-Aryan result). Berliners hope the local football team Hertha will soon win the cup here. Plenty to see around here for history fans.

Berlin Cathedral Berlin’s most impressive church building with a bigger floor area than Cologne Cathedral. It was severely damaged in the war and restoration work went on into the 1990s. The magnificent dome gives the building it’s character. In the Hohenzollern Crypt the Prussian kings and Kaisers lie in dust and ashes.

The Reichstag A symbol of German history. Pictures that went round the world: in 1945 the Soviet flag was hoisted on the Reichstag, in 1995 it was wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude and since 1999 it has been the seat of the German Parliament. The dedication above the entrance reads: "To the German People". The dome built by Sir Norman Foster is not entirely in tune with this, because: anyone, if German of from abroad, can walk around freely inside it until midnight

TV-Tower at Alexanderplatz TV Tower at Alexanderplatz Berlin's tallest building. So that everybody could see the heights socialist building. Today it's three meters taller with a new. Since Berlin lies on the North German plain it's worth going up the tower to see the view over the city from the platform at 203 metres or the revolving café at 207 metres. On the horizon you can imagine the city limits even if you can't see them.

One of the mega events in Berlin is the New Year’s Eve Party at Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). People from all over the world cheerfully celebrate the turn of the year, and Berliners together with German guests and visitors from all over the world celebrate this extraordinary event in the German capital. An overall space of 80,000 square meters with show stages, video screens, party tents, food and refreshment stands and of course the spectacular midnight fireworks as the ultimate highlight of the event. With more than one million guests, 500 journalists from all over the world and 350 national and international TV channels the New Year’s Eve Party in Berlin is one of the world’s largest events at the turn of the year. Mega Events in Berlin One of the mega events in Berlin is the New Year’s Eve Party at Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). People from all over the world cheerfully celebrate the turn of the year, and Berliners together with German guests and visitors from all over the world celebrate this extraordinary event in the German capital. An overall space of 80,000 square meters with show stages, video screens, party tents, food and refreshment stands and of course the spectacular midnight fireworks as the ultimate highlight of the event. With more than one million guests, 500 journalists from all over the world and 350 national and international TV channels the New Year’s Eve Party in Berlin is one of the world’s largest events at the turn of the year. Mega Events in Berlin

Sporting Events A big sporting event was the World Cup in 2006 in Germany. In Berlin it was celebrated at the Brandenburg Gate on the Street of the 17 th June and in the Olympic stadium (Olympiastadion). But there are many other celebrations. For example the American-Football-Team Berlin Thunder controverter their games in the NFL Europe till Sometimes there are events without sporting background. Like the church congress. The Olympia stadium owns the biggest stadium chapel in the world.

Parks and Outdoor Activities One of the biggest Parks in Berlin is the Tiergarten. It‘s located in Berlin-Mitte. With 210 square metres it is the second largest Park in Germany. In German parks it’s allowed to walk out with the dog and to relax and to barbecue. There are many chances to jog and to sunbathe.

Discos, Clubs and Restaurants In Berlin are many international restaurants. For example Indian Restaurants, Asia Restaurants and Italian Restaurants. You can also find all kind of clubs and discos. Some are open 24 hours. Berlin is very multifaceted. That’s maybe the reason for celebrities to visit Berlin as Barbra Streisand. She said she won’t put a step into Germany because of the history (She comes from a Jewish family). But she came to Berlin and gave a brilliant concert. Every day there are concerts in Berlin. We have big concert halls and small clubs for Rock-Fans, Rap and R&B-Fans and many more. There is something for everyone.

That was something about the history and about today's life in our city, Berlin. Berlin had a difficult history but today it offers something for everybody. The people in Berlin are open minded and tolerant. We all love to live in Berlin. Berlin is cool and full of life. Renée, Sara, Sydney, Michelle, Michelle, Jakob, Marc