BERLIN

Berlin, coat of arms

Berlin, car license plate

Berlin, the capital of Germany, is renowned for its striking contrasts, exceptional range of attractions, vibrant culture and a lifestyle that is both fast-paced and relaxed.

BERLIN: THE MOST INTERESTING

Berlin on a map of Germany

The street, which rose up the houses

like a fever chart, was never entirely free

of its inhabitants. At all hours

they crowded into the little shops

and public houses, and at the approach

of dusk their forms were doubled in the shop-windows,

so that a fleeting image of a second,

interior city, brightly lit, could be seen in the glass.

This interior Berlin was a magic theater,

and the street its brightly illuminated stage.

Walter Benjamin

"Berlin Childhood around 1900"

(between 1932 and 1938)

BERLIN: THE HISTORY OF THE COAT OF ARMS

City seal of Berlin, 1338

Berlin's coat of arms depicts, as cliché as it may seem, the Berlin bear. The bear was not originally a symbol of the city and for a long time shared its image equally with the red Brandenburg eagle and the black Prussian eagle.

The eagles symbolized the unification of Brandenburg with Prussia, and the presence of the bear indicated Berlin's status as the capital.

Coat of arms of the city of Berlin, 1709

In the classic interpretation, the bear on Berlin's coat of arms is a "speaking" heraldic figure. It pronounces its name in Old German "bär," the first syllable of the city's name. It is also believed to commemorate Albrecht, nicknamed "the Bear" (1100-1170), the founder and first count of Brandenburg.

The city crown above the shield appeared in the 19th century. Today, the bear with the crown as a logo is only available to official institutions. The crown-less design is available to everyone else.

The coat of arms in its current form has been valid since 1954.

BERLIN: THE FUN FACTS

Coat of arms of Berlin, variant, 1492

Berlin has the status of "city with the rights of a federal state." Despite the obviousness and simplicity of the coat of arms' explanation, many old-school German heraldists continue to persist in their opinion regarding the city's symbol.

Literally: "Why the Berliners chose a bear as their emblem is impossible to determine precisely due to the lack of relevant supporting documentation."

But still a bear...