What is the capital of Germany?
Berlin is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with about 3.8 million people. It became the capital of reunified Germany in 1990.
After World War II, Germany was divided. Bonn served as the capital of West Germany, while East Berlin was the capital of East Germany. Berlin itself was split by the Berlin Wall from 1961 until 1989.
After reunification on October 3, 1990, Berlin became the capital again. In 1991, the parliament voted to move the government from Bonn, and the Bundestag began meeting in the renovated Reichstag building, with its glass dome, in 1999.
Visiting Berlin
Famous sights include the Brandenburg Gate, the remains of the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, Museum Island and Checkpoint Charlie. Some government ministries still have offices in Bonn.
Berlin is home to many famous landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building with its glass dome and Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with five major museums. Remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, such as the East Side Gallery covered in murals, remind visitors of the decades when the city was divided between East and West.
Did You Know?
Berlin has more bridges than Venice, about 900 by some counts, because of its many rivers, canals and lakes.