Berlin is Germany's vibrant capital and largest city, renowned for its turbulent history, world-class museums, state-of-the-art art scene, and legendary nightlife. From the remnants of the Berlin Wall to the grandeur of the Brandenburg Gate, the city seamlessly blends its complex past with an innovative, forward-looking spirit. Berlin stands as one of Europe's most culturally rich and diverse metropolises.
Berlin's history spans nearly 800 years from its founding as a small trading settlement in the 13th century to becoming one of the world's great capitals. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and fatefully, the Third Reich. Devastated by World War II and then divided by the Cold War for 28 years behind the Berlin Wall, the city's reunification in 1990 stands as one of the 20th century's most defining moments. Today's Berlin is a living museum of its turbulent history, where layers of architecture and memory from every era coexist.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Berlin.
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1
First Mention of Cölln
The twin towns of Cölln and Berlin are first mentioned in records; Berlin officially dates its founding to this year
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2
Hohenzollern Becomes Elector
Frederick I of Hohenzollern becomes Elector of Brandenburg, beginning the Hohenzollern dynasty that would shape Berlin for 500 years
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3
Kingdom of Prussia Founded
Frederick I crowns himself King in Prussia; Berlin becomes capital of the new Kingdom
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4
Frederick the Great
Frederick II transforms Berlin into a baroque masterpiece; construction of the Brandenburg Gate era begins
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5
Brandenburg Gate Built
Carl Gotthard Langhans completes the Brandenburg Gate, which becomes Berlin's most enduring symbol
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6
German Empire Capital
Following Prussian victory in the Franco-Prussian War, Berlin becomes capital of the unified German Empire under Kaiser Wilhelm I
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7
Weimar Republic
Germany's defeat in WWI leads to Kaiser's abdication; Berlin becomes capital of the Weimar Republic
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8
Nazi Seizure of Power
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor; Berlin becomes the center of Nazi Germany's brutal totalitarian regime
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9
Berlin Olympics
Summer Olympics held at the Olympiastadion; used by the Nazi regime for propaganda purposes
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10
Kristallnacht
November 9: Coordinated pogrom against Jewish businesses and synagogues across Germany including Berlin
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11
Battle of Berlin
Soviet forces capture Berlin in April-May 1945; the Reich Chancellery falls and Hitler commits suicide; Germany surrenders
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12
Berlin Blockade
Soviets blockade West Berlin; Western Allies conduct the Berlin Airlift, supplying the city by air for nearly a year
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13
Berlin Wall Built
August 13: The German Democratic Republic constructs the Berlin Wall overnight, dividing the city for 28 years
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14
JFK in Berlin
US President Kennedy delivers his famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech at Schöneberg Town Hall
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15
Reagan's Speech
President Reagan speaks at the Brandenburg Gate: 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'
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16
Wall Falls
November 9: East Germany announces citizens can cross the border; jubilant crowds tear down the Berlin Wall
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17
German Reunification
October 3: East and West Germany officially reunify; Berlin becomes the unified German capital again
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18
Government Returns to Berlin
The German Bundestag and federal government return to Berlin from Bonn; the restored Reichstag opens
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19
FIFA World Cup
Germany hosts the World Cup; Berlin's Olympiastadion hosts the final; city celebrates with massive public viewings
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20
Berlin Christmas Market Attack
December 19: Terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz kills 12 people; memorial placed at the site
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21
Berlin Brandenburg Airport Opens
BER airport finally opens after years of delays, replacing the old Tegel and Schönefeld airports
Historical eras
The chapters of Berlin's past.
Hohenzollern Period
Five centuries of Hohenzollern rule transformed Berlin from a minor trading town to a European capital, with major development under Frederick the Great (1740-1786)
Weimar Republic
A brief golden age of democracy, artistic experimentation, and cultural freedom; Berlin became a world capital of cabaret, art, and intellectual life
Third Reich
Berlin was the administrative center of Nazi Germany; sites of Nazi buildings, book burnings, and deportation are preserved across the city
Cold War Division
Berlin was divided into East (Soviet/GDR) and West (Allied/FRG) sectors, united by the Wall from 1961; the most significant physical manifestation of the Cold War
Historical sites
Places where Berlin's past comes alive.
