Berlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berlin
Capital city, state and municipality
Spree river, Museum Island, Berlin TV Tower and Berlin Palace in Mitte Victory Column Charlottenburg Palace Rotes Rathaus Brandenburg Gate Reichstag Berlin Cathedral Potsdam Square
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Grey City "Spreeathen", or Athens on the Spree River
Berlin highlighted in Germany
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
Government
• Body	Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Area
• City/State	891.3 km2 (344.1 sq mi)
• Urban	3,743 km2 (1,445 sq mi)
• Metro	30,546 km2 (11,794 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population  (3431675)
• City/State	3,431,675
• Rank	5th in Europe 1st in Germany
• Density	4,213/km2 (10,910/sq mi)
• Urban	4,768,142
• Urban density	1,274/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
• Metro	6,144,600
• Metro density	201/km2 (520/sq mi)
Demonyms	Berliner(s) (English) Berliner (m), Berlinerin (f) (German)
GDP
• City/State	€193.219 billion (2023)
• Metro	€290.696 billion (2023)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Area code(s)	030
Geocode	NUTS Region: DE3
ISO 3166 code	DE-BE
Vehicle registration	B
GeoTLD	.berlin
HDI (2021)	0.959 very high · 2nd of 16

Berlin is Germany's capital city. It's also the biggest city in Germany, both in size and how many people live there. More than 3.85 million people call Berlin home. This makes it the city with the most people in the entire European Union. Berlin is also one of Germany's 16 states. It is the third smallest state by land area.

The state of Brandenburg surrounds Berlin. Brandenburg's capital, Potsdam, is very close by. The urban area of Berlin has over 4.5 million people. This makes it the most populated urban area in Germany. The larger Berlin-Brandenburg region has about 6.2 million residents. It is Germany's second-largest metropolitan area.

Berlin was built along the Spree River. This river flows into the Havel River in the western part of the city. Berlin has many lakes in its western and southeastern areas. The largest of these is Müggelsee. About one-third of Berlin is covered by forests, parks, gardens, rivers, canals, and lakes.

Berlin was first written about in the 1200s. It was located where two important trade routes met. Because of this, Berlin became the capital of several German states over time. These included the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire. Berlin was a center for science, art, and new ideas during the Age of Enlightenment. In the 1920s, Berlin was the third-largest city in the world.

After World War II, Berlin was divided. It became West Berlin and East Berlin. The Berlin Wall separated them. East Berlin was the capital of East Germany. West Berlin was not part of West Germany, but it was closely linked to it. After Germany reunited in 1990, Berlin became the capital of all of Germany again. People sometimes call Berlin "the heart of Europe."

Berlin's economy focuses on high tech and services. It has many creative industries, new companies, research centers, and media businesses. Berlin is a major hub for air and train travel. It also has a great public transportation system. Many people visit Berlin, making tourism a big part of its economy. Other important industries include healthcare, car making, and electronics.

Berlin is home to famous universities. These include the Humboldt University of Berlin and the Free University of Berlin. The Berlin Zoological Garden is Europe's most visited zoo. Babelsberg Studio was the world's first large movie studio. Many movies have been filmed in Berlin.

Berlin has three World Heritage Sites. These are Museum Island, the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, and the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates. Other famous places include the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, and Potsdamer Platz. Berlin also has many museums, art galleries, and libraries.

Berlin's Amazing History

How Berlin Got Its Name

Berlin is in northeastern Germany. Many towns and villages in this area have names that come from Slavic languages. The name Berlin likely comes from an old Slavic word. It might be linked to the word for "swamp."

Five of Berlin's twelve main areas (called boroughs) have Slavic names. These include Pankow and Spandau. Also, 22 of Berlin's 96 smaller neighborhoods have Slavic names.

Early Settlements and Growth

The first people lived in the Berlin area around 60,000 BC. A deer mask from 9,000 BC shows early human activity. Around 2,000 BC, many people settled along the Spree and Havel rivers.

In the 1100s, the area became part of German rule. The towns of Spandau and Köpenick were first mentioned in the late 1100s and early 1200s. The year 1237 is seen as Berlin's founding date. The two towns grew close and benefited from trade routes. In 1307, they formed an alliance.

