Berlin Table of Contents Introduction & Top Questions Physical and human geography The landscape The city site Climate The city layout The people The economy Industry and trade Transportation Administration and social conditions Government Health Education and science Cultural life History The early period Origins The Hohenzollerns The 20th century The republic and Hitler Berlin divided Berlin united References & Edit History Related Topics Images & Videos For Students Berlin summary Quizzes Countries and Capitals Quiz European Capitals Quiz A Capital Idea Related Questions Where is Berlin located? Berlin is famous for what cultural institutions? Berlin is the capital of what country? Read Next These 6 Paintings Shine a Light on Berlin’s Past 13 Buildings That Tell Berlin’s Story Discover Poker Hands Ranked How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have? 9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders 6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich? Extinct in the Wild but Still Around: 5 Plants and Animals Kept Alive by Humans 14 Tough Questions Answered Contents Home Geography & Travel Cities & Towns Cities & Towns A-B Berlin national capital, Germany Actions Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Berlin Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Jewish Virtual Library - Berlin, Germany Official Site of Berlin, Germany CRW Flags - Flag of Berlin, Germany JewishEncyclopedia.com - Berlin, Germany Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Berlin - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Berlin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Berlin Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites Jewish Virtual Library - Berlin, Germany Official Site of Berlin, Germany CRW Flags - Flag of Berlin, Germany JewishEncyclopedia.com - Berlin, Germany Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Berlin - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Berlin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Written by Hubert Joseph Erb Berlin Correspondent, Associated Press. Hubert Joseph Erb , Lutz R. Reuter Professor of Political Science, University of Armed Forces Hamburg and University of Hamburg, Germany. Coauthor of Political Culture in West Germany. Lutz R. Reuter See All Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: May 25, 2024 ? Article History Table of Contents Recent News May 23, 2024, 1:50 AM ET (Deutsche Welle) Germany: Antisemitic incidents in Berlin hit record levels May 17, 2024, 5:01 AM ET (AP) German council approves a revised plan by Tesla to expand its plant near Berlin May 12, 2024, 8:06 PM ET (AP) Swiss fans get ready to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo back home May 9, 2024, 5:16 PM ET (AP) Russia celebrates victory in World War II as Putin accuses the West of fueling global conflicts May 8, 2024, 12:27 AM ET (AP) Pro-Palestinian student protests spread across Europe. Some are allowed. Some are stopped Top Questions Where is Berlin located? Berlin is in Germany. It lies at the heart of the North German Plain in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River, which runs through the center of the city. It is situated about 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea, 118 miles (190 km) north of the Czech-German border, 110 miles (177 km) east of the former inner-German border, and 55 miles (89 km) west of Poland. Why was the Berlin Wall built around West Berlin? East Germany built the Berlin Wall to close off East Germans’ access to West Berlin and hence West Germany. The wall surrounded West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. What type of climate does Berlin have? Berlin's mean annual temperature is about 48 °F (9 °C), and mean temperatures range from 30 °F (?1 °C) in winter to 65 °F (18 °C) in summer. The average precipitation is 22 inches (568 mm). About one-fifth to one-fourth of the total falls as snow. Berlin is famous for what cultural institutions? Berlin is famous for its many museums such as the Dahlem Museums, the Egyptian Museum, the Berlin Cultural Forum with the New National Gallery, and the Museum of Arts and Crafts. Other postwar institutions are the Brucke-Museum, the Berlin Museum, the Museum of Transport and Technology, and the Jewish Museum Berlin. Berlin is the capital of what country? Berlin is the capital and chief urban center of Germany. Berlin was the capital of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. Though partitioned into East and West Berlin after World War II, the reunification of East and West Germany led to Berlin’s reinstatement as the all-German capital in 1990. Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. (more) Berlin , capital and chief urban centre of Germany . The city lies at the heart of the North German Plain , athwart an east-west commercial and geographic axis that helped make it the capital of the kingdom of Prussia and then, from 1871, of a unified Germany. Berlin’s former glory ended in 1945, but the city survived the destruction of World War II . It was rebuilt and came to show amazing economic and cultural growth. Modern Berlin: Blending history with modernity Overview of Berlin. (more) See all videos for this article Germany’s division after the war put Berlin entirely within the territory of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany). The city itself echoed the national partition? East Berlin being the capital of East Germany and West Berlin a Land (state) of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, or West Germany). West Berlin’s isolation was later reinforced by the concrete barrier erected in 1961 and known as the Berlin Wall . Its status as an enclave made Berlin a continuous focus of confrontation between the Eastern and Western powers as well as a symbol of Western lifestyle for 45 years. The fall of the East German communist regime?and the accompanying opening of the wall?in late 1989 unexpectedly raised the prospect for Berlin’s reinstatement as the all-German capital. That status was restored in 1990 under the terms of the unification treaty, and subsequently Berlin was designated a state, one of the 16 constituting Germany. These developments heralded the city’s return to its historic position of prominence in European culture and commerce. Area 344 square miles (891 square km). Pop. (2011) 3,292,365; (2021 est.) 3,677,472. Physical and human geography The landscape The city site Berlin Berlin is situated about 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea , 118 miles (190 km) north of the Czech-German border, 110 miles (177 km) east of the former inner-German border, and 55 miles (89 km) west of Poland . It lies in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River , which runs through the centre of the city. The mean elevation of Berlin is 115 feet (35 metres) above sea level . The highest point near the centre of Berlin is the peak of the Kreuzberg, a hill that rises 218 feet (66 metres) above sea level. Measuring approximately 23 miles (37 km) from north to south and 28 miles (45 km) from east to west, Berlin is by far the largest city in Germany. It is built mainly on sandy glacial soil amid an extensive belt of forest-rimmed lakes, formed from the waters of the Dahme River to the southeast and the Havel to the west; indeed, about one-third of the Greater Berlin area is still covered by sandy pine and mixed birch woods, lakes, and beaches. “Devil’s Mountain” ( Teufelsberg), one of several hills constructed from the rubble left by World War II bombing, rises to 380 feet (116 metres) and has been turned into a winter sports area for skiing and sledding. Britannica Quiz European Capitals Quiz Climate Berlin lies where the influence of the Atlantic Ocean fades and the climate of the continental plain begins. The city’s mean annual temperature is about 48 °F (9 °C), and mean temperatures range from 30 °F (?1 °C) in winter to 65 °F (18 °C) in summer. The average precipitation is 22 inches (568 mm). About one-fifth to one-fourth of the total falls as snow.