LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Berlin: West Berlin
built 628 days ago
One of the most recognizable sights in the western part of Berlin today is the spire of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächniskirche (Memorial Church). This view shows the church in the early 1900s. The church was severely damaged during the many bombing attacks on the city.The ruins of the spire and transept were left as a memorial to the victims of World War II. (author's collection)
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A sleek new five star hotel with a tapering 17 storey limestone exterior, the Hotel Concorde Berlin is centrally located just off the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm in the heart of the City West. It is opposite the Kranzler Eck, only 100 metres from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and within walking distance of the Zoologischer Garten. Designed inside and out by renowned Berlin architect Jan Kleihues, the Hotel Concorde Berlin is characterised by elegant, understated design. The simple, minimalist interiors are enhanced by sophisticated lighting, warm colours and contemporary artwork.
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Substantial parts of present-day Berlin extend onto the low plateaus on both sides of the Spree Valley. Large parts of the boroughs Reinickendorf and Pankow lie on the Barnim plateau, while most of the boroughs Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, and Neukölln lie on the Teltow plateau. The borough of Spandau lies partly within the Berlin Urstromtal and partly on the Nauen Plain, which stretches to the west of Berlin. The highest elevations in Berlin are the Teufelsberg in the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and the Müggelberge in the borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Both hills have an elevation of about 115 meters (377 ft). The Teufelsberg is in fact an artificial pile of rubble from the ruins of the Second World War.
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At the end of World War II in 1945, the city of Berlin was completely surrounded by territory occupied by Soviet forces. This territory officially became the country of East Germany in 1949. The city of Berlin itself was partitioned into East Berlin and West Berlin. West Berlin was occupied by British, French, and United States forces and was supported by the Federal Republic of Germany, commonly known as West Germany. Between 1949 when East Germany was established and the middle of 1961, at least 2.7 million people fled East Germany, more than half of them through West Berlin. Compared to other countries in Eastern Europe, East Germany was the most productive Communist nation between 1949 and 1961.
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Berlin is noted for its numerous cultural institutions, many of which enjoy international reputation. In addition, cultural diversity and tolerance remain from the time when West Berlin took pride in its role as a "free city" with the motto "something for everyone."
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The rebuilding of West Berlin was particularly dramatic in the 1960s, when the West German government and its allies made an effort to make the city a showcase for the benefits of capitalism. A new central business district was developed southwest of Tiergarten along the Kurfüstendamm and other nearby streets. Department stores, sidewalk cafes, throngs of people, and office towers brilliantly lit at night by neon signs made this district the equal of any other modern city center in the Western world.
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West Berlin