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History & Evolution
The name Berlin officially came into picture in the 13th Century. Berlin was of huge importance due to its proximity with the Spree and Havel rivers. In 1415, Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Berlin became the capital of the margraviate under the leadership of his successor Frederick II. The Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648 had devastating consequences for Berlin. A third of the houses were damaged and the city lost half of its population. With the coronation of Frederick I in 1701 as king, Berlin became the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1740 Frederick II came to power.

Berlin became, under the rule of the philosophically-oriented Frederick II, a center of the Enlightenment. Following France's victory in the War of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte marched into Berlin in 1806, but granted self-government to the city. In 1815 the city became part of the new Province of Brandenburg. The Industrial Revolution transformed Berlin during the 19th century and the city's economy and population expanded dramatically. Berlin became the main rail hub and economic center of Germany. Additional suburbs soon developed and increased the area and population of Berlin. In 1861, outlying suburbs including Wedding, Moabit, and several others were incorporated into Berlin. In 1871, Berlin became capital of the newly founded German Empire. On 1 April 1881 it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.

At the end of the First World War in 1918, the Weimar Republic was proclaimed in Berlin. Adolf Hitler came to power in the year 1933. A major landmark in the history of Berlin has been the division of Berlin in two parts, one occupied by the Western Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) which was known as West Berlin and other occupied by Soviet Union which was known as East Berlin. The founding of the two German states increased Cold War tensions. West Berlin was surrounded by East German territory. East Germany, however, proclaimed East Berlin (which it described only as "Berlin") as its capital, a move that was not recognized by the Western powers. Although half the size and population of West Berlin, it included most of the historic center of the city. The tensions between east and west culminated in the construction of the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin. On 3 October 1990 the two parts of Germany were reunified as the Federal Republic of Germany, and Berlin became the German capital according to the unification treaty. I

Site-Seeing
The city of Berlin has a very long history. The city despite of its rapid economic growth and modernization has manged to preserve some of the most historically rich sites.

Berlin Wall Memorial:
The monument is a gigantic monument that is a witness to the rich history of the City. The inscription on the outside, declaring it a monument to the victims of the "communist reign of violence", has sparked emotional debates and angered many local residents. The documentation center across the street on Bernauer Straße is excellent although most of the documentation is in German. The viewing platform gives you a tiny hint of the true scale of the Wall and how terrifying the "no man's land" between the two sections of walls must have been. When the documentation center is closed, both walls can be visited. There is some space between the concrete plates which allow you to look at the area between the walls. There are also several small holes.

Location: Oberbaumbrucke

Museumsinsel:
Also known as the Museum Island this area is best known for the vast Pergamon-Museum, which houses an extensive collection of ancient Greek, ancient Middle-Eastern and Islamic art and architecture. The site is home to various world class museums. Other museums which belong to the Museum Island are the Altes Museum (with the Egyptian and the antique collection), the Alte Nationalgalerie (with mainly German paintings of the 19th century) and the reopened Bode-Museum with its fantastically presented sculpture collection and Byzantine art. The Neues Museum is under restoration and will open in 2009, it will harbour the Egyptian collection then.

Location: Museum Island

Zoologischer Garten Berlin:
The Zoologischer Garten Berlin (Berlin Zoological Garden) is the oldest and internationally most well known zoo in Germany. It was opened way back in 1844 and covers the area of 35 hectares. The Garden is located in Tiergarten. The Zoologischer Garten Berlin houses around 14000 species of animal in their natural habitat. The Zoologischer Garten Berlin is considered to be the most visited zoo in Europe. The place is also one of the most popular site worldwide. Several globally known animals like Knut, the polar bear or Bao Bao, the Giant Panda can be seen in the zoo.

The Zoologischer Garten Berlin is closely collaborating on scientific fields with a large number of universities, research institutes, and other zoos around the world. It maintains and promotes numerous European breeding programmes and safeguards several endangered species. A number of species kept at the zoo are regularly returned to the wild after years in intensive human care.

Location: Tiergarten

Treptower Park:
Treptower Park is a park along the river Spree in Treptow. The park is a major tourist attraction and is visited by tourists from all over the world. The park has an amusement park located in its premises. The amusement park known as Spree park is one of the most visited picnic spot for tourists. The other attraction of the Treptower park is the Soviet War Memorial (sometimes translated as the "Soviet Cenotaph") which was built to commemorate the 20,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945. It was opened four years after the war ended on May 8, 1949.

Location: Treptow