Berlin

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture in Berlin}}
[[File:Alte Nationalgalerie abends (Zuschnitt).jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Alte Nationalgalerie]] is part of the [[Museum Island]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]
[[File:Cafe am Holzmarkt, River Spree, Berlin (46636049685).jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[alternative culture]] Holzmarkt]]
[[File:Nofretete Neues Museum.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Thutmose (sculptor)|Thutmose]], ''[[Bust of Nefertiti]]'', 1345 BCE, [[Egyptian Museum of Berlin]]]]
Berlin is known for its numerous cultural institutions, many of which enjoy international reputation.<ref name=UNESCO/><ref name=UNESCO2>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532|title=World Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin|website=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=19 August 2008|archive-date=8 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808091530/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532|url-status=live}}</ref> The diversity and vivacity of the metropolis led to a trendsetting atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hubculture.com/groups/hubnews/news/162/ |title=Hub Culture's 2009 Zeitgeist Ranking |website=Hub Culture |access-date=30 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331064158/https://www.hubculture.com/groups/hubnews/news/162/ |archive-date=31 March 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> An innovative music, dance and art scene has developed in the 21st century.

Young people, international artists and entrepreneurs continued to settle in the city and made Berlin a popular entertainment center in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.observer.com/node/39370|title=A New Williamsburg! Berlin's Expats Go Bezirk|first=Nicholas|last=Boston|website=[[The New York Observer]]|date=10 September 2006|access-date=17 August 2008|archive-date=9 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909023258/https://www.observer.com/node/39370|url-status=live}}</ref>

The expanding cultural performance of the city was underscored by the relocation of the [[Universal Music Group]] who decided to move their headquarters to the banks of the River Spree.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/bueroflaechen/en/friedrichshain.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911125347/https://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/bueroflaechen/en/friedrichshain.shtml|archive-date=11 September 2007|title=Berlin's music business booms|website=Expatica|access-date=19 August 2008}}</ref> In 2005, Berlin was named "City of Design" by [[UNESCO]] and has been part of the [[Creative Cities Network]] ever since.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://projektzukunft.berlin.de/en/projekt-zukunft/services/international/unesco-creative-cities-network/|title=Unesco Creative Cities Network|website=projektzukunft.berlin.de|language=de|access-date=3 October 2018|archive-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003221050/https://projektzukunft.berlin.de/en/projekt-zukunft/services/international/unesco-creative-cities-network/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Cityofdesign/>

Many German and International films were shot in Berlin, including [[M (1931 film)|M]], [[One, Two, Three]], [[Cabaret (1972 film)|Cabaret]], [[Christiane F. (film)|Christiane F.]], [[Possession (1981 film)|Possession]], [[Octopussy]], [[Wings of Desire]], [[Run Lola Run]], [[Bourne (film series)|The Bourne Trilogy]], [[Good Bye, Lenin!]], [[The Lives of Others]], [[Inglourious Basterds]], [[Hanna (film)|Hanna]], [[Unknown (2011 film)|Unknown]] and [[Bridge of Spies (film)|Bridge of Spies]].

===Galleries and museums===
{{Main list|List of museums and galleries in Berlin}}

[[File:JewishMuseumBerlin.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Jewish Museum Berlin|Jewish Museum]] presents two millennia of [[German Jews|German–Jewish history]].]]

{{As of|2011}} Berlin is home to 138 museums and more than 400 art galleries.<ref name="berlin.de"/>
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://service.zitty.de/kultur-kunst/14539/ |title=Sprung in die Wolken |website=Zitty |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=19 August 2008 |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402162248/https://service.zitty.de/kultur-kunst/14539/ |archive-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> The ensemble on the [[Museum Island]] is a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] and is in the northern part of the Spree Island between the Spree and the Kupfergraben.<ref name=UNESCO/> As early as 1841 it was designated a "district dedicated to art and antiquities" by a royal decree. Subsequently, the [[Altes Museum]] was built in the Lustgarten. The [[Neues Museum]], which displays the [[Nefertiti Bust|bust of Queen Nefertiti]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.expatica.com/nl/egypt-battling-for-more-relics-after-louvre-success/|title=Egypt battling for more relics after Louvre success|publisher=Expatica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709211530/https://www.expatica.com/nl/egypt-battling-for-more-relics-after-louvre-success/|archive-date=9 July 2019|url-status=dead|access-date=9 July 2019}}</ref> [[Alte Nationalgalerie]], [[Pergamon Museum]], and [[Bode Museum]] were built there.

