Berlin Cityscape (S)

Berlin developed from the early 13th century on the banks of the river Spree. It became the capital of the princes of Brandenburg and expanded as their influence in Europe grew. The city gained a Baroque appearance with broad avenues, such as Wilhelmstrasse and Friedrichstrasse, handsome squares and grand buildings. The destruction during WWII was followed by the construction of modern apartment and office buildings. There has been much effort to blend old and new as can be seen in the restored Reichstag building. This and the surrounding area have become the seat of national government. Berlin's many buildings representing the styles of the Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism, Grunderjahre (1871-90), and the Wilhelminian era, of Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, postwar Modernism, and Postmodernism, and of the periods of socialist state architecture make the city a rich source for the study of 18th- to 20th-century architecture. Berlin is surprisingly green with many trees lining the streets, the Tiergarten park just west of the Brandenburg Gate and the river Spree running through the centre of the city. This 3d map of Berlin, at a scale of 1:5000, is centred on the intersection of the River Spree and Friedrichstrasse.