The Art of Noise(Redirected from Art Of Noise)The Art of Noise was a pop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session musicians/studio hands Anne Dudley, J.J. Jeczalik, and Gary Langan. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel and often clever melodic sound collages based on digital sampling technology, which was new at the time. Inspired by turn-of-the-century revolutions in music, the Art of Noise was initially packaged as a faceless anti- or non-group, blurring the distinction between the art and its creators. The band is noted for their innovative use of electronics and computers in pop music and particularly for innovative use of sampling. BeginningsIn 1983, Trevor Horn, who had achieved a New Wave hit in 1981 with "Video Killed The Radio Star", which he recorded with Geoff Downes under the name The Buggles, was working in the studio with Yes on what would become the album 90125, and with Frankie Goes To Hollywood on what would become the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. In his employ were keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, keyboardist/programmer J.J. Jeczalik, and mixing engineer Gary Langan. The technological impetus for the Art of Noise was the advent of the Fairlight CMI sampler, an electronic musical instrument that Horn was reportedly among the first to purchase. With the Fairlight, short digital sound recordings called samples could be "played" through a piano-like keyboard. While some musicians were using samples as adornment in their works, Horn and his companions saw the potential to craft entire compositions with the sampler, tossing the traditional rock aesthetic out the window, or at least turning it on its ear. Samples, some borrowed from other pieces of music, such as the baritone "dum" from "Leave It" by Yes, but most coming from original sources had to be bathed in reverb to mask the early sampler's low fidelity. These sounds were then assembled, in the studio, into various instrumental arrangements and sound collages. This was at first done with very little input from musicians "playing" instruments as they would in a typical band, but later works introduced traditional instruments into the mix. With Paul Morley providing much of the band's art direction, Horn, Dudley, Jeczalik, and Langan formed the initial incarnation of The Art of Noise. The group's debut EP, Into Battle with the Art of Noise, appeared in September 1983 on Horn's fledgling ZTT label. It immediately scored a hit in the urban and alternative dance charts in the USA with the highly percussive, cut-up instrumental track "Beat Box," a favorite among breakdancers. Art for art's sakeMorley managed the packaging of the project as a faceless "non-group", a work of art, itself, that merely existed. Band members never appeared in photos without masks, and sleeve art was filled with manifestos, quotes, photographs, and graphic design elements that stood in stark contrast to the unimaginative photo-of-the-band-and-some-lyrics motifs that were typical at the time. Musically, aside from the cleverness of deftly juxtaposing found sounds, the project was also intended to pay homage to the influence of Claude Debussy, who revolutionized popular music at the beginning of the 20th century, and to the sonic "Art of Noises" experiments of Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo. The early videos for "Close (to the Edit)" were impressive and unusual, becoming cult favorites on MTV. Critics' reviews of Into Battle and the more fully realized Who's Afraid (of the Art of Noise?) album (1984) were mixed, with some hailing the group's unique, deconstructive approach to sound and song construction, and others dismissing them as a pretentious novelty band. ChangesIn 1985, Morley and Horn split from the group and pursued other projects. The remaining members moved to the UK-based China Records label, keeping some of the band's original imagery and ethos alive in their second album, In Visible Silence. This album spawned the Grammy award-winning cover of the Peter Gunn theme, recorded with twangy guitar legend Duane Eddy reprising the lead rather than just being sampled. From this same album, the "Beat Box"-like single "Legs" was a mild underground hit in dance clubs, and "Paranoimia" achieved some success when a remix of it was released as a single with overdubbed vocal samples provided by the supposedly computer-generated character Max Headroom. Around 1986, Jeczalik and Dudley started appearing in photographs without masks, alienating some fans that had come to appreciate Morley's "art for art's sake" asthetic. The upcoming soundtrack pieces continued The Art of Noise's evolution into a pop band and away from Morley's faceless "non-group." By 1987, the band's membership was down to just Jeczalik and Dudley. That year saw the release of their album In No Sense? Nonsense!, which is considered by many to be among their best work, despite the inclusion of arguably "cutesy" tracks composed for the soundtracks of the movies Dragnet and Disorderlies. The album featured Jeczalik's best rhythmic collages to date, plus lush string arrangements, pieces for boys' choir, and keyboard melodies from Dudley. It didn't score any hits, although their record label tried mightily to push remixes of "Dragnet" into the dance clubs. Hits and missesIn 1988, a lackluster, one-off collaboration with singer Tom Jones, a cover of Prince's "Kiss" (a staple in Jones' stage shows) renewed the public's interest in the Art of Noise and provided their biggest hit