Apart from the Museum Island, there are many additional museums in the city. The [[Gemäldegalerie, Berlin|Gemäldegalerie]] (Painting Gallery) focuses on the paintings of the "old masters" from the 13th to the 18th centuries, while the [[Neue Nationalgalerie]] (New National Gallery, built by [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]]) specializes in 20th-century European painting. The [[Hamburger Bahnhof]], in [[Moabit]], exhibits a major collection of modern and contemporary art. The expanded [[Deutsches Historisches Museum]] reopened in the Zeughaus with an overview of German history spanning more than a millennium. The [[Bauhaus Archive]] is a museum of 20th-century design from the famous [[Bauhaus]] school. [[Museum Berggruen]] houses the collection of noted 20th century collector [[Heinz Berggruen]], and features an extensive assortment of works by [[Picasso]], [[Matisse]], [[Cézanne]], and [[Giacometti]], among others.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/21/arts/dealer-will-enrich-art-of-the-berlin-he-fled.html|title=Dealer Will Enrich Art of the Berlin He Fled|last=Vogel|first=Carol|date=21 December 2000|work=The New York Times|access-date=28 December 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=21 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321180644/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/21/arts/dealer-will-enrich-art-of-the-berlin-he-fled.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Kupferstichkabinett Berlin|Kupferstichkabinett]] Berlin (Museum of Prints and Drawings) is part of the [[Berlin State Museums|Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin]] (Berlin State Museums) and the [[Kulturforum|Kulturforum at Potsdamer Platz]] in the Tiergarten district of Berlin's Mitte district. It is the largest museum of the graphic arts in Germany and at the same time one of the four most important collections of its kind in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kupferstichkabinett |url=https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/kupferstichkabinett/about-us/profile/ |website=Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |access-date=4 August 2022 |archive-date=24 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124201004/https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/kupferstichkabinett/about-us/profile/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The collection includes [[Friedrich Gilly]]'s design for the monument to Frederick II of Prussia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tillack-Graf |first=Anne-Kathleen |title=Das Denkmal für Friedrich den Großen von Friedrich Gilly 1796 |year=2004 |location=Munich |language=de}}</ref>

[[File:Ishtar Gate at Berlin Museum.jpg|thumb|The reconstructed [[Ishtar Gate]] of Babylon at the [[Pergamon Museum]] ]]

The [[Jewish Museum Berlin|Jewish Museum]] has a standing exhibition on two millennia of German-Jewish history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.juedisches-museum-berlin.de/site/EN/01-Exhibitions/exhibitions.php|title=Exhibitions|website=[[Jewish Museum Berlin]]|access-date=10 August 2008|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090714235317/http%3A//www%2Ejuedisches%2Dmuseum%2Dberlin%2Ede/site/EN/01%2DExhibitions/exhibitions%2Ephp|archive-date=14 July 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[German Museum of Technology (Berlin)|German Museum of Technology]] in [[Kreuzberg]] has a large collection of historical technical artifacts. The ''[[Natural History Museum, Berlin|Museum für Naturkunde]]'' (Berlin's [[natural history museum]]) exhibits [[natural history]] near [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof]]. It has the largest mounted dinosaur in the world (a ''[[Giraffatitan]]'' skeleton). A well-preserved specimen of ''[[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus rex]]'' and the early bird ''[[Archaeopteryx]]'' are at display as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/en/ausstellungen/the-world-of-dinosaurs.html?Fsize=0&Lightversion=0%3Ftypo%3D2%3Ftypo%3D1%3Ftypo%3D0 |title=The World of Dinosaurs |publisher=Naturkundemuseum-berlin.de |date=20 October 2011 |access-date=7 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322182246/https://www.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/en/ausstellungen/the-world-of-dinosaurs.html?Fsize=0&Lightversion=0%3Ftypo=2%3Ftypo=1%3Ftypo=0 |archive-date=22 March 2012}}</ref>

In [[Dahlem (Berlin)|Dahlem]], there are several museums of world art and culture, such as the [[Museum of Asian Art]], the [[Ethnological Museum of Berlin|Ethnological Museum]], the [[Museum Europäischer Kulturen|Museum of European Cultures]], as well as the [[Allied Museum]]. The [[Brücke Museum]] features one of the largest collection of works by artist of the early 20th-century expressionist movement. In [[Lichtenberg]], on the grounds of the former [[Stasi|East German Ministry for State Security]], is the [[Stasi Museum]]. The site of [[Checkpoint Charlie]], one of the most renowned crossing points of the Berlin Wall, is still preserved. A private [[Checkpoint Charlie Museum|museum venture]] exhibits a comprehensive documentation of detailed plans and strategies devised by people who tried to flee from the East.

