History before the founding of the city

From the foundation to the edict of Potsdam

Prussian kingdom and German empire

The Weimar Republic and the Third Reich

The postwar time, partition, reunion and the presence


by Christian Kopf


At the end of the 12th century a.d. the villages of Cologne (first mentioning in a document in 1237) and Berlin (1244) were founded on the dry parts of swampy region, directly at a river crossing of the river spree. At the same time the Slavonic settlements Spandau (first mentioned 1197) and Köpenik (1209) were extended to villages. All of the villages gained city rights in the 13th century.

In 1307 Berlin and Cologne united to a double-city, which gained importance because the prince of Brandenburg took special interest in it. In 1325 citizens of Berlin killed a high church official and the pope forbids all kinds of services in the city for some time.

Berlin ca. 1230 A.D.

In 1415 Friedrich the first became electoral prince of Brandenburg. He was from a different dynasty of monarchs called the Hohenzollern. They will be governing Berlin until 1918. In 1451 Berlin became a residential city therefore loosing the status as a free trade town. The population changed their occupation from trading to the production of luxury goods. The population was growing but so was poverty.

In 1510 all Jewish people were banned from city and again in 1573. In 1539 Joachim 2nd was converting to the Lutheran church.

The thirty years war (from 1616 to 1648) was causing great destruction. Over half of the population died and a third of all buildings were destroyed.

In 1640 Friedrich Wilhelm called the great electoral prince is became ruler of Brandenburg. His policy of immigration and religious tolerance was leading to more wealth. In 1671 he was offering shelter to 50 Jewish families that were banished from Austria. With the so called edict of Potsdam Friedrich Wilhelm invited the Huguenots (Protestants that were persecuted in the mainly catholic France) to Brandenburg in 1685. More than 15.000 people came to Brandenburg, 6.000 of them to Berlin, so that the population of the city was about 20% of French heritage in 1700.

The Jews as well as the Huguenots were well educated and took a great part in the further development of the area. Also other persecuted groups were allowed to immigrate to Brandenburg, for example from Bohemia or Poland. Friedrich Wilhelm also founded a standing army which will gain importance in the history of Brandenburg and Prussia.