in the mainstream. China Records included the song on a greatest hits album, and it also appeared on subsequent albums by Jones. Only the first edition of the compilation contained tracks licensed from ZTT, though, diluting the band's reputation in later years. The followup album, Below the Waste, with only a few inspired tunes, sounded like a hollow imitation of its predecessors, lacking the aesthetic and creative fullness of previous releases, and failing to achieve much success upon its release in 1989. Compilations and soloIn 1990, Dudley and Jeczalik declared the Art of Noise was done, although they did assist in the promotion of the lightly remixed The Ambient Collection compilation that the China label released to cash in on the burgeoning ambient house scene. The 1990s saw China Records releasing various disappointing Art of Noise compilations: The Ambient Collection, The FON Mixes, The Drum and Bass Collection, Art Works, and reissues of Best Of without the ZTT-era tracks. Some of these featured new remixes by other artists. The only one that was noteworthy was The Prodigy's masterful 1991 rework of "Instruments of Darkness" from In Visible Silence. The China label eventually folded. Dudley became well-known for composing numerous film and television scores in the 1990s. The most famous of these is probably The Full Monty, which won an Academy Award for Original Music Score. In 1995–1997, Jeczalik and In No Sense? Nonsense! co-engineer Bob Kraushaar produced a number of instrumentals oriented toward dance clubs under the name Art of Silence. Jeczalik also embarked on a new career in futures trading. Other appearancesFour-fifths of The Art of Noise worked on the Yes album "90125", with Trevor Horn producing, Gary Langan engineering, and Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik providing arrangements and keyboard programming. Many of the samples used on that album also appear on "Into Battle..." The same four also appeared on Malcolm Maclaren's 1982 album "Duck Rock". ReformationIn 1998, Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Anne Dudley began talking about the original intent of the project, its relevance in 20th century music, and the impending turn of a new century. The group temporarily reformed, adding virtuoso guitarist Lol Creme but leaving J.J. Jeczalik conspicuously absent. A new single very much in the "progressive" trance/house vein was leaked to club DJs that year, and a second single featuring a rap by Rakim preceded the 1999 release of the concept album The Seduction of Claude Debussy on the ZTT label. The Seduction album marked an evolution, rather than a return to the band's glory days, being more cohesive than any albums that preceded it, and artistically much more thought-through. However, while impressive from a technical and critical standpoint, it was disappointing as a pop album, being almost too deliberate and seeming to lack the humor, accidental beauty, and edginess of the early Art of Noise releases. After performing a handful of live shows in the UK and USA, the band dissolved. The ZTT label continues to reissue old material, such as a remastered Into Battle on CD, with bonus tracks, and a compilation SACD called Reconstructed. In early 2004, the Iris Light label released an Art of Noise tribute album, containing covers of various tracks, including a new version of "Beat Box" performed by J.J. Jeczalik under his Art of Silence moniker. Discography
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Jeczalik under his Art of Silence moniker. look at this city!") However, while impressive from a technical and critical
standpoint, it was disappointing as a pop album, being almost too deliberate and seeming to lack the humor, accidental beauty,
and edginess of the early Art of Noise releases. " Ich bin ein Berliner." The group temporarily reformed, adding virtuoso guitarist Lol Creme but leaving J.J. Berlin hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1998, Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Anne Dudley began talking about the original intent of the project, its relevance in 20th century music, and the impending turn of a new century. There are many films which were set in or portray the special "Berlin-Atmosphere" from different eras, among them are:-. The same four also appeared on Malcolm Maclaren's 1982 album "Duck Rock". Berlin was the centre of the German Film Industry until 1945. Many of the samples used on that album also appear on "Into Battle...". Universal Music opened its European headquarters on the banks of the River Spree in an area known as the mediaspree (http://www.mediaspree.de) which is planned to develop into one of Europe's leading centers of media-related industries. Jeczalik providing arrangements and keyboard programming. Shortly thereafter, German MTV also decided to move its headquarters and main studios from Munich to Berlin. Four-fifths of The Art of Noise worked on the Yes album "90125", with Trevor Horn producing, Gary Langan engineering, and Anne Dudley and J.J. Signs of this expanding role were the 2003 announcement that the annual Popkomm, the world's largest music industry convention, would move to Berlin after 15 years in Cologne. Jeczalik also embarked on a new career in futures trading. Despite the city's declining overall population and relatively high unemployment levels, a significant number of young Germans and artists continue to settle in the city, and Berlin has established itself as the premeire center of youth and pop culture in German-speaking Europe. In 1995–1997, Jeczalik and In No Sense? Nonsense! co-engineer Bob Kraushaar produced a number of instrumentals oriented toward dance clubs under the name Art of Silence. Berlin's annual Carnival of Cultures, a multi-ethnic street parade, and Chistopher Street Day celebrations, Central Europe's largest gay-lesbian pride event, are openly supported by the city's government and are visited by millions of Berliners each year.