The [[Beate Uhse Erotic Museum]] claimed to be the largest erotic museum in the world until it closed in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/index/stories/beck04181999.htm |title=In Berlin, the Art of Sex |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=18 April 1999 |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-date=9 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309164157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/index/stories/beck04181999.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Erotikmuseum aus dem Verkehr gezogen |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/beate-uhse-in-berlin-charlottenburg-erotikmuseum-aus-dem-verkehr-gezogen/10305782.html |newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de |access-date=4 August 2022 |archive-date=4 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804031411/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/beate-uhse-in-berlin-charlottenburg-erotikmuseum-aus-dem-verkehr-gezogen/10305782.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The cityscape of Berlin displays large quantities of urban [[street art]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitberlin.de/en/see/museums-art/street-art|title=Berlin – Urban Art – visitBerlin.de EN|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031125131/https://www.visitberlin.de/en/see/museums-art/street-art|archive-date=31 October 2015}}</ref> It has become a significant part of the city's cultural heritage and has its roots in the graffiti scene of [[Kreuzberg]] of the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/travel/02headsup.html|title=One Wall Down, Thousands to Paint|date=2 March 2008|work=The New York Times|access-date=14 February 2017|archive-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118004829/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/travel/02headsup.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Berlin Wall graffiti art|Berlin Wall]] itself has become one of the largest open-air canvasses in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/apr/03/thierry-noir-graffiti-berlin-wall|title=Graffiti in the death strip: the Berlin wall's first street artist tells his story|website=The Guardian|date=3 April 2014|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201142426/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/apr/03/thierry-noir-graffiti-berlin-wall|url-status=live}}</ref> The leftover stretch along the Spree river in [[Friedrichshain]] remains as the [[East Side Gallery]]. Berlin today is consistently rated as an important world city for street art culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/best-street-art-cities_n_5155653.html|title=The 26 Best Cities in the World To See Street Art|date=17 April 2014|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=21 November 2015|archive-date=22 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122073932/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/best-street-art-cities_n_5155653.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Berlin has galleries which are quite rich in contemporary art. Located in Mitte, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, KOW, Sprüth Magers; Kreuzberg there are a few galleries as well such as Blain Southern, [[Esther Schipper]], Future Gallery, König Gallerie.

===Nightlife and festivals===
[[File:20150208 - Berlinale Palast and Red Carpet.JPG|thumb|The [[Berlinale]] is the world´s largest international spectator film festival.]]

Berlin's nightlife has been celebrated as one of the most diverse and vibrant of its kind.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/losing-your-mind-in-berlin/Content?oid=2180018|title=Losing your mind in Berlin|first=Walter|last=Wasacz|website=[[Metro Times]]|date=11 October 2004|access-date=18 November 2006|archive-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910010712/https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/losing-your-mind-in-berlin/Content?oid=2180018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.decodedmagazine.com/berlin-berlin-city-sin-city-never-sleeps-better-yet-never-sleep/|title=Berlin, Berlin, the city of sin. The city that never sleeps, or better yet, where you never have to sleep.|date=5 January 2017|publisher=Decoded Magazine|access-date=14 February 2022|archive-date=6 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206084058/https://www.decodedmagazine.com/berlin-berlin-city-sin-city-never-sleeps-better-yet-never-sleep/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1970s and 80s, the [[SO36]] in [[Kreuzberg]] was a center for [[punk music]] and culture. The ''SOUND'' and the ''Dschungel'' gained notoriety. Throughout the 1990s, people in their 20s from all over the world, particularly those in [[Western Europe|Western]] and Central Europe, made Berlin's club scene a premier nightlife venue. After the [[fall of the Berlin Wall]] in 1989, many historic buildings in Mitte, the former city center of East Berlin, were illegally occupied and re-built by young squatters and became a fertile ground for underground and [[counterculture]] gatherings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Art of Now – Berlin's Nightlife – BBC Sounds|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j1j7|access-date=6 July 2020|website=BBC|language=en-GB|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706225511/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j1j7|url-status=live}}</ref> The central boroughs are home to many nightclubs, including the Watergate, [[Tresor (club)|Tresor]] and [[Berghain]]. The [[KitKatClub]] and several other locations are known for their sexually uninhibited parties.

