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Showing posts from January, 2016

Berlin - the capital of world records

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Berlin is not only the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, but also the capital of world records. In Berlin you will find the tallest building in Germany, the fastest elevator in Europe and  other superlatives . The East Side Gallery and the KaDeWe The longest surviving piece of the Berlin Wall , and at the same time the longest open air gallery in the world   is the East Side Gallery. It is 1.5 km long and lies between Ostbahnhof and Warschauer Straße. S5, S7, S75 (Ostbahnhof) U1(Warschauer Straße)                          The East Side Gallery at the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall  The KaDeWe (short for KaDeWe) is the largest department store in Europe. It was opened in 1907. U1, U2, U3 (Wittenbergplatz) Fernsehturm und Kollhoff Tower   The tallest building in Germany is the  Fernsehturm ( Television Tower) at Alexanderplatz. It was built in 1969 and is 368 meters high. You can take a ride on the fastest elevator in E

Berlin's Top Sghts - Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum)

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Forget your history books! If you want to learn about Germany's history I recommend you to visit the Deutsches Historisches Museum. A walk through this museum is a walk through German history from early Germanic tribes on to present times. It is also a walk through European history. Important European events are shown here too. Of course, there is a large section dealing with the two World Wars. You can also learn about the German language.The Deutsches Historisches Museum has thousands of artefacts, including pictures, portraits, documents, certificates and unusual things. My favorite is the baby bottle from 1830 ! In addition to the permanent exhibitions are also special exhibitions to different themes. The impressive building itself is worth to study in detail. It is the oldest building on Unter den Linden. Build from 1695 onwards it served as an armoury for a long time. Don't miss to look at the sculptures "The dying warriors " at the fr

Berlin's streets and squares - what is the meaning of their names?

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Unter den Linden, Kurfürstendamm and Alexanderplatz; these streets and squares are well known even outside of Berlin. But after whom are the streets and squares named and what is their story? Unter den Linden This boulevard got its name from the lime trees that have been planted there. In 1647 the Great Elector planted on a former bridle path, which led from the castle to the Tiergarten, walnut and lime trees. The walnut trees died within a short time, but the lime trees still exist. Friedrichstrasse This popular street was named after Friedrich (English Frederick) King in Prussia (1657-1713). After the death of his father, the Great Elector, Frederick became in 1688 Elector of Brandenburg. In 1701 he crowned himself as Friedrich I. King in Prussia. Friedrichstraße Alexanderplatz The former cattle - and wool market got its name during a Berlin visit of the Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1805. Alexander I was a favorite of Queen Luise and an ally agai