The Hohenzollern family ruled Berlin until 1918. They were first electors, then kings of Prussia, and later German emperors. In 1443, a new royal palace was started in Berlin-Cölln. This became the Hohenzollerns' main home from 1486. Berlin-Cölln lost its status as a free Hanseatic League city. In 1539, the city officially became Lutheran.

From War to a New Kingdom

The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) badly damaged Berlin. One-third of its homes were destroyed. The city lost half of its people. Frederick William, called the "Great Elector," became ruler in 1640. He encouraged people to move to Berlin and allowed different religions. In 1685, he offered safety to French Huguenots.

By 1700, about 30% of Berlin's people were French. Many others came from Bohemia, Poland, and Salzburg.

In 1701, the states of Brandenburg and Prussia joined to form the Kingdom of Prussia. Frederick I of Prussia crowned himself king. Berlin became the capital of this new kingdom. This helped the city grow. In 1709, Berlin merged with four other towns. It became one big city called "Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin."

In 1740, Frederick the Great became ruler. Berlin became a center for new ideas. It was briefly taken over by the Russian army during the Seven Years' War. In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin. But he let the city govern itself. In 1815, Berlin became part of the new Province of Brandenburg.

The Industrial Revolution changed Berlin a lot in the 1800s. The city's economy and population grew very fast. It became a major railway and business center in Germany. More suburbs were added to Berlin in 1861. In 1871, Berlin became the capital of the new German Empire. In 1881, it became its own city district.

Berlin in the 20th and 21st Centuries

In the early 1900s, Berlin was a hub for the German Expressionism art movement. New styles in art, painting, and movies were created here. After World War I in 1918, a republic was declared at the Reichstag building. In 1920, the Greater Berlin Act added many surrounding towns and villages to Berlin. This made Berlin much larger. Its population almost doubled to about four million. In the 1920s, Berlin was a lively world capital. It was known for its leadership in science, arts, and industry. Albert Einstein became famous during his time in Berlin.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party took power. They planned huge building projects to show their power. These plans were never fully carried out. The Nazi rule greatly reduced Berlin's Jewish community. Many Jews left the city. After 1938, thousands were sent to camps. Starting in 1943, many were sent to concentration camps like Auschwitz.

Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics. The Olympic stadium was built for these games.

During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed. This happened during Allied air raids from 1943 to 1945. The 1945 Battle of Berlin also caused much damage. Around 125,000 civilians died. After the war ended in May 1945, Berlin received many refugees. The winning powers divided the city into four parts. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France controlled West Berlin. The Soviet Union controlled East Berlin.

All four powers shared control of Berlin. But in 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all roads to West Berlin. This was called the Berlin Blockade. The Western Allies used the Berlin airlift to fly in food and supplies. This lasted from June 1948 to May 1949. In 1949, West Germany was formed. East Germany was also created. West Berlin stayed occupied, but it was linked to West Germany.

The creation of two German states increased Cold War tensions. East Germany built the Berlin Wall around West Berlin in 1961. This completely divided the city. It was hard for people from East Berlin to travel to West Berlin. In 1971, an agreement allowed access to West Berlin by car or train.

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. This happened on November 9th. Most of the wall was later taken down. Today, the East Side Gallery keeps a large part of the wall. On October 3, 1990, Germany was reunited. Berlin became a united city again. After the wall fell, the city grew and changed a lot.

In 1991, the German Parliament voted to move the capital from Bonn back to Berlin. This move was finished in 1999. In 2001, Berlin's administrative areas were changed. The number of boroughs was reduced from 23 to 12.

In 2006, the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was held in Berlin. The "Berlin Wall Trail" was finished in 2006. It is a path along where the wall once stood.

In 2016, a truck attack happened at a Christmas market. It was linked to ISIL. In 2018, over 200,000 people protested against racism in Berlin.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) opened in 2020. It was nine years later than planned. The Humboldt Forum museum, in the rebuilt Berlin Palace, was fully opened in 2022. It is Germany's most expensive cultural project.

Trying to Join Berlin and Brandenburg

There was an attempt in 1996 to combine Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. They share history and culture. Many people from Brandenburg travel to Berlin for work. Most governments and businesses supported the idea. But voters in Brandenburg said no. They worried about Berlin's large debt. They also feared losing their own identity.

