Maze: Berlin

BERLIN IS THE LARGEST CITY IN GERMANY AND THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN EUROPE.  Geographers call it an artificial city.  Most great cities grow because they are located on important trade routes or have great harbors.  But Berlin grew because the persons in power decided to make it grow.

About 1500, Berlin became the official residence of the margraves of Brandenburg.  It was almost wiped out during the Thirty Years' War.  The Great Elector, Frederick William, restored it to prosperity by rebuilding public buildings, constructing canals to connect the Spree and the Oder rivers.  Kings of Prussia followed the Great Elector and the growth and beautification continued. Frederick the Great miscalculations in war resulted in the first Russian occupation but the Russians soon withdrew.  Berlin became the capital of the German Empire in 1871.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.  Kurfurstendamm, the main street of Berlin begins at the church doorway.

"Constipated" Sculpture

Berlin Wall

Reichstag

The monumental Brandenburg Gate used to stand at the dividing line between East and West Berlin.  East Germany's government restored the war-scarred arch in 1957.  After World War II, the Pankow section of East Berlin became the capital of East Germany, and Bonn the capital of West Germany.  German unification was in 1992.

Checkpoint Charlie

Our most unusual looking hotel

Underground Train

Sans Souci [No Worries]

Tomb of Frederick the Great - Sans Souci

Weimar

Goethe and Schubert

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6/3/10  lib's labyrinth blogspot
10/2007  ALT  MSN Group