Berlin

=== 12th century to 16th century ===
[[File:ZLB-Berliner Ansichten-Januar.jpg|thumb|Map of Berlin in 1688]]
[[File:Dom und Stadtschloss, Berlin 1900.png|thumb|[[Berlin Cathedral]] (left) and [[Berlin Palace]] (right), 1900]]

In the 12th century the region came under German rule as part of the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]], founded by [[Albert the Bear]] in 1157. Early evidence of middle age settlements in the area of today's Berlin are remnants of a [[Foundation (engineering)|house foundation]] dated 1270 to 1290, found in excavations in [[Berlin-Mitte (electoral district)|Berlin Mitte]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Berliner Stadtmitte: Was aus den Fundamenten der mittelalterlichen Gerichtslaube wird |language=de |author1=Thomas Lackmann |publisher=Tagesspiegel |date=4 January 2015 |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/was-aus-den-fundamenten-der-mittelalterlichen-gerichtslaube-wird-4639129.html |access-date=9 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209215810/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/was-aus-den-fundamenten-der-mittelalterlichen-gerichtslaube-wird-4639129.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. [[Spandau]] is first mentioned in 1197 and [[Köpenick]] in 1209.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten.en/00175.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612020333/https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten.en/00175.html|archive-date=12 June 2008 |title=Zitadelle Spandau |year=2002 |publisher=BerlinOnline Stadtportal GmbH & Co. KG |access-date=18 August 2008}}</ref> 1237 is considered the founding date of the city.<ref name=Medtradc>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/en/history/the-medieval-trading-center/ |title=The medieval trading center |access-date=11 June 2013 |publisher=BerlinOnline Stadtportal GmbH & Co. KG. |archive-date=31 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731190906/https://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/en/history/the-medieval-trading-center/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the [[staple right]] on the two important [[trade route]]s, one was known as ''[[Via Imperii]]'', and the other trade route reached from [[Bruges]] to [[Novgorod]].<ref name="Verein für die Geschichte Berlins-2004"/> In 1307 the two towns formed an alliance with a common external policy, their internal administrations still being separated.<ref name="Stöver2010">Stöver B. ''Geschichte Berlins'' Verlag CH Beck 2010 ISBN 9783406600678</ref>

Members of the [[Hohenzollern]] family ruled in Berlin until 1918, first as electors of Brandenburg, then as kings of [[Prussia]], and eventually as [[German emperor]]s. In 1443, [[Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick II Irontooth]] started the construction of a new [[Stadtschloss, Berlin|royal palace]] in the twin city Berlin-Cölln. The protests of the town citizens against the building culminated in 1448, in the "Berlin Indignation" ("Berliner Unwille").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.diegeschichteberlins.de/geschichteberlins/berlinabc/stichworteag/555-berliner-unwillen.html |title=Berliner Unwillen |trans-title=Berlin unwillingness |publisher=Verein für die Geschichte Berlins e.&nbsp;V. |first=Gerhild H. M. |last=Komander |date=November 2004 |access-date=30 May 2013 |language=de |archive-date=19 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919215632/https://www.diegeschichteberlins.de/geschichteberlins/berlinabc/stichworteag/555-berliner-unwillen.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Officially, the Berlin-Cölln palace became permanent residence of the Brandenburg electors of the Hohenzollerns from 1486, when [[John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg|John Cicero]] came to power.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/en/history/the-electors-residence/ |title=The electors' residence |publisher=BerlinOnline Stadtportal GmbH & Co. KG |access-date=11 June 2013 |archive-date=21 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421214734/https://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/en/history/the-electors-residence/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Berlin-Cölln, however, had to give up its status as a free [[Hanseatic League]] city. In 1539, the electors and the city officially became [[Lutheran]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smp-protein.de/SMPConference/berlin.htm |title=Berlin Cathedral |access-date=18 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818100934/https://www.smp-protein.de/SMPConference/berlin.htm |archive-date=18 August 2006 |publisher=SMPProtein}}</ref>