*[19] (http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/unterwegs/e_uw_berlinprogramm_gay.html)**[20] (http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_gay_bezirke.php). The most famous of these is probably The Full Monty, which won an Academy Award for Original Music Score. The art scene in Berlin is extremely rich, and the city offers one of the most diverse and vibrant nightlife scenes in Europe. Most Berliners take great pride in their city's reputation as one of the most socially progressive cities on the continent. Dudley became well-known for composing numerous film and television scores in the 1990s. It also was home to many nightclubs, including the world-famous Techno clubs Tresor, WMF, Ufo and E-Werk. The only one that was noteworthy was The Prodigy's masterful 1991 rework of "Instruments of Darkness" from In Visible Silence. The China label eventually folded. Illegally occupied by young people, they had become a fertile ground for all sorts of underground and counter-culture gatherings. Some of these featured new remixes by other artists. Many had not been rebuilt since World War II. The 1990s saw China Records releasing various disappointing Art of Noise compilations: The Ambient Collection, The FON Mixes, The Drum and Bass Collection, Art Works, and reissues of Best Of without the ZTT-era tracks. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 many houses in the city center of former East Berlin (today the district Mitte) were partially destroyed. In 1990, Dudley and Jeczalik declared the Art of Noise was done, although they did assist in the promotion of the lightly remixed The Ambient Collection compilation that the China label released to cash in on the burgeoning ambient house scene. Another difference between former east and west is in the design of little red and green men on pedestrian crossing lights (Ampelmännchen in German); the eastern versions received an opt-out during the standardisation of road traffic signs after re-unification, and survived to become a popular icon in tourist products. The followup album, Below the Waste, with only a few inspired tunes, sounded like a hollow imitation of its predecessors, lacking the aesthetic and creative fullness of previous releases, and failing to achieve much success upon its release in 1989. In the eastern part, many Plattenbauten can be found, reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas with fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens and schools. Only the first edition of the compilation contained tracks licensed from ZTT, though, diluting the band's reputation in later years. By looking at the architecture it is still possible to tell if one is in the former eastern or western part of the city. China Records included the song on a greatest hits album, and it also appeared on subsequent albums by Jones. The East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain near the Oberbaumbrücke over the Spree preserves a portion of the Wall. In 1988, a lackluster, one-off collaboration with singer Tom Jones, a cover of Prince's "Kiss" (a staple in Jones' stage shows) renewed the public's interest in the Art of Noise and provided their biggest hit in the mainstream. Not much is left of the actual Berlin Wall. It didn't score any hits, although their record label tried mightily to push remixes of "Dragnet" into the dance clubs. The city's tense and unique recent history has left it with a distinctive array of sights. The album featured Jeczalik's best rhythmic collages to date, plus lush string arrangements, pieces for boys' choir, and keyboard melodies from Dudley. It would not be an exaggeration to say that no other city in the world offers Berlin's unusual mix of architecture, especially 20th century architecture. That year saw the release of their album In No Sense? Nonsense!, which is considered by many to be among their best work, despite the inclusion of arguably "cutesy" tracks composed for the soundtracks of the movies Dragnet and Disorderlies. Much of this destruction was caused by overambitious architecture programs, especially in order to build new residential or business quarters and main roads. By 1987, the band's membership was down to just Jeczalik and Dudley. Berlin was devastated by bombing raids during World War II, and many of the old buildings that escaped the bombs were eradicated in the 1950s and 1960s in both West and East. The upcoming soundtrack pieces continued The Art of Noise's evolution into a pop band and away from Morley's faceless "non-group.". Each of the national governments which had their seat in Berlin — the 1871 German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, East Germany, and now the reunified Germany — initiated ambitious construction programs, each with its own distinctive character. Around 1986, Jeczalik and Dudley started appearing in photographs without masks, alienating some fans that had come to appreciate Morley's "art for art's sake" asthetic. Even though Berlin does have a number of impressive buildings from earlier centuries, the city's appearance today is mainly shaped by the