Indian Chief Travel Guides

A Brief History of Berlin

1237 – First written reference to Berlin.

1411 – The Hohenzollern family awarded the Margrave of Brandenburg. Soon after erected the Stadtschloss (City Castle) in Berlin as the principle residence of the family until the forced abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.

1618-1648 – Thirty Years’ War. Berlin reduced to an insignificant town of 6,000 inhabitants.

1701 – Brandenburg and Prussia united as the Kingdom of Prussia.

1740-86 – Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) established Prussia as the fifth European power. Fought the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War. Built Sanssouci and Neues Palais in Potsdam.

1800 – Berlin, with 200,000 inhabitants, became the third-largest city in Europe.

1871 – Berlin became the capital of a united German Empire.

1945 – The “eyeless city,” 75% of central Berlin destroyed during World War II. Berlin, an island in Soviet-occupied East Germany, divided into four sectors of occupation.

1948-9 – Berlin Blockade: the Soviet Union blocked Western road access to Berlin. West Berlin supplied via air bridge.

1949 – West Berlin became part of West Germany; East Berlin became capital of communist East Germany.

1961 – East Germany erected the Berlin Wall to prevent citizens fleeing to the richer West Berlin.

1963 – President JF Kennedy proclaimed “Ich bin ein Berliner!”

1989 – On November 9, the East-West border opened and East Germans streamed into West Berlin.

1990 – On October 3, Germany reunited.

1999 – Berlin resumed its role as German capital.