Berlin's Geography

What Berlin's Land Looks Like

Berlin is in northeastern Germany. It's in a flat area with low-lying forests and swamps. This area is part of the huge Northern European Plain. A valley formed by melting ice from the last ice age runs through Berlin. The Spree River flows through this valley. In western Berlin, the Spree joins the Havel River. The Havel looks like a chain of lakes, such as the Großer Wannsee. Many lakes also feed into the upper Spree. The Müggelsee is in eastern Berlin.

Much of Berlin is on low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Parts of Reinickendorf and Pankow are on the Barnim Plateau. Most of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf are on the Teltow Plateau.

The highest point in Berlin is the Arkenberge hills in Pankow. They are 122 meters (400 feet) high. These hills were made from construction waste. The lowest point is the Spektesee in Spandau, at 28.1 meters (92 feet) high.

Berlin's Weather

Berlin has a climate with mild to warm summers. Winters are cold but not usually very harsh. It doesn't rain a lot throughout the year.

Winters often have frost. Temperatures change more between seasons than in many other places with similar climates. Summers are warm and sometimes humid. High temperatures are usually between 22–25°C (72–77°F). Lows are around 12–14°C (54–57°F). Winters are cold. Highs are about 3°C (37°F), and lows are around -2 to 0°C (28–32°F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild.

The city itself can be warmer than the areas around it. This is because buildings and roads store heat. Annual rainfall is about 570 mm (22 inches). Snow usually falls from December to March.

Berlin's Look and Buildings

How Berlin Looks Today

Berlin's history has given it a mix of old and new buildings. Its look today was mostly shaped by events in the 1900s. Many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s show Berlin's role in modern architecture.

Many buildings were destroyed during the bombing of Berlin in World War II. Some that survived were later torn down. After Germany reunited, many important old buildings were rebuilt. These include the Berlin State Opera and Charlottenburg Palace.

The tallest buildings in Berlin are in different parts of the city. You can find groups of them at Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz.

More than one-third of Berlin is green space. The Großer Tiergarten is one of the city's largest and most popular parks. It is right in the center of Berlin.

Famous Berlin Buildings

The TV Tower at Alexanderplatz is 368 meters (1,207 feet) tall. It is one of the tallest buildings in the European Union. You can see it from most of central Berlin. From its observation deck, you can see the whole city. The Karl-Marx-Allee street starts here. It has huge buildings in a style called Socialist Classicism. Nearby is the Rotes Rathaus (City Hall), a red-brick building. In front of it is the Neptunbrunnen fountain.

The Brandenburg Gate is a famous symbol of Berlin and Germany. It stands for European history, unity, and peace. The Reichstag building is where the German Parliament meets. It was redesigned by architect Norman Foster. It has a glass dome that visitors can go into. You can watch the Parliament and see great views of the city.

The East Side Gallery is an outdoor art exhibit. It's painted on the last parts of the Berlin Wall. It shows how the city was once divided.

The Gendarmenmarkt is a beautiful square. It has two similar cathedrals: the Französischer Dom and the Deutscher Dom. The Konzerthaus (Concert Hall) is between them.

Museum Island in the Spree River has five museums. They were built between 1830 and 1930. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Altes Museum, Neues Museum (with the Nefertiti Bust), Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon Museum, and Bode Museum are all here. The James Simon Gallery is a new entrance to these museums. The Berlin Palace was also rebuilt nearby. The Berlin Cathedral is on the island too. It has a large crypt with old Prussian royal family members. St. Hedwig's Cathedral is Berlin's Roman Catholic cathedral.

Unter den Linden is a tree-lined street from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Palace. It used to be Berlin's main walkway. Many classic buildings are on this street, including part of Humboldt University. Friedrichstraße was a famous street in the 1920s. It mixes old traditions with modern Berlin architecture.

Potsdamer Platz is a whole area built from scratch after the Berlin Wall fell. West of Potsdamer Platz is the Kulturforum. It has the Painting Gallery and the Neue Nationalgalerie. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is to the north.

The area around Hackescher Markt is known for its cool culture. It has many shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. The Hackesche Höfe are buildings around several courtyards. The New Synagogue is nearby.

The Straße des 17. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate and Ernst-Reuter-Platz. Its name remembers the uprisings in East Berlin on June 17, 1953. The Siegessäule (Victory Column) is on a roundabout halfway down this street.

The Kurfürstendamm has some of Berlin's fancy stores. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is at its eastern end. This church was destroyed in World War II and left in ruins. Nearby is KaDeWe, one of Europe's largest department stores. The Rathaus Schöneberg is where John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech.

