The Haus der Kulturen der Welt (“House of the World’s Cultures”) in Berlin is Germany’s national centre for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies. It presents art exhibitions, theater and dance performances, concerts, author readings, films and academic conferences on Visual Art and culture. It is one of the few institutions which, due to their national and international standing and the quality of their work, receive funding from the federal government as so-called “lighthouses of culture.” read more…
The start-up scene in Berlin continues to win in importance and dynamics this year. However, London, by the number and the total investment of all start-ups, remains unchallenged EU front runner, but the gap is getting smaller. Between both cities are the ranks 2nd – 6th with Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, Kopenhagen und Paris. A clear disadvantage of Berlin is currently the for the start-up scene rather slow digital infrastructure, which shall be expanded considerably in the coming years to meet the requirements. Here, the city can still learn from London and the start-up capital of the world New York. But Berlin is in particularly interesting, when it comes to the soft factors and in this point is clearly better positioned than London. read more…
Potsdamer Platz (literally Potsdam Square) is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, lying about 1 km (1,100 yd) south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (German Parliament Building), and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park. It is named after the city of Potsdam, some 25 km (16 mi) to the south west, and marks the point where the old road from Potsdam passed through the city wall of Berlin at the Potsdam Gate. After developing within the space of little over a century from an intersection of rural thoroughfares into the most bustling traffic intersection in Europe, it was totally laid waste during World War II and then left desolate during the Cold War era when the Berlin Wall bisected its former location. Since German reunification, Potsdamer Platz has been the site of major redevelopment projects. After the initial opening of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, Potsdamer Platz became one of the earliest locations where the Wall was “breached” to create a new border crossing between East and West Berlin. The crossing began operating on 11 November 1989, earlier than the iconic Brandenburg Gate crossing which opened more than a month later. The crossing required the dismantling of both the inner and outer walls and the clearance of the death zone or no man’s land between the two. A temporary road, lined with barriers, was created across this zone and checkpoints were set up just inside East German territory. Proper dismantling of the entire wall began on 15 May 1990 and all border checks were abolished on 1 July 1990 as East Germany joined West Germany in a currency union. On 21 July 1990, ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters staged a gigantic charity concert of his former band’s rock extravaganza The Wall to commemorate the end of the division between East and West Germany. The concert took place at Potsdamer Platz – specifically an area of the former no man’s land just to the north of the Reich Chancellery site, and featured many guest superstars. read more…
The German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum), DHM for short, is a museum in Berlin devoted to German history and defines itself as a place of enlightenment and understanding of the shared history of Germans and Europeans. It is often viewed as one of the most important museums in Berlin and is one of the most frequented. The museum is located in the Zeughaus (armoury) on the avenue Unter den Linden as well as in the adjacent Exhibition Hall designed by I. M. Pei. The German Historical Museum is under the legal form of a foundation registered by the Federal Republic of Germany. Its highest-ranking body is the Board of Trustees (Kuratorium) with representatives of the Federal Government, the German Bundestag (Parliament) and the governments of the German Länder, or states. Founded in 2009 to establish a centre for the remembrance and documentation of flight and expulsion, the Stiftung Flucht, Vertreibung, Versöhnung (Foundation Flight, Expulsion, Reconciliation) is under the aegis of the German Historical Museum. read more…
The Berliner Philharmonie is a concert hall in Berlin. Home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the building is acclaimed for both its acoustics and its architecture. Actually a two-venue facility with connecting lobby, the Philharmonie comprises a Großer Saal of 2,440 seats for orchestral concerts and a chamber-music hall, the Kammermusiksaal, of 1,180 seats. Though conceived together, the smaller venue was added only in the 1980s. read more…
Heiliger See (English: Holy Lake) is a lake within the city limits of Potsdam, located northeast of the city center and bordering the historic park known as the New Garden. Together with the lakes Sacrower See and Groß Glienicker See to the north it forms a chain of lakes resulting from a glacial tunnel valley. The lake is 1.33 km long and 300 metres wide on average. read more…
The heart of the heart – the Leipziger Platz project area is located precisely in the heart of this dynamic metropolis. This highly prominent location in the city of Berlin is absolutely unique and offers huge potential. Because of the proximity to Potsdamer Platz and Sony Center, which are already extremely well visited locations, an extremely high volume of visitors is always ensured. This means that Leipziger and Potsdamer Platz combined will form the shopping centre of Berlin and will become a tourist highlight and a mecca for fashion and lifestyle. read more…
Alexandrowka is the Russian Colony in the north of Potsdam. It consists of thirteen wooden houses in Russian style, which were built between 1826 and 1827 on special wish of the former Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm III. Originally the colony was the home of the Russian singers of the First Prussian Regiment of the Guards. The blockhouses are surrounded by generous gardens. In the north of the colony the Kapellenberg borders, a hill on which the Alexander-Newski-Church was especially constructed for the Russian colonists. read more…
The Zeughaus (old Arsenal) in Berlin is the oldest structure at Unter den Linden. It was built by the Brandenburg Elector Frederick III between 1695 and 1730 in the baroque style, to be used as an artillery arsenal for the display of cannons from Brandenburg and Prussia. read more…