Clubs are not required to close at a fixed time during the weekends, and many parties last well into the morning or even all weekend. The ''Weekend Club'' near [[Alexanderplatz]] features a roof terrace that allows partying at night. Several venues have become a popular stage for the [[Neo-Burlesque]] scene.

[[File:Festival of Lights 2012 - Französischer Dom.jpg|thumb|right|The [[French Cathedral, Berlin|French Cathedral]] during the annual [[Festival of Lights (Berlin)|Festival of Lights]] ]]
[[File:Hanukkah, Brandenburg Gate (Berlin).jpg|thumb|[[Hanukkah]] festival at the Brandenburg Gate]]
Berlin has a long history of gay culture, and is an important [[Scientific-Humanitarian Committee|birthplace of the LGBT rights movement]]. Same-sex bars and dance halls operated freely as early as the 1880s, and the first gay magazine, ''Der Eigene'', started in 1896. By the 1920s, gays and lesbians had an unprecedented visibility.<ref name="Krauss">{{cite book|last=Krauss|first=Kenneth|title=The drama of fallen France: reading la comédie sans tickets |year=2004|publisher=State University of New York |location=Albany, NY |isbn=978-0-7914-5953-9 |page=11}}</ref><ref name="The New Yorker">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/berlin-story |title=Berlin Story – The New Yorker |first=Alex |last=Ross |date=26 January 2015 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]  |access-date=6 June 2016 |archive-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420134154/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/berlin-story |url-status=live }}</ref> Today, in addition to a positive atmosphere in the wider club scene, the city again has a huge number of queer clubs and festivals. The most famous and largest are [[Berlin Pride]], the [[Christopher Street Day]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_gay_bezirke.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007101504/https://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_gay_bezirke.php |archive-date=7 October 2006 |title=Berlin for Gays and Lesbians |date=7 October 2006 |access-date=7 April 2012}}</ref> the [[Lesbian and Gay City Festival]] in Berlin-Schöneberg, the [[Kreuzberg Pride]] and [[Hustlaball]].

The annual [[Berlin International Film Festival]] (Berlinale) with around 500,000 admissions is considered to be the largest publicly attended film festival in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/ |title=European Film Academy |publisher=European Film Academy |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-date=25 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525004720/http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/ |title=Berlin Film Festival |publisher=Berlinale.de |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-date=17 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217150238/https://www.berlinale.de/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Karneval der Kulturen (''Carnival of Cultures''), a multi-ethnic street parade, is celebrated every [[Pentecost]] weekend.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.karneval-berlin.de/de/english.175.html |title=English Summary |publisher=Karneval-berlin.de |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419112335/https://www.karneval-berlin.de/de/english.175.html |archive-date=19 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Berlin is also well known for the cultural festival [[Berliner Festspiele]], which includes the jazz festival [[JazzFest Berlin]], and [[Young Euro Classic]], the largest international festival of [[youth orchestra]]s in the world. Several technology and media art festivals and conferences are held in the city, including [[Transmediale]] and [[Chaos Communication Congress]]. The annual [[Berlin Festival]] focuses on indie rock, electronic music and synthpop and is part of the International Berlin Music Week.<ref>[https://www.berlinfestival.de/en.html Berlin Festival] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314234453/https://www.berlinfestival.de/en.html |date=14 March 2015}} website</ref><ref>[https://www.berlin-music-week.de/en/ Berlin Music Week] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410203724/https://www.berlin-music-week.de/en/ |date=10 April 2014 }} website</ref> Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in the world, attended by well over a million people. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate, where midnight fireworks are centered, but various private fireworks displays take place throughout the entire city. Partygoers in Germany often toast the New Year with a glass of [[Sekt|sparkling wine]].

