City of berlin
City of berlinGuten tag und wilkommmen zum Berlin Stadtrunfahrt. We will start our tour of Berlin with a brief history of the city. Berlin developed as a trading village in about 1200 AD. It's location at the junction on the Spree and Havel rivers helped to establish its importance. In the 1600's it became the capital of Prussia. Berlin's worst period began with Adolf Hitler's rise to power with the Nazi Party in 1933. During World War II in 1939 to 1945, Germany fought England, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Berlin was ruined by the bombings. Germany was defeated in 1945 and the peace treaty divided the nation into Communists East Germany and non-Communist West Germany. Berlin was also divided. A 103-mile wall surround West Berlin. It was made of concrete, wasw12 feet high and was white so that anyone trying to climb it would be clearly visible. In 1989 the East German government collapsed and the wall was knocked down. In 1990, East and West Germany re-united.
The population of Berlin is three and a half million, it covers an area of 341 square miles.
We are traveling down the Kurfurstendam, also known as the Ku-damm, which as you can see is lined with hotels, cafes, shops, art galleries, cinemas and restaurants. The Ku-damm is the heart of what was formerly West Berlin. It is always pleasurable to stroll along it, day or night, or to sit at one of the many sidewalk cafes and watch the passers-by. Sidewalk musicians, comedians and mines are a constant source of entertainment as they earn a few marks for their performances.
At the East End of the Ku-damm we see the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The bombed-out tower was left as a remembrance of the tragedy of war. The modern church and bell towers were built on either side of it.
If you look to your left, you'll see the Tiergarten, a former royal hunting ground. It is now a large park replanted with trees, having many walking paths. The 2120-foot high Victory Column in the park commemorates the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. If you're willing and able to climb it's 285 steps, the view of the Brandenburg Gate is worth the effort.
On your right you'll see the Reichstag, Platz der Republic which was built in...
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