West of the city center, Bellevue Palace is where the German President lives. Charlottenburg Palace is Berlin's largest historical palace. It was burned in World War II but rebuilt.

The Funkturm Berlin is a 150-meter (492-foot) tall radio tower. It was built between 1924 and 1926. It has a restaurant and an observation deck.

The Oberbaumbrücke is Berlin's most famous bridge over the Spree River. It connects the areas of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. The bridge carries cars, people, and the U1 train line. It was finished in 1896. Parts of it were destroyed in 1945. After the war, it was a checkpoint between East and West Berlin. After reunification, it was rebuilt.

People in Berlin

Who Lives in Berlin?

At the end of 2018, Berlin had 3.75 million people living in it. The city's population density was 4,206 people per square kilometer. Berlin is the city with the most people in the European Union. In 2019, the urban area had about 4.5 million people. The larger Berlin-Brandenburg region has over 6 million people.

In 2014, Berlin had 37,368 births. This was the most since 1991. There were 32,314 deaths. Almost 2 million homes were counted. 54% of them were single-person homes. Over 337,000 families with children lived in Berlin. In 2014, Berlin gained about 40,000 new residents from other places.

People from Different Countries

Residents by Citizenship (31 December 2023)

Country	Population (31.12.2023)
Germany	2,931,731
Turkey	107,022
Ukraine	62,495
Poland	54,099
Syria	48,301
Russian Federation	37,815
Italy	33,732
India	33,257
Bulgaria	33,256
Romania	28,843
Vietnam	25,851
Afghanistan	22,172
USA	21,743
Serbia	21,305
France	19,484

People from other countries have moved to Berlin for a long time. In 1685, Berlin offered safety to French Huguenot refugees. The Greater Berlin Act in 1920 added many suburbs. This greatly increased Berlin's population.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many people moved to West Berlin. Berlin has at least 180,000 Turkish residents. This is the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey. In the 1990s, more people from the former Soviet Union moved to Germany. Today, Germans from these countries are the largest group of Russian speakers. Recently, people from Western countries and some African regions have moved here.

In December 2019, 777,345 residents were foreign citizens. Another 542,975 German citizens had a "migration background." This means they or their parents moved to Germany after 1955. Foreign residents in Berlin come from about 190 countries. In 2017, 48% of residents under 15 had a migration background. Areas like Mitte and Neukölln have many migrants. The number of Arabic speakers in Berlin could be over 150,000. Berlin has received many refugees from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In November 2022, about 85,000 Ukrainian refugees were in Berlin.

Berlin has a large community of people from other countries. This includes immigrants, seasonal workers, and refugees. Many people in Berlin speak English.

Languages Spoken in Berlin

German is the main language spoken in Berlin. It is a West Germanic language. German is one of 24 languages in the European Union.

Berlinerisch is a way of speaking German in Berlin. It comes from a dialect of Brandenburg. Today, it's seen more as a social way of speaking. Many educated people now speak standard German every day.

The most common foreign languages in Berlin are Turkish, Polish, English, Persian, Arabic, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian, Kurdish, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Turkish, Arabic, and Kurdish are heard more in western Berlin. This is because of the large Middle Eastern communities. Polish, English, Russian, and Vietnamese are more common in East Berlin.

Religions in Berlin

In 2011, about 37% of Berlin's people belonged to a recognized church or religious group. The rest did not, or there was no information.

The largest religious group in 2010 was the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. This is a Protestant church. About 18.7% of people belonged to it. The Catholic Church had 9.1% of residents. About 2.7% were other Christians. In 2018, 14.9% were Evangelical and 8.5% were Catholic. The government keeps records for church tax.

In 2009, about 249,000 Muslims were members of mosques in Berlin. In 2016, a newspaper estimated about 350,000 Muslims observed Ramadan. In 2019, about 437,000 residents had a migration background from Islamic countries. The Muslim population almost doubled between 1992 and 2011.

About 0.9% of Berliners belong to other religions. Of the 30,000–45,000 Jewish residents, about 12,000 are registered members of religious groups.

Berlin is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin. It also has many Orthodox cathedrals. People of different faiths have many places of worship in Berlin. There are over 80 mosques, ten synagogues, and several Buddhist and Hindu temples.