===Performing arts===
{{Main|Music in Berlin}}
[[File:Rattle BPH-Rittershaus1-Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|right|Sir [[Simon Rattle]] conducting the renowned [[Berlin Philharmonic]]]]

Berlin is home to 44 theaters and stages.<ref name="berlin.de"/> The [[Deutsches Theater (Berlin)|Deutsches Theater]] in Mitte was built in 1849–50 and has operated almost continuously since then. The [[Volksbühne]] at [[Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz]] was built in 1913–14, though the company had been founded in 1890. The [[Berliner Ensemble]], famous for performing the works of [[Bertolt Brecht]], was established in 1949. The [[Schaubühne]] was founded in 1962 and moved to the building of the former Universum Cinema on Kurfürstendamm in 1981. With a [[seating capacity]] of 1,895 and a stage floor of {{convert|2854|m2|0|sp=us}}, the [[Friedrichstadt-Palast]] in Berlin Mitte is the largest show palace in Europe. For Berlin's independent dance and theatre scene, venues such as the Sophiensäle in Mitte and the three houses of the [[Hebbel-Theater|Hebbel am Ufer (HAU)]] in Kreuzberg are important. Most productions there are also accessible to an English-speaking audience. Some of the dance and theatre groups that also work internationally ([[Gob Squad]], [[Rimini Protokoll]]) are based there, as well as festivals such as the international festival [[Tanz im August|Dance in August]].

Berlin has three major [[opera house]]s: the [[Deutsche Oper]], the [[Berlin State Opera]], and the [[Komische Oper]]. The Berlin State Opera on [[Unter den Linden]] opened in 1742 and is the oldest of the three. Its musical director is [[Daniel Barenboim]]. The Komische Oper has traditionally specialized in [[operetta]]s and is also at Unter den Linden. The Deutsche Oper opened in 1912 in Charlottenburg.

The city's main venue for musical theater performances are the Theater am Potsdamer Platz and [[Theater des Westens]] (built in 1895). Contemporary dance can be seen at the ''Radialsystem V''. The [[Tempodrom]] is host to concerts and circus-inspired entertainment. It also houses a multi-sensory spa experience. The [[Admiralspalast]] in Mitte has a vibrant program of variety and music events.

