Berlin Case

Running head: Berlin

Topic: Berlin

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Berlin

Berlin is one of those cities that have a long history behind them. Most of the history is dark but they have managed to rise above them to become the world's success stories in the 21st century. After being completely destroyed in the Second World War, Berlin was able to rise again to become one of the world's largest cities.

Berlin is the capital city of Germany. With a population of over 3.5 million people, it is one of the largest cities in Germany, as well as being the eighth most populous cities in the European Union. Located in Northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, playing host to over 4 million people from more than 190 nations (Flickinger, p71). A considerable part of the city's landscape is occupied by forests, lakes, rivers, gardens and parks. It is one of the picturesque metropolitan areas in the world.

The architecture of Berlin is one that is heavily endowed with history of the city in particular and Germany as a whole. However, most of the structures in Berlin are ultra-modern and boasting of the highest degree of the state of the art architecture. The most notable structures include the Fernsehturm, otherwise known as the TV Tower. It is the tallest building in the European Union and it is visible from all states of Germany. One can be able to view the city's landscape atop its observation floor which rises to a height of 204 meters.

From the TV Tower starts the Karl-Marx-Allee which heads east and is surrounded by monumental residential buildings set in the Socialist Classicism style of the Stalin era. Next to this is the unmistakable red-brick architecture of the City Hall, otherwise refereed to as Rotes Rathaus. In front of the city hall, there is a fountain evincing the ancient mythologies of Tritons, the personifications of the four Prussian rivers and Neptune above it. The fountain is known as Neptunbrunnen.

Another important piece of exquisite architecture is the Brandenburg Gate which is also considered a major landmark in Germany. It is for this reason that it features on the Euro coins. Then there is the Reichstag Buildings that house the German parliament. These buildings were in ruins after the devastating Second World War but have been renovated and turned into modern structures fit for government use.

Other notable structures include the Schloss Charlottenburg. This is the largest existing palace in Berlin. There is also the Funkturm Berlin, a 150 meter tall radio tower built around 1920. It has a restaurant and an observation deck set 126 meters above the ground level. The deck can be accessed by a windowed elevator. To complete the picture, the Schloss Bellevue which is the President's Palace, is set on the west of the center of Berlin.

Generally, the city has undergone a transformation, especially after it was ravaged by the Second World War. Most of the buildings have been either renovated or redesigned a new, turning the city into one of the most modernized urban centers in the world. It is served by an efficient network of transport and communication services, mainly road and air transport. It has well-developed and maintained roads and a number of airports providing flights to most parts of the world.

The war, famously referred to as the Battle of Berlin, had a great impact on the growth of the Berlin city. The Soviet Union's Red Army attacked Berlin from the east and south, while another battalion overran the Germany army from the north. The battle lasted fro almost two weeks.

However, it is not only the infrastructure that bore the full brunt of the war. Before