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GeneralSchöne Informationberg GeneralS cInformationhöneberg Contents Contents 1 GeneralSchöne Informationberg GeneralS cInformationhöneberg 2 Berlin Tube Map 3 GeneralSchöne Informationberg GeneralS cInformationhöneberg 4 History History Berlin from 1237-1900 In tracing back a few hundred years, that, by the mid-fourteenth century, Enlightenment. Prussia’s third king, it is possible to see how this came had become the most important Friedrich the Great, transformed Berlin is a name which conjures many to be. Geographically speaking, trading town in Brandenburg, with Prussia - with Berlin as its capital - images: a city at the centre of warwar, a, a Berlin came into existence as an its own City Council and Stadtbuch. into an enlightened, politically and conflicted and divided city. A city, if insignificant trade town situated economically strong and religiously By the time of the Reformation, you will, on the extremes. in between the two older towns of tolerant state. Berlin had become an important Spandau and Cölln. This central Having been the axis of so much of German town in its own right, position worked to Berlin’Berlin’ss favour as the world’s recent history, it might particularly special to many being it continued to grow and enveloped be easy to assume that this was all one of the first cities in Europe to both other towns within its own that Berlin had to offer in terms of embrace Lutheranism. Because of boundaries. historical interest. But this is not so.so. this, many French Huguenots fled It has been said of Berlin that it is the Though Berlin can only date its own to Berlin bringing with them their centre of Germany just as Germany foundation from the first extant intellectuaintellectuall and industrial talents. is the centre of Europe. mention of Cölln in 1237, it was Berlin Even today, though the name “Huguenot” has become largely insignificant in modern-day Europe, this relationship between French Protestants and Berlin is still celebrated in Mitte’s Gendarmenmarkt.. Here the Französicher Dom andand thethe Deutscher Dom, mirroring each other in design, are monuments to hadthe forgreat each respect other. these Despite two the groups years Even defeats in the Thirty Years War between Napoleon’s invasion of failed to completely destroy Prussia’s Brandenburg and the Cold War, when supremacy. This in time transformed Franco-German relations were at a the Hohenzollern dynasty into one of very low ebb, it is nice to see these the greatest in Europe, related by two rivals still facing each other in marriage to most of the great houses friendship in the Gendarmenmarkt.. on the continent. Not only a trend-setter in religion, This strength, nobility and stature Berlin became a leader in the were, along with the talents of 5 GeneralSchöne Informationberg GeneralS cInformationhöneberg 6 History History Otto von Bismarck, one of the main Jewish people of Berlin successfully Philosopher and scholar Moses In the Weimer years (1919-1933) reasons why Berlin and its monarchy engaged in money lending and Mendelssohn arrived in Berlin in Jewish citizens of Germany and Berlin became the head of the newly unified petty trade. They were confined 1743, and urged Jews to integrate enjoyed unprecedented levels of Germany. to living in a ghetto in the Grosser into secular society and by 1778 these freedom, with plays by Max Reinhardt Judenhof (Jew’s Court) area, and on enlightened ideas found expression taking the stage, Jewish composers Despite the later failures of this Judenstrasse (Jew Street). in the Jüdische Freischule (Jewish including Arnold Schoenberg’s works system in the early years of the Free School) that combined religious being performed, Max Liebermann 20th century, this age of a strong Following the devastation of the learning with general education. and Lesser Ury creating beautiful and enlightened German Empire, Thirty Years’ War and in an attempt paintings and musicians such as the led from Berlin, remained in the to achieve an economic upswing by Though the 1812 Emancipation Comedian Harmonists at the height European psyche for many years. increasing population, the Great Edict that declared Jewish people of popularity. The Jewish population Elector Friedrich Wilhelm allowed 50 equal citizens was in the most continued to grow and by 1933 prosperous Jewish families that were part quickly retracted, there was 160,000 Jews called Berlin home. Jewish History of Berlin expelled from Vienna to settle in the a general loosening on Prussia’s The history of the Jewish community wereBrandenburg permitted region to stayin 1671. under They the itsrestrictions Jewish population. and growing By equality 1869 thefor onAt thethe samerise and time the anti-Semitism years leading was up is plagued by episodic persecution, condition that they pay an annual new North German Confederation to the ascendance of Nazi power saw Jews often being used as a scapegoat protection fee, engage in only passed a law on the equal rights of