There are seven symphony orchestras in Berlin. The [[Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra]] is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world;<ref>{{cite news |author=Charlotte Higgins and Ben Aris in Berlin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/29/germany.arts |title=Is Rattle's Berlin honeymoon over? |newspaper=Guardian |date=29 April 2004 |access-date=7 April 2012 |location=London |archive-date=28 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828013033/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/29/germany.arts |url-status=live }}</ref> it is housed in the [[Berliner Philharmonie]] near Potsdamer Platz on a street named for the orchestra's longest-serving conductor, [[Herbert von Karajan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/travel/25berlin.html |title=Music: Berlin |first=Daniel J. |last=Wakin |work=The New York Times |date=25 September 2005 |access-date=7 November 2006}}{{dead link|date=July 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Simon Rattle]] was its principal conductor from 1999 to 2018, a position now held by [[Kirill Petrenko]]. The [[Konzerthausorchester Berlin]] was founded in 1952 as the orchestra for East Berlin. [[Christoph Eschenbach]] is its principal conductor. The [[Haus der Kulturen der Welt]] presents exhibitions dealing with intercultural issues and stages world music and conferences.<ref>{{cite web |author=D |url=https://www.hkw.de/en/bottom/impressum/impressum.php |title=Haus der Kulturen der Welt |publisher=Hkw.de |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-date=3 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503225327/https://www.hkw.de/en/bottom/impressum/impressum.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''Kookaburra'' and the ''Quatsch Comedy Club'' are known for satire and comedy shows. In 2018, the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' described Berlin as "arguably the world capital of underground [[electronic music]]".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wilder|first=Charly|date=21 June 2018|title=In the Capital of Electronic Music, Women Rule the Scene|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/21/arts/music/women-djs-berlin.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/21/arts/music/women-djs-berlin.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited|access-date=7 August 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
{{main|Cuisine of Berlin}}
{{multiple image
| align         = left
| caption_align = center
| footer_align  = center
| image1        = Berlin-Mitte Deutsches Currywurst Museum.jpg
| width1        = 200
| caption1      = The [[Deutsches Currywurst Museum|Currywurst Museum]]
| image2        = Currywurst-1.jpg
| width2        = 192
| caption2      = A plate of [[Currywurst]]
| footer        = Invented in Berlin, currywurst is an icon of German popular culture and cuisine.
}}
The [[German cuisine|cuisine]] and culinary offerings of Berlin vary greatly. 23 restaurants in Berlin have been awarded one or more [[Michelin Guide#Stars|Michelin stars]] in the [[Michelin Guide]] of 2021, which ranks the city at the top for the number of restaurants having this distinction in Germany.<ref name="MichelinGuide-2021">{{cite web |url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/de/berlin-region/berlin/restaurants |title=MICHELIN Guide, Germany, Berlin Restaurants |publisher=MICHELIN Guide |access-date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115075322/https://guide.michelin.com/en/de/berlin-region/berlin/restaurants |url-status=live }}</ref> Berlin is well known for its offerings of vegetarian<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.saveur.com/vegetarian-restaurants-berlin-germany |title=Good Taste Award Winner 2015: Berlin, The New Vegetarian Capital |date=5 September 2015 |publisher=SAVEUR |access-date=1 March 2016 |archive-date=17 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217063554/https://www.saveur.com/vegetarian-restaurants-berlin-germany |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Veganism|vegan]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-vegan-capital-of-the-world/a-35951064 |title=Berlin: Vegan capital of the world? |publisher=DW |access-date=4 April 2017 |archive-date=3 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403195151/https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-vegan-capital-of-the-world/a-35951064 |url-status=live }}</ref> cuisine and is home to an innovative entrepreneurial food scene promoting cosmopolitan flavors, local and sustainable ingredients, pop-up street food markets, supper clubs, as well as food festivals, such as Berlin Food Week.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-booming-food-scene/a-17983026 |title=Berlin's booming food scene |publisher=DW |access-date=4 April 2017 |archive-date=3 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403200216/https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-booming-food-scene/a-17983026 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://foodtank.com/news/2016/09/conscious-food-consumption-at-berlins-restlos-gluecklich/|title=Conscious Food Consumption at Berlin's Restlos Glücklich|date=11 September 2016|publisher=Food Tank|access-date=4 April 2017|archive-date=4 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043408/https://foodtank.com/news/2016/09/conscious-food-consumption-at-berlins-restlos-gluecklich/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many local foods originated from north German culinary traditions and include rustic and hearty dishes with pork, goose, fish, peas, beans, cucumbers, or potatoes. Typical Berliner fare include popular [[street food]] like the ''[[Currywurst]]'' (which gained popularity with postwar construction workers rebuilding the city), ''[[Frikadeller|Buletten]]'' and the ''[[Berliner (doughnut)|Berliner]]'' donut, known in Berlin as {{lang|de|Pfannkuchen}} ({{IPA-de|ˈp͡fanˌkuːxn̩|lang|De-Pfannkuchen.ogg}}).<ref>[https://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/berlin.cfm Berlin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303102248/https://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/berlin.cfm |date=3 March 2014 }} German Foods</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/spicy-sausage-that-is-worthy-of-a-shrine-in-berlin-1772530.html|title=Spicy sausage that is worthy of a shrine in Berlin|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|first=Tony|last=Paterson|date=15 August 2009|access-date=24 August 2017|archive-date=22 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322143121/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/spicy-sausage-that-is-worthy-of-a-shrine-in-berlin-1772530.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> German bakeries offering a variety of breads and pastries are widespread. One of Europe's largest [[delicatessen]] markets is found at the [[KaDeWe]], and among the world's largest chocolate stores is ''Rausch''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/fassbender-rausch/|title=Chocolate Heaven at Fassbender & Rausch|publisher=Luxe Adventure Traveler|date=2013|access-date=1 March 2016|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305092139/https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/fassbender-rausch/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rausch.de/en/tradition|title=History from 1918 to today|publisher=Rausch Chocolate House|access-date=26 July 2023|archive-date=26 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726072355/https://www.rausch.de/en/tradition|url-status=live}}</ref>

Berlin is also home to a diverse gastronomy scene reflecting the immigrant history of the city. Turkish and Arab immigrants brought their culinary traditions to the city, such as the [[lahmajoun]] and [[falafel]], which have become common fast food staples. The modern fast-food version of the [[doner kebab]] sandwich which [[Kadir Nurman|evolved in Berlin]] in the 1970s, has since become a favorite dish in Germany and elsewhere in the world.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304432704577350194262835880| title=There's Nothing More German Than a Big, Fat Juicy Döner Kebab| author=James Angelos| date=18 April 2012| newspaper=The Wall Street Journal| access-date=6 June 2016| archive-date=30 May 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530140426/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304432704577350194262835880| url-status=live}}</ref> Asian cuisine like Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, as well as Spanish tapas bars, Italian, and Greek cuisine, can be found in many parts of the city.

