Berlin Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===17th to 19th centuries=== The [[Thirty Years' War]] between 1618 and 1648 devastated Berlin. One third of its houses were damaged or destroyed, and the city lost half of its population.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/germany/bra30.html |title=Brandenburg during the 30 Years War |publisher=World History at KMLA |access-date=18 August 2008 |archive-date=28 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928213849/https://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/germany/bra30.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William]], known as the "Great Elector", who had succeeded his father [[George William, Elector of Brandenburg|George William]] as ruler in 1640, initiated a policy of promoting immigration and religious tolerance.<ref name="Carlyle1853">{{cite book|first=Thomas |last=Carlyle|title=Fraser's Magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/frasersmagazine03carlgoog|year=1853|publisher=J. Fraser|page=[https://archive.org/details/frasersmagazine03carlgoog/page/n71 63]|access-date=11 February 2016}}</ref> With the [[Edict of Potsdam]] in 1685, Frederick William offered asylum to the French [[Huguenot]]s.<ref name="Plaut1995">{{cite book|first=W. Gunther|last=Plaut|title=Asylum: A Moral Dilemma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oirvylPVAhAC&pg=PA42|date=1 January 1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95196-2|page=42|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915214210/https://books.google.com/books?id=oirvylPVAhAC&pg=PA42|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1700, approximately 30 percent of Berlin's residents were French, because of the Huguenot immigration.<ref name="Gray2007">{{cite book|first=Jeremy|last=Gray|title=Germany|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5t5mZE_s5YC&pg=PA49|year=2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74059-988-7|page=49|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915225030/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5t5mZE_s5YC&pg=PA49|url-status=live}}</ref> Many other immigrants came from [[Bohemia]], [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]], and [[Archbishopric of Salzburg|Salzburg]].<ref name="Cybriwsky2013">{{cite book|first=Roman Adrian|last=Cybriwsky|title=Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qb6NAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|date=23 May 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-248-9|page=48|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915232139/https://books.google.com/books?id=qb6NAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Berlin Unter den Linden Victoria Hotel um 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Berlin became the capital of the [[German Empire]] in 1871 and expanded rapidly in the following years.|219x219px]] Since 1618, the Margraviate of Brandenburg had been in [[personal union]] with the [[Duchy of Prussia]]. In 1701, the dual state formed the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], as [[Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg]], crowned himself as king [[Frederick I of Prussia|Frederick I in Prussia]]. Berlin became the capital of the new Kingdom,<ref>Horlemann, Bernd (Hrsg.), Mende, Hans-Jürgen (Hrsg.): Berlin 1994. Taschenkalender. Edition Luisenstadt Berlin, Nr. 01280.</ref> replacing [[Königsberg]]. This was a successful attempt to centralise the capital in the very far-flung state, and it was the first time the city began to grow. In 1709, Berlin merged with the four cities of Cölln, Friedrichswerder, Friedrichstadt and Dorotheenstadt under the name Berlin, "Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin".<ref name="Stöver2010"/> In 1740, Frederick II, known as [[Frederick the Great]] (1740–1786), came to power.<ref name="Zaide1965">{{cite book|first=Gregorio F.|last=Zaide|title=World History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq512SmGMIsC&pg=PA273|year=1965|publisher=Rex Bookstore, Inc.|isbn=978-971-23-1472-8|page=273|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915200510/https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq512SmGMIsC&pg=PA273|url-status=live}}</ref> Under the rule of Frederick II, Berlin became a center of [[the Enlightenment]], but also, was briefly occupied during the [[Seven Years' War]] by the Russian army.<ref name="PerryChase2012">{{cite book |first1=Marvin |last1=Perry |first2=Myrna |last2=Chase |first3=James |last3=Jacob |first4=Margaret |last4=Jacob |first5=Theodore |last5=Von Laue |title=Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YYIJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA444 |date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-133-70864-3 |page=444 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=14 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914174457/https://books.google.com/books?id=YYIJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA444 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following France's victory in the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]], [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] [[Fall of Berlin (1806)|marched into Berlin in 1806]], but granted self-government to the city.<ref name="Lewis2013">{{cite book|first=Peter B.|last=Lewis|title=Arthur Schopenhauer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6TBXX9KVtzsC&pg=PA57|date=15 February 2013|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-069-6|page=57|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914174348/https://books.google.com/books?id=6TBXX9KVtzsC&pg=PA57|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1815, the city became part of the new [[Province of Brandenburg]].<ref name="StaffInc.2010">{{cite book|author1=Harvard Student Agencies Inc. Staff|author2=Harvard Student Agencies, Inc.|title=Let's Go Berlin, Prague & Budapest: The Student Travel Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nj0YqD4ntvIC&pg=PA83|date=28 December 2010|publisher=Avalon Travel|isbn=978-1-59880-914-5|page=83|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914181704/https://books.google.com/books?id=Nj0YqD4ntvIC&pg=PA83|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Industrial Revolution]] transformed Berlin during the 19th century; the city's economy and population expanded dramatically, and it became the main railway hub and economic center of Germany. Additional suburbs soon developed and increased the area and population of Berlin. In 1861, neighboring suburbs including [[Wedding (Berlin)|Wedding]], [[Moabit]] and several others were incorporated into Berlin.<ref name="Schulte-Peevers2010">{{cite book|author=Andrea Schulte-Peevers|title=Lonel Berlin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DKlXQS6c3p0C&pg=PA25|date=15 September 2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74220-407-9|page=25|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915214354/https://books.google.com/books?id=DKlXQS6c3p0C&pg=PA25|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1871, Berlin became capital of the newly founded [[German Empire]].<ref name="Stöver2013">{{cite book|first=Bernd|last=Stöver|title=Berlin: A Short History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LVA8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|date=2 October 2013|publisher=C.H.Beck|isbn=978-3-406-65633-0|page=20|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915200615/https://books.google.com/books?id=LVA8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1881, it became a city district separate from Brandenburg.<ref name="Strassmann2008">{{cite book |first=W. Paul |last=Strassmann |title=The Strassmanns: Science, Politics and Migration in Turbulent Times (1793–1993) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5cCuBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA26 |date=15 June 2008 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-84545-416-6 |page=26 |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=10 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910121944/https://books.google.com/books?id=5cCuBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA26 |url-status=live }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page