Berlin's Economy

In 2018, Berlin's economy was worth €147 billion. This was a 3.1% increase from the year before. Berlin's economy is mostly made up of service businesses. About 84% of all companies are in services. In 2015, 1.85 million people worked in Berlin. The unemployment rate was 10.0% in November 2015. This was the lowest in 24 years. From 2012 to 2015, Berlin had the fastest job growth of any German state. About 130,000 jobs were added.

Important parts of Berlin's economy include life sciences, transport, and technology. Media, advertising, design, and biotechnology are also key. Other areas are construction, online shopping, hotels, and medical engineering.

Research and development are also important. Big companies like Volkswagen and Pfizer have innovation labs in Berlin. The Science and Business Park in Adlershof is Germany's largest technology park. Berlin has become a center for new businesses and international investments in Europe.

Major Companies in Berlin

Many German and international companies have offices in Berlin. For years, Berlin has been known as a major city for starting new businesses. In 2015, Berlin got the most money for new startup companies in Europe.

The 10 largest employers in Berlin include the City-State of Berlin itself. Also, Deutsche Bahn (the railway company) and the hospital groups Charité and Vivantes. The German government, the public transport company BVG, Siemens, and Deutsche Telekom are also big employers.

Siemens has part of its headquarters in Berlin. Other big companies based in Berlin include Deutsche Wohnen (property) and Delivery Hero (food delivery). The national railway operator Deutsche Bahn and the publisher Axel Springer SE are also here. Companies like Zalando and HelloFresh have their main offices in Berlin. Large international companies with German or European headquarters in Berlin include Bombardier Transportation, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and Sony.

As of 2023, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, a large group of public banks, is based in Berlin. Mercedes-Benz Group makes cars, and BMW builds motorcycles in Berlin. In 2022, Tesla opened its first European factory near Berlin. Bayer and Berlin Chemie are major drug companies in the city.

Tourism and Events

Berlin had 788 hotels with 134,399 beds in 2014. The city had 28.7 million overnight stays and 11.9 million hotel guests in 2014. Tourism has more than doubled in the last ten years. Berlin is now the third most visited city in Europe. Some of the most visited places are Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, and Museum Island.

In 2015, Berlin was the top city for organizing international conferences. Many big trade fairs are held in Berlin every year. These include the electronics fair IFA and the Berlin Fashion Week. These events bring many business visitors to the city.

Creative Industries

The creative arts and entertainment business is a big part of Berlin's economy. This includes music, film, advertising, art, design, and fashion. It also covers performing arts, publishing, software, TV, radio, and video games.

In 2014, about 30,500 creative companies were in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. Most of these were small and medium-sized businesses. This industry made €15.6 billion in revenue. It grew by 5.5% per year from 2009 to 2014.

Berlin is an important center for the German film industry. It has over 1,000 film and TV production companies. About 300 international films are made here each year. The famous Babelsberg Studios are near Berlin in Potsdam. The European Film Academy is also based in Berlin.

Media in Berlin

Berlin is home to many magazine, newspaper, and book publishers. It also has many news agencies. Over 90 local daily newspapers and their websites are here. Many national publications also have offices in Berlin. This makes Berlin a key place for important discussions in Germany. Many international journalists and writers live and work in the city.

Berlin is a central place for TV and radio stations. The public broadcaster RBB is based here. Commercial broadcasters like MTV Europe also have offices. Most national German broadcasters have a studio in Berlin.

Berlin has the most daily newspapers in Germany. These include local papers like Berliner Morgenpost and Berliner Zeitung. There are also national papers like Die Welt. The Berliner is a monthly English-language magazine.

Major German publishing houses like Walter de Gruyter and Springer are based in Berlin. They publish books, magazines, and digital products.

Life in Berlin

In 2019, Berlin was ranked 13th in the world for quality of life. It was also ranked the 6th most livable city by Monocle magazine. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Berlin 21st for "livability." In 2019, Berlin was also named the city with the best future prospects in Germany.

Getting Around Berlin

Roads and Cycling

Berlin has many ways to get around. There are 979 bridges over 197 km (122 miles) of waterways. Berlin has 5,422 km (3,369 miles) of roads. About 77 km (48 miles) are highways (called Autobahn). The AVUS was the first road just for cars.

Berlin is famous for its great bicycle lane system. It's thought that Berlin has 710 bicycles for every 1,000 people. About 500,000 people ride bikes every day. This was 13% of all traffic in 2010.