Brandenburg Gate
Neoclassical triumphal arch completed in 1791; symbol of Prussian power, Nazi appropriation, Cold War division, and ultimately German reunification. Napoleon marched through it in 1806; it stood sealed in the no-man's-land of the Wall from 1961-1989.
Where: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin
Admission: Free
Reichstag Building
Seat of the German Parliament (Bundestag) since 1999 in its iconic glass dome. Originally opened in 1894, famously burned in 1933 in circumstances blamed on the communists by the Nazis, and now wrapped in Norman Foster's spectacular glass cupola.
Where: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin
Admission: Free (reservation required)
Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer)
The most significant surviving stretch of the Wall with an open-air exhibition documenting life in divided Berlin, escape attempts, and the stories of those killed trying to cross. The documentation center provides extensive historical context.
Where: Bernauer Str. 111, 13355 Berlin
Admission: Free
Topography of Terror
Built directly on the excavated foundations of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, this indoor and outdoor exhibition documents Nazi crimes with harrowing primary sources. The preserved cellar prison cells are particularly sobering.
Where: Niederkirchnerstraße 8, 10963 Berlin
Admission: Free
Jewish Museum Berlin
Daniel Libeskind's architecturally extraordinary building embodies the fractured history of German Jews in its very form - the zinc-clad structure's voids, axes, and disorienting angles convey loss and disorientation.
Where: Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
Admission: €8
Checkpoint Charlie
The most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, used by diplomats, military personnel, and the site of a famous tank standoff in 1961. The area is now somewhat touristy but historically important.
Where: Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10117 Berlin
Admission: Free (outdoor); Haus am Checkpoint Charlie €14.50
East Side Gallery
The world's largest open-air gallery: 1.3km of the original Berlin Wall preserved and painted by 118 international artists in 1990. Murals include the famous Fraternal Kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker.
Where: Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin
Admission: Free
Neue Wache (New Guardhouse)
Karl Friedrich Schinkel's neoclassical guardhouse (1818) now serves as the Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for victims of war and tyranny. Käthe Kollwitz's sculpture of a mother with dead son is deeply moving.
Where: Unter den Linden 4, 10117 Berlin
Admission: Free
Bebelplatz (Book Burning Memorial)
Site of the May 1933 Nazi book burning organized by Goebbels. A glass panel in the cobblestones reveals an underground room of empty white bookshelves - Micha Ullman's 'Library' memorial - inscribed with Heinrich Heine's 1820 prophecy.
Where: Bebelplatz, 10117 Berlin
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Berlin's story.
Deutsches Historisches Museum
Germany's national history museum in the baroque Zeughaus arsenal on Unter den Linden; covers 1500+ years of German and European history with exceptional collections
Hours: 10am-6pm daily
Admission: €8
Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen
Former Nazi concentration camp 35km north of Berlin in Oranienburg; one of the most significant and best-preserved memorial sites in Germany
Hours: 8:30am-6pm daily (closed Mon Nov-Mar)
Admission: Free
Stasi Museum (Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße)
The actual former headquarters of East Germany's secret police (Stasi); Erich Mielke's preserved offices are particularly chilling
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
Admission: €8
DDR Museum
Interactive museum of everyday life in East Germany; extremely popular with hands-on exhibits including a Trabant car simulator
Hours: 10am-8pm daily (Thu until 10pm)
Admission: €13
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Walking tours
Free walking tours daily from Pariser Platz (Sandemans) at 11am and 2pm; Third Reich tour at 10am and 2pm
Day tours
Full-day Berlin history tour €35-60 including Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Private tours
Private guides from €120/3 hours via visitBerlin.de