key role it played in Germany's history in the 20th century. From this same album, the "Beat Box"-like single "Legs" was a mild underground hit in dance clubs, and "Paranoimia" achieved some success when a remix of it was released as a single with overdubbed vocal samples provided by the supposedly computer-generated character Max Headroom. Ministries and Government Offices moved back from Bonn to Berlin in 1997/1998. This album spawned the Grammy award-winning cover of the Peter Gunn theme, recorded with twangy guitar legend Duane Eddy reprising the lead rather than just being sampled. Berlin once more became the capital of a unified Germany. The remaining members moved to the UK-based China Records label, keeping some of the band's original imagery and ethos alive in their second album, In Visible Silence. The German Parliament, the Bundestag, voted in June 1991 to move the German capital back from Bonn to Berlin. In 1985, Morley and Horn split from the group and pursued other projects. By the time of German reunification on 3 October 1990, the Wall had been almost completely demolished, with only small sections remaining. Critics' reviews of Into Battle and the more fully realized Who's Afraid (of the Art of Noise?) album (1984) were mixed, with some hailing the group's unique, deconstructive approach to sound and song construction, and others dismissing them as a pretentious novelty band. The Berlin Wall was breached on November 9, 1989. The early videos for "Close (to the Edit)" were impressive and unusual, becoming cult favorites on MTV. As many businesses did not want to operate in West Berlin due to its physical and economic isolation from the outside, the West German government subsidized any businesses that did operate in West Berlin. Musically, aside from the cleverness of deftly juxtaposing found sounds, the project was also intended to pay homage to the influence of Claude Debussy, who revolutionized popular music at the beginning of the 20th century, and to the sonic "Art of Noises" experiments of Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo. The West Berlin police were not legally allowed to enter the space between the border and the wall, as it was technically in East Berlin and outside their jurisdiction; many people took the opportunity to throw loud parties in this space, with the West Berlin authorities powerless to intervene. Band members never appeared in photos without masks, and sleeve art was filled with manifestos, quotes, photographs, and graphic design elements that stood in stark contrast to the unimaginative photo-of-the-band-and-some-lyrics motifs that were typical at the time. The physical wall was set some distance behind the actual sector border, up to several meters behind in some places. Morley managed the packaging of the project as a faceless "non-group", a work of art, itself, that merely existed. The Wall afforded unique opportunities for social gatherings. It immediately scored a hit in the urban and alternative dance charts in the USA with the highly percussive, cut-up instrumental track "Beat Box," a favorite among breakdancers. West Berlin was especially popular with young German left wing radicals, as residence in West Berlin exempted one from the obligatory military service required of young people in West Germany proper; the Kreuzberg district became especially well known for its high concentration of young radicals. The group's debut EP, Into Battle with the Art of Noise, appeared in September 1983 on Horn's fledgling ZTT label. In the sixties, West Berlin became one of the centers of the European student movement. With Paul Morley providing much of the band's art direction, Horn, Dudley, Jeczalik, and Langan formed the initial incarnation of The Art of Noise. On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed, physically separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany, as a response to massive numbers of East German citizens fleeing into West Berlin as a way to escape to the west. This was at first done with very little input from musicians "playing" instruments as they would in a typical band, but later works introduced traditional instruments into the mix. See Uprising of 1953 in East Germany. These sounds were then assembled, in the studio, into various instrumental arrangements and sound collages. Juni in honor of the uprising, and June 17th was proclaimed a national holiday in West Germany. Samples, some borrowed from other pieces of music, such as the baritone "dum" from "Leave It" by Yes, but most coming from original sources had to be bathed in reverb to mask the early sampler's low fidelity. The continuation of Unter den Linden on the western side of the Brandenburg Gate was renamed Straße des 17. While some musicians were using samples as adornment in their works, Horn and his companions saw the potential to craft entire compositions with the sampler, tossing the traditional rock aesthetic out the window, or at least turning it on its ear. The uprising had to be suppressed by Soviet troops after the East German police failed to quell the unrest. With the Fairlight, short digital sound recordings called samples could be "played" through a piano-like keyboard. They called for a general strike the next day, June 17; the general strike and protest marches turned into rioting and spread throughout East Germany. The technological impetus for the Art of Noise was the advent of the Fairlight CMI sampler, an electronic musical instrument that Horn was reportedly among the first to purchase. Construction