Cyclists in Berlin have 620 km (385 miles) of bike paths. This includes special bike lanes on roads and shared paths. You can take your bike on trains, trams, and night buses if you buy a bike ticket.

Taxis and Trains

Taxis in Berlin are yellow or beige. In 2024, there were about 8,000 taxis. App-based taxi services are also available.

Long-distance train lines connect Berlin to all major German cities. Regional trains connect to Brandenburg and the Baltic Sea. The Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station) is Europe's largest train station with tracks on different levels. The Deutsche Bahn runs high-speed trains (ICE) to cities like Hamburg and Munich.

Water and Bus Transport

The Spree and Havel rivers flow through Berlin. Berlin's largest port, the Westhafen, is in the Moabit area. It's important for moving goods by water.

More and more intercity bus services are available. Berlin has over 10 bus stations for travel within the city. Buses to other parts of Germany and Europe leave from the Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin.

City Public Transport

The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) run Berlin's public transport.

System	Stations / Lines / Net length	Annual ridership	Operator / Notes
S-Bahn	166 / 16 / 331 km (206 mi)	431,000,000 (2016)	DB / Mostly above-ground train system.
U-Bahn	173 / 9 / 146 km (91 mi)	563,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Mostly underground train system. Runs 24 hours on weekends.
Tram	404 / 22 / 194 km (121 mi)	197,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Mostly runs in eastern parts of the city.
Bus	3227 / 198 / 1,675 km (1,041 mi)	440,000,000 (2017)	BVG / Many services in all areas. Has 62 night lines.
Ferry	6 lines		BVG / For transport and fun.

Berlin's public transport has a long history. It was complicated by the city's division in the 1900s. Since 1989, the network has grown a lot.

Airports in Berlin

Berlin has one main international airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). It's just outside Berlin's southeastern border. It opened in October 2020. It was built to replace the older Tegel and Schönefeld airports. BER plans to handle about 55 million passengers per year by 2040.

Before BER opened, Berlin used Tegel Airport and Schönefeld Airport. Both airports handled 29.5 million passengers in 2015. Tegel Airport was inside the city. Schönefeld Airport was at the same site as BER. Until 2008, Berlin also had Tempelhof Airport. It was close to the city center. Its grounds are now a city park.

Energy in Berlin

Berlin's two largest energy providers are Vattenfall and GASAG. They supply electricity and natural gas. Some of the city's electricity comes from power plants in nearby Brandenburg.

As of 2015, Berlin's largest power plants are Heizkraftwerk Reuter West and Heizkraftwerk Lichterfelde. Also, Heizkraftwerk Mitte, Heizkraftwerk Wilmersdorf, and Heizkraftwerk Charlottenburg. These plants make both electricity and heat.

In 1993, Berlin's power grid was updated. In most central areas, power lines are underground. Only some high-voltage lines are overhead. The Berlin 380-kV electric line is key to the city's energy system.

Communication in Berlin

Since 2017, Berlin uses the DVB-T2 standard for digital TV. This system sends digital audio, video, and other data.

Berlin has set up hundreds of free public Wi-Fi spots since 2016. Most are in central areas. There are 650 hotspots.

Mobile phone networks like Vodafone, T-Mobile, and O2 provide fast internet across the city.

Learning and Research in Berlin

Schools and Education

As of 2014, Berlin had 878 schools. These schools taught 340,658 students. The city has a 6-year primary school program. After primary school, students go to a comprehensive school or a college preparatory school. Berlin has a special program called Europaschule. Children learn in German and a foreign language from primary school.

The Französisches Gymnasium Berlin was founded in 1689. It teaches in German and French. The John F. Kennedy School is a German-American public school. It's popular with children of diplomats and English speakers.

Universities and Colleges

The Berlin-Brandenburg region is a major center for higher education and research. Historically, 67 Nobel Prize winners have been linked to Berlin universities.

The city has four public research universities. It also has over 30 private colleges. They offer many different subjects. In 2015/16, a record 175,651 students were enrolled. About 18% of them were international students.

The three largest universities have about 103,000 students combined. These are the Free University of Berlin (33,000 students), the Humboldt University of Berlin (35,000 students), and Technische Universität Berlin (35,000 students). The Charité Medical School has about 8,000 students. These four form the Berlin University Alliance.

