Germany has always had problems staying in one piece, mainly because of war, and Berlin, its capital, also split apart into East and West Berlin when the whole country was politically divided after World War II. Then, even worse, in 1961, overnight a ninety-eight mile wall went up in Berlin that suddenly and tragically divided families and friends from each other, all because of where one happened to be at that time. Land mines were put on the eastern, Communist side to prevent people from climbing over to the western side. When Communist rule came to an end in East Germany, the wall came down in 1989, opening the way for the two Germanys to again become one. Germans refer to this time as Wende (turning point).

Berlin was a walled city even in the 1700s, and that wall included the Brandenburg Gate, topped by a statue of the Goddess of Victory driving four horses. This grand gate was closed when the Berlin Wall was erected and remained closed for almost thirty years until it was reopened on December 22, 1989 as a symbol of Germany's reunification. This gate is an example of the old beauty of Berlin. However, almost 60 percent of the city was heavily bombed during World War II and 70 percent of the old inner city was destroyed.

Now the city has recovered and people come from all over the world to see for themselves Berlin's recovery. When the wall came down, a barren strip was left throughout the city. This strip is being filled with new buildings, gardens and homes. The huge Tiergarten and many other parks give a lot of greenery to the city. Since the city is built on a huge underground river, called an aquifer, there has never been enough support for constructing huge, heavy buildings. That is why Berlin is spread out over a larger area than most old cities. It has a population of over three million people, and is further north than Calgary, Alberta, in Canada. Berlin is a city of wide streets and boulevards, with plenty of traffic, but it also has an extensive subway and commuter train network. There are more than 300 museums, including the Musikinstrumenten Museum that dates back to 1888. Like many of Germany's museums, there is no admission to view its pianos, violins, zithers, trumpets and more exotic instruments.