Otto von Bismarck

Berlin was first formed around 1200 as two cities, Berlin and Cölln, only uniting in 1307. Not much is left today of these old communities, although some remainders can be seen in the Nikolaiviertel near the town hall.

Bismarck to Hitler
After having been the residence of the Prussian kings, Berlin didn't really grow a lot until the 19th century. In 1871, with Otto von Bismarck as Prussian Prime Minister, the city became the capital of the German Empire. It remained Germany's capital during the Weimar Republic years (1919-33) and under the Nazis (1933-45).

Post War Berlin
After the War the city was split in two. East Berlin became the capital of East Germany (or the German Democratic Republic), while West Germany (the Federal Republic) had its capital in Bonn.

An island of the western world within the communist east, West Berlin was a focal point for the two blocks of the of the Cold War. From June 1948 to May 1949, over quarter of a million flights with food and provisions were made into West Berlin to keep the city alive during the Berlin Blockade imposed by the Soviet Union.

The Wall

The Berlin Wall, courtesy Wikipedia

Later, on 13th August 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed by the Soviets, creating a physical division between the two halves of the city.

The wall fell on 9th November 1989. By the time that Germany was formally reunified in 1990, the Wall had almost completely vanished (although some short sections remain as reminders).

Power returns to Berlin
In 1991, after a close vote in the German parliament (337 votes to 320), it was decided to move the seat of government from Bonn back to Berlin. This took formal effect in the autumn of 1999.