Research in Berlin

Berlin has many famous research institutions. These include the Fraunhofer Society and the Max Planck Society. They are separate from the universities. In 2012, about 65,000 scientists worked in research and development in Berlin.

Berlin is a center for knowledge and innovation in Europe. The WISTA park in Berlin-Adlershof is a successful research and business area. It has over 1,000 companies and scientific groups.

Besides university libraries, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin is a big research library. It has two main locations. There are also 86 public libraries in the city. ResearchGate, a social network for scientists, is based in Berlin.

Berlin's Culture

Berlin is known for its many cultural places. Many of them are famous worldwide. The city's lively and diverse atmosphere has made it a trendsetting place. A new music, dance, and art scene has grown in the 2000s.

Young people, artists, and business owners from around the world have moved to Berlin. This has made it a popular entertainment center.

Universal Music Group moved its headquarters to Berlin. This shows the city's growing cultural importance. In 2005, UNESCO named Berlin a "City of Design."

Many German and international films have been shot in Berlin. These include M, Cabaret, Wings of Desire, and Good Bye, Lenin!.

Art Galleries and Museums

As of 2011, Berlin has 138 museums and over 400 art galleries. The buildings on Museum Island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are in the northern part of the Spree Island. The Altes Museum, Neues Museum (with the Nefertiti Bust), Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon Museum, and Bode Museum are all there.

Besides Museum Island, Berlin has many other museums. The Painting Gallery shows old master paintings. The Neue Nationalgalerie focuses on 20th-century European painting. The Hamburger Bahnhof has a big collection of modern art. The Deutsches Historisches Museum shows German history. The Bauhaus Archive is a museum of 20th-century design.

The Jewish Museum Berlin has an exhibit on German-Jewish history. The German Museum of Technology has many old technical items. The Museum für Naturkunde has the world's largest mounted dinosaur skeleton.

In Dahlem, there are museums of world art and culture. These include the Museum of Asian Art and the Ethnological Museum. The Stasi Museum is in Lichtenberg. It's on the grounds of the former East German secret police. The site of Checkpoint Charlie is also preserved. A private museum there shows how people tried to escape from East Berlin.

Berlin's streets have a lot of street art. This has become a big part of the city's culture. It started with graffiti in Kreuzberg in the 1980s. The Berlin Wall itself became one of the world's largest outdoor canvases. The part along the Spree River is now the East Side Gallery. Berlin is known as an important world city for street art.

Berlin has many galleries for modern art. These include KW Institute for Contemporary Art and KOW in Mitte.

Nightlife and Festivals

Berlin's nightlife is famous for being very diverse and lively. In the 1970s and 80s, the SO36 in Kreuzberg was a center for punk music. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many old buildings were taken over by young people. These became places for underground culture. Central areas have many nightclubs, like Watergate and Berghain.

Clubs don't have to close at a set time on weekends. Many parties last all night or even all weekend. Some places are popular for Neo-Burlesque shows.

Berlin has a long history of gay culture. It was a birthplace of the LGBT rights movement. Today, the city has many queer clubs and festivals. The most famous are Berlin Pride and the Lesbian and Gay City Festival.

The annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) is huge. About 500,000 people attend it. The Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) is a street parade with many different cultures. It happens every Pentecost weekend. Berlin is also known for the Berliner Festspiele cultural festival. This includes the JazzFest Berlin.

Every year, Berlin hosts one of the world's largest New Year's Eve parties. Over a million people attend. The main spot is the Brandenburg Gate. People often toast the New Year with sparkling wine.

Performing Arts

Berlin has 44 theaters and stages. The Deutsches Theater was built in 1849–50. The Volksbühne was built in 1913–14. The Berliner Ensemble is famous for performing plays by Bertolt Brecht. The Schaubühne was founded in 1962. The Friedrichstadt-Palast is Europe's largest show palace. It has 1,895 seats.

Berlin has three major opera houses: the Deutsche Oper, the Berlin State Opera, and the Komische Oper. The Berlin State Opera is the oldest, opened in 1742. Its music director is Daniel Barenboim. The Komische Oper specializes in operettas. The Deutsche Oper opened in 1912.

The main places for musical theater are the Theater am Potsdamer Platz and Theater des Westens. Contemporary dance can be seen at the Radialsystem V. The Tempodrom hosts concerts and circus-like shows. The Admiralspalast has variety and music events.