===Recreation===
[[File:Berlin Elefantentor 09-2017.jpg|thumb|left|The Elephant Gate at the [[Berlin Zoological Garden|Berlin Zoo]]]]

[[Berlin Zoological Garden|Zoologischer Garten Berlin]], the older of two zoos in the city, was founded in 1844. It is the most visited zoo in Europe and presents the most diverse range of species in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rbb-online.de/_/nachrichten/vermischtes/beitrag_jsp/key=news4382800.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061007155448/http://www.rbb-online.de/_/nachrichten/vermischtes/beitrag_jsp/key=news4382800.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=7 October 2006|title=Hauptstadt-Zoo beliebtester Tierpark|website=[[Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg]]|access-date=17 August 2008}}</ref> It was the home of the captive-born celebrity polar bear [[Knut (polar bear)|Knut]].<ref name="knutbbc1">{{Cite news|first=Tristana|last=Moore|title=Baby bear becomes media star|date=23 March 2007|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6486993.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=17 August 2008|archive-date=1 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401034258/https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6486993.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The city's other zoo, [[Tierpark Berlin|Tierpark Friedrichsfelde]], was founded in 1955.

[[Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum|Berlin's Botanischer Garten]] includes the Botanic Museum Berlin. With an area of {{convert|43|ha|acre}} and around 22,000 different plant species, it is one of the largest and most diverse collections of botanical life in the world. Other gardens in the city include the [[Britzer Garten]], and the [[Erholungspark Marzahn|Gärten der Welt]] (Gardens of the World) in Marzahn.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gruen-berlin.de/gesellschaft/ |title=Grün Berlin |language=de |trans-title=Green Berlin |publisher=Die Grün Berlin GmbH |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522183154/https://www.gruen-berlin.de/gesellschaft/ |archive-date=22 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Siegessäule10.jpg|thumb|The [[Berlin Victory Column|Victory Column]] in [[Tiergarten (park)|Tiergarten]]]]
The [[Tiergarten (park)|Tiergarten park]] in Mitte, with landscape design by [[Peter Joseph Lenné]], is one of Berlin's largest and most popular parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/aktuell/wettbewerbe/lenne/en/biographie.shtml |title=Peter Joseph Lenné, Senate Department of Urban Development |publisher=Stadtentwicklung.berlin.de |date=30 September 2011 |access-date=10 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421101545/https://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/aktuell/wettbewerbe/lenne/en/biographie.shtml |archive-date=21 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In Kreuzberg, the [[Viktoriapark]] provides a viewing point over the southern part of inner-city Berlin. [[Treptower Park]], beside the Spree in [[Treptow]], features a large [[Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)|Soviet War Memorial]]. The Volkspark in [[Friedrichshain]], which opened in 1848, is the oldest park in the city, with monuments, a summer outdoor cinema and several sports areas.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Paul Sullivan|title=Volkspark Friedrichshain|url=https://www.slowtravelberlin.com/volkspark-friedrichshain/|website=Slow Travel Berlin|access-date=30 August 2014|date=30 July 2010|archive-date=3 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903203937/https://www.slowtravelberlin.com/volkspark-friedrichshain/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tempelhofer Feld]], the site of the former [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport|city airport]], is the world's largest inner-city open space.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stephan |first=Felix |url=https://www.zeit.de/lebensart/2012-09/lust-auf-stadt-tempelhofer-feld |title=Entfaltung auf dem Rollfeld |location=Berlin (Germany) |newspaper=zeit.de |date=10 December 2012 |access-date=8 February 2018 |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021183842/https://www.zeit.de/lebensart/2012-09/lust-auf-stadt-tempelhofer-feld |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Potsdam]] is on the southwestern periphery of Berlin. The city was a residence of the [[Prussia]]n kings and the [[German Emperor|German Kaiser]], until 1918. The area around Potsdam in particular [[Sanssouci]] is known for a series of interconnected lakes and cultural landmarks. The [[Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin]] are the largest [[World Heritage Site]] in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532 |title=Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=3 January 2016 |archive-date=30 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230170313/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/532 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Berlin is also well known for its numerous cafés, street musicians, beach bars along the Spree River, flea markets, boutique shops and [[pop-up store]]s, which are a source for recreation and leisure.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Denny |url=https://travel.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/travel/10hours.html |title=36 Hours in Berlin |location=Berlin (Germany) |publisher=Travel.nytimes.com |date=10 December 2006 |access-date=7 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624141002/https://travel.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/travel/10hours.html |archive-date=24 June 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
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