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Seventeen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city
of Berlin will be the host city for the World Cup.
Soccer fans from the world over will converge to this stupendous
city that symbolizes peace and freedom. The city of Berlin
has this dubious distinction of being divided and then again
reunited.
During medieval era there were two distinct settlements
which came up along the Spree, between the villages of Köpenick
and Spandau. Berlin was built on the northern bank of the
river while the city of Cölln came up on an island. In
the year1432 both the cities Berlin and Cölln were merged
into a single municipality.
But somehow the merger did not
last long and the two cities were again divided in the year
1709.
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At first Berlin became the capital of Brandenburg, after
that it became the capital of erstwhile Prussia and in the
year 1871 Berlin became the capital of German Reich under
Bismarck. Very soon, Berlin became Germany's industrial and
cultural hub. The city also witnessed the brutality of Nazi
Germany during the Second World War. Large areas of the city
were destroyed. After the war Berlin was again divided and
the Berlin Wall was built in 1961.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a major landmark
in the history of Europe and the world at large and this herculean
task was achieved through perfectly peaceful demonstrations
by the people of Germany. A year later Germany was reunited
and a resolution was passed in 1991 which made Berlin the
capital of Germany.
Berlin is renowned for its museums which are a virtual treasure
trove of artefacts. One of Berlin's most enduring museum is
the 'Museum Island', which has been declared as a world cultural
heritage site and is well worth a visit. The museums are conspicuous
by their rich collection of archeological artefacts and 19th
century art. On display at the museums are the Pergamon Altar,
the bust of Nofretete, as well as rare work of arts from luminaries
like Giotto, Picasso and company. The museums also have private
collections of art work belonging to distinguished artists
of the stature of Heinz Berggruen, Erich Marx, and Friedrich
Christian Flick.
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As a city Berlin has carved a niche for itself as a melting
pot of international art and new Galleries have come up in
Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, and Friedrichshain neighbrhood. Apart
from a thriving art scene a bewildering array of cultural
programmes are held year round for the entertainment of visitors
to Germany.
Some of the major annual events include the Love
Parade, Christopher Street Day and the Carnival of Cultures
all of which are celebrated with great pomp and grandeur.
Not only is Berlin an artistic and cultural city. It is also
a sporting hub. If statistics are any indicators, there are
approximately 1, 900 sporting clubs in Berlin alone. Berlin
offers some of the best sporting facilities which are spread
out across the city. |
Some of the most popular sporting events
which are held annualy in Berlin are the Berlin Marathon,
the ISTAF international track meet, the Six Day track cycling
competition in the state-of-the-art Velodrom and of course
the German International Women's Tennis Championship at Steffi
Graf Stadium.
Travour provides information on Berlin Germany and online
booking for tours to Berlin Germany for the FIFA World Cup.
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