There are seven symphony orchestras in Berlin. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the best in the world. It is in the Berliner Philharmonie. Kirill Petrenko is its main conductor. The Konzerthausorchester Berlin was founded in 1952. The Kookaburra and Quatsch Comedy Club are known for comedy. In 2018, The New York Times called Berlin the "world capital of underground electronic music."

Berlin's Food

Berlin's food and restaurants are very diverse. 23 restaurants in Berlin have received Michelin stars. This makes Berlin top in Germany for these awards. Berlin is known for its vegetarian and vegan food. It has a new food scene with global flavors. There are also local and sustainable ingredients, street food markets, and food festivals.

Many local foods come from north German traditions. These include hearty dishes with pork, fish, peas, beans, and potatoes. Popular street food includes Currywurst and Berliner donuts. German bakeries offer many breads and pastries. One of Europe's largest food markets is at KaDeWe.

Berlin also has many restaurants from different cultures. Turkish and Arab immigrants brought their foods, like lahmajoun and falafel. The modern fast-food version of the doner kebab was created in Berlin. It is now a favorite dish in Germany and worldwide. You can find Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, and Greek restaurants.

Fun and Recreation

The Berlin Zoo was founded in 1844. It is the most visited zoo in Europe. It has the most different types of animals in the world. The famous polar bear Knut lived there. Berlin's other zoo is Tierpark Friedrichsfelde.

Berlin's Botanical Garden is one of the largest in the world. It has about 22,000 different plant species. Other gardens include the Britzer Garten and the Gardens of the World.

The Tiergarten park is one of Berlin's largest and most popular parks. It's in the center of the city. In Kreuzberg, Viktoriapark offers views over southern Berlin. Treptower Park has a large Soviet War Memorial. The Volkspark in Friedrichshain is the oldest park in the city. Tempelhofer Feld, the former city airport, is the world's largest inner-city open space.

Potsdam is just southwest of Berlin. It was once home to Prussian kings. The area around Potsdam is known for its lakes and cultural sites. The Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin are Germany's largest World Heritage Site.

Berlin is also known for its many cafés, street musicians, and beach bars along the Spree River. There are also flea markets and unique shops.

Sports in Berlin

Berlin is a popular city for big international sports events. It hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics. It was also the host city for the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. The World Athletics Championships were held at the Olympiastadion in 2009 and will be again in 2025. Berlin hosted the Euroleague Final Four basketball competition in 2009 and 2016. In 2015, Berlin was the place for the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final.

Berlin hosted the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games. This was the first time Germany hosted these games.

The annual Berlin Marathon is a well-known running event. The Mellowpark in Köpenick is one of Europe's biggest skate and BMX parks. A fan fest at Brandenburg Gate is popular during big football games.

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, known as the "father of modern gymnastics," invented many gymnastics tools in Berlin around 1811. In 2013, about 600,000 Berliners were part of over 2,300 sports clubs. Berlin has over 60 public swimming pools. Berlin is Germany's largest Olympic training center. Many top athletes train here.

Several professional sports teams are based in Berlin. The oldest and most popular football team is Hertha BSC. Other professional teams include:

Club(s)	Sport(s)	Founded	League(s)	Venue(s)
1. FC Union Berlin	Football	1966	Bundesliga	Stadion An der Alten Försterei
Hertha BSC	Football	1892	2. Bundesliga	Olympiastadion
ALBA Berlin	Basketball	1991	BBL	Uber Arena
Berlin Thunder	American football	2021	ELF	Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark
Eisbären Berlin	Ice hockey	1954	DEL	Uber Arena
Füchse Berlin	Handball	1891	HBL	Max-Schmeling-Halle
Berlin Recycling Volleys	Volleyball	1991	Bundesliga	Max-Schmeling-Halle
Berliner Hockey Club	Lacrosse	2005	Bundesliga	Ernst-Reuter-Feld

Images for kids

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  View from Pariser Platz in June 1945, after the Battle of Berlin.

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  Berlin in ruins after World War II (Potsdamer Platz, 1945).

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  US and Soviet tanks face each other at Checkpoint Charlie in 1961.

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  The Berlin Wall divided the city from 1961 to 1989.

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  The Berlin Wall bordered East Berlin and West Berlin in 1983.

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  The fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989.

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  German reunification on 3 October 1990.

See also

In Spanish: Berlín para niños