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Berlin has become an independent state with the day of the German reunification on October 3, 1990, making it one of the three city states among today's 16 German Bundesländer beside Hamburg and Bremen.
Former West Berlin (originally Greater Berlin, including the eastern part was intended) had been a state since the foundation of West Germany on May 23, 1949, but it was dependent on the Western Allied military powers, and it was not technically a part of West Germany. East Berlin had been the capital of East Germany from 1949 to 1990, although this was technically a violation of the allied Four-Powers agreement.
Berlin is governed by the Senat of Berlin which consists of the Regierender Bürgermeister (governing mayor) and up to 8 senators, holding ministerial portfolios. The governing mayor is mayor of the city and representative of the Bundesland (state) at the same time. Presently, this office is held by Klaus Wowereit (SPD); for earlier mayors, see the list of Mayors of Berlin.
The city and state parliament is called the Abgeordnetenhaus or House of Representatives. The current government consists of a coalition of the social democrat SPD and the socialist PDS.
Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs, called Bezirke, which have been merged from the previously existing 23 boroughs, effective since January 1, 2001.
For a map and a list of the old and new borough names, see Boroughs of Berlin.
Each Bourogh is governed by a so called Bezirksamt consisting of five Stadträte (town councillors) and a mayor. The Bezirksamt is elected by the district-parliament, the so called Bezirksverordnetenversammlung. Though the Boroughs of Berlin are not independent municipalities, the political power of the district-parliaments is quite weak and dependent on the Senat of Berlin.
The district-mayors form the council of mayors, called Rat der Bürgermeister under leadership of the Governing Mayor to advise the Senat.
see also: History of Berlin
At about 720 two Slavic tribes settled in the Berlin region. The Heveller settled at the river Havel with their central settlement in Brennabor which later has bacome the town of Brandenburg. Close to the river Spree in todays borough of Berlin Köpenick the Sprewanen were found.
The Heveller founded another place at the river Havel in about 750. This seems to be the closest settlement to the area which is today known as Berlin and was called Spandow (todays Spandau). Spandau and Köpenick which had been protected with barriers around 825, had been the major settlements and later towns in the area until the early 11th century.
Berlin itself is one of Europe's younger cities, with its origin in the 12th century. The city developed out of two settlements, Berlin and Cölln, on both sides of the river Spree, in today's borough Mitte. Cölln is first mentioned on October 28th, 1237 in documents; Berlin in 1244. Unfortunately, the great town center fire of 1830 damaged most written record of those early days.
Both cities formed a trade union in 1307, and participated in the Hanse. Their urban development parallel took place for 400 years, until Cölln and Berlin finally unified under the name of Berlin in 1709, including the suburbs Friedrichswerder , Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichstadt .
Not much is left of these ancient communities, although some remainders can be seen in the Nikolaiviertel near the Rotes Rathaus, and the Klosterkirche , close to today's Alexanderplatz.
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