political+traits.


 * Political Traits

- type of local government x - centripetal/centrifugal forces – what pulls the city together or drags it apart?

=**Note;Berlin has a federal republic government.'**= Berlins darkest period began with the rise to power in Germany of the Nazi Party in 1933. During World War Two, Germany and other Axis powers fought the Allies. Berlin was ruined by bombs and the Soviet Army. After Germany's defeat in 1945 the Allies devided the nation into two sectors, communist East Germany and non-communist West Germany. Berlin was divided into communist East Berlin and non-communist West Berlin. During the Cold War period the communist East Germnay government blocked access from East Berlin to democratic West Berlin by building the Berlin War. However, in 1989 the East German government collapsed and the Berlin Wall was knocked down, symbolizing the end of the Cold War. In 1990, the east and west Germany united, and the two Berlins became one city and the capital of Germany.

The city of Berlin consists of twelve administrative districts. The people of Berli elect about one-hundrer fifty members to a legislature called Abgeordnetenhaus. The house members make the city laws. They also elect the governing mayor, who is the government's chief executive. Both the governing mayor and members of the House, serve five year terms. The governing mayor appoints a deputy mayor to be called to Senate, with approval of the House. These officials direct the government departments.

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The Berlin Wall served as a physical barrier that seperated West Berlin from East Berlin. It was a barrier  that surrounded West Berlin and prevented acess to East Berlin and some areas of East Germany between 1961 to 1989. In the years between 1949 and 1961, about 2.5 million East Germans went from East to West Germany. This raised the numbers of skilled workers, professionals, and intellectuals. East Germany built a barrier to close off East Germans' access to West Berlin and West Germany. This barrier was the Berlin Wall. The original wall was built of barbed wire and cinder blocks, was replaced by concrete walls that were up to 15 feet and on top it had barbed wire and it was guarded with watchtowers, gun emplacements, and mines. By the 1980s the walls, electrified fences, and fortifications were about 28 miles through Berlin, dividing the two parts of the city, and extended a further 75 miles around West Berlin, separating it from the rest of East Germany. The Berlin Wall symbolized the Cold Wars seperation of East from West Germany and of eastern from western Europe. About 5,000 East Germans managed to cross the Berlin Wall and reach West Berlin safely, while another 5,000 were captured by East German authorities in the attempt and 191 more were killed while trying to cross the wall. On November 9 the East German government opened the country's borders with West Germany and openings were made in the Berlin Wall through which East Germans could travel freely to the West. The wall ceased to function as a political barrier between East and West Germany. ||
 * -BERLIN WALL! ||

centripetal forces of Berlin :

Centrifugal Forces of Berlin :