increasing attacks on members of the for economic and social woes. certain businesses and worship only religious confession Jewish community. State- By 1295 Jewish people in Berlin were in their own homes. Finally, a Jewish and declared the backed persecution barred from many professions and community of Berlin was officially emancipation of ensued after the effectively forbidden to become founded. Jewish people Nazis took power in within its territory 1933, and with the members of the artisan guilds. Despite suffering restrictions on and by 1871 German 1935 Nüremberger religion, residence and family size Throughout the 14th to 16th centuries Jews had equal Gesetze (Nuremberg Jews were expelled from Berlin and as well as extra taxes, the Jewish let back in time and again, accused population of Berlin grew and by fewrights. years Withinmembers aa citizensLaws) theof GermanyJewish 1700 the city’s Jewish slums had of acts such as the rampant plague of the Jewish were effectively approximately 1,000 residents. InIn in Berlin and Brandenburg, which community rose to deprived of social and 1714 the first synagogue of Berlin was had been sweeping across Europe; prominence in government, many economic rights via the introduction dedicated. As excellent merchants and host desecration; which meant as close advisors to the Kaiser. By of apartheid-like classifications of and bankers, by halfway through the that Berlin had virtually no Jewish the turn of the century, there were “racial purity”. 18th century the Jewish community community for a century. more than 110,000 Jews in Berlin, totaled close to 2,000 and they had Between 1933 and 1939 Jewish comprising more than 5% of the total Between expulsions and being become among the richest people in community life increased as Jewish population. banned from most other trades, the Berlin. citizens were forced to send their 7 GeneralSchöne Informationberg GeneralS cInformationhöneberg 8 History History children to segregated schools and This night is known as citizens were banned from public and even by 1988 the East German forbidden from interacting with Reichskristallnacht – Night of Broken transport, their food rations Jewish community had less than 200 non-Jews. Those who could see ththee Glass, a nationwide attack on the were reduced and thousands members. writing on the wall and had money Jewish people that resulted in the were deported, mostly to the In West Berlin, the German Jewish escaped while they could, though death of 36 of Berlin’s Jews, many Theresienstadt and Auschwitz community had about 6,000 even such escape was a limited were beaten on the streets while concentration camps. members, constituting opportunity, as other European passers-by looked on; the destruction By the end of the war, the largest Jewish countries, the US and Palestine all of 23 synagogues and the wrecking of Hitler’s mass genocide community in Germany. restricted Jewish immigration. hundreds of shops and businesses. had reduced Berlin’s After the two Berlin German Jewish citizens were then In retaliation for the assassination Jewish population by Jewish communities required to pay one million marks to of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath, around 96 per cent to were reunited with the repair the damages. who was killed by a 17-year-old about 6,500. Survivors fall of the Berlin Wall, Polish-Jew, Herschel Grynsypan, the By 1941 it was compulsory for Jewish managed to escape the federal government GoebbelsReich Minister called of Propagandafor a nationwide Joseph times,citizens and to thewear first a massyellow deportations star at all beingdeath hiddenoften by throughgentile forapproved Jews from refugee the former status pogrom on November 9th 1938. from Berlin marked the beginning of families at great Soviet Union and since the systematic large-scale genocide personal risk or by then over 50,000 Jewish of German JeJews.ws. Before the end of evading final round-ups people have immigrated the war over 55,000 Jewish residents through legal conditions to Germany, with Berlin of Berlin were deported. such as irreplaceable more than doubling its skills vital to the war congregation members In January 1941 the Wannsee effort or being married to a non-Jew. to over 12,000. Conference resolved and planned the Only about 2,000 returned from the so-called Endlösung der Judenfrage Since reunification several steps concentratconcentrationion camps. (Final Solution to the Jewish have been taken to preserve Jewish Question) – the removal of all Jews In 1946 the Jewish community was history including the opening of the to the East and, implicitly, their officially recognized again as a Jewish Museum and the decision by extermination. The Final Solution public body, and a large number of the German Bundestag to erect the began to be put into effect, and Eastern European Jews immigrated Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden life for the Jewish citizens in Berlin to Berlin.

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