workers building the showpiece Stalin-Allee in East Berlin went on strike on June 16, 1953, to demand a reduction in recent work-quota increases. Jeczalik, and mixing engineer Gary Langan. West Germany, formed on 23 May 1949 from the American, British and French Zones, had its capital in Bonn. In his employ were keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, keyboardist/programmer J.J. East Berlin became the capital of East Germany when the country was formed from the Soviet Occupation Zone in October 1949. In 1983, Trevor Horn, who had achieved a New Wave hit in 1981 with "Video Killed The Radio Star", which he recorded with Geoff Downes under the name The Buggles, was working in the studio with Yes on what would become the album 90125, and with Frankie Goes To Hollywood on what would become the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. The blockade lasted almost an entire year, ending when the Soviets once again allowed ground access to West Berlin on May 11, 1949. The band is noted for their innovative use of electronics and computers in pop music and particularly for innovative use of sampling. The western Allies undertook a massive logistical effort to supply the western sectors of the city through the Berlin Airlift, known by the Berliners as "die Luftbrücke" (The Air-Bridge). Inspired by turn-of-the-century revolutions in music, the Art of Noise was initially packaged as a faceless anti- or non-group, blurring the distinction between the art and its creators. In response to Allied efforts to fuse the American, French, and British sectors of western Germany into a federal state, American refusal to grant the Soviets war reparations from industrial areas of western Germany, and to a currency reform undertaken by the western powers without Soviet approval, the Soviets blocked ground access to West Berlin on June 26, 1948, in what became known as the "Berlin Blockade". The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel and often clever melodic sound collages based on digital sampling technology, which was new at the time. The council continued to govern West Berlin, with the same rotating leadership policy, though now only amongst France, Great Britain, and the United States. The Art of Noise was a pop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session musicians/studio hands Anne Dudley, J.J. Jeczalik, and Gary Langan. Though the city was initially governed by a Four Power Allied Control Council with a leadership that rotated monthly, the Soviets withdrew from the council as East-West relations deteriorated and began governing their sector independently. Reconstructed (2004). Berlin's unique situation as a city half controlled by Western forces in the middle of the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany made it a natural focal point in the Cold War. The Seduction of Claude Debussy (1999). This practice also continued in East Berlin and the Soviet occupation zone after 1945. The Ambient Collection (1990). The Soviets used the time from May 1945 to July 1945 to dismantle industry, transport and other facilities in West Berlin, including removing railway tracks as reparations for German war damage in the Soviet Union. Below the Waste (1989). They handed the American, British and French sectors (later known as West Berlin) to the American and British Forces in July, 1945; the French occupied their sector a little later. The Best of the Art of Noise (1988). The Soviet victors of the Battle of Berlin immediately occupied all of Berlin. Re-works of Art of Noise (1987). Greater Berlin was divided into four sectors by the Allies under the London Protocol of 1944: one each for. In No Sense? Nonsense! (1987). The so called "Stunde Null" marked a new beginning for the city. In Visible Silence (1986). By the end of the Second World War, up to 70% of Berlin had been destroyed by concerted Allied air raids and street fighting. Daft (1985). Hitler's Reich Chancellory was demolished by Soviet occupation authorities, red marble from the Chancellory was used to renovate the adjacent war damaged subway station U-Bahnhof Mohrenstraße and the remaining rubble was used in the construction of Soviet War Memorial at Treptower Park in Berlin. (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art of Noise! (1984). Hermann Göring's Reichsluftfahrtministerium (National Ministry of Aviation), Tempelhof International Airport, Olympiastadion, and a series of streetlights on the East-West Axis on Kaiserdamm and Straße der 17 Juni are all that remain. Into Battle With the Art of Noise EP (1983). Today only a few structures bear witness to the large-scale plans of Germania. Hitler also thought the Allied airstrikes very practical, mostly because it made demolishing the old Berlin so much cheaper. But the construction never started, as Hitler decided it would be madness to start such a project during a war. The project was to finish in 1950, and Berlin was to be re-named "Germania" on that occasion. It was projected to be a monument commemorating those fallen during World War I and World War II. Additionally, halfway down the avenue there would have been a huge arch 117 meters high, and so large that the Arc de Triomphe in Paris would fit inside it. At the other end you would have had the new railway station and next to it Tempelhof Airport. From The Great Hall, a southbound avenue was planned, the Avenue of Victory, 23 meters wide and 5.6 km long. It was planned to be large enough to hold 170,000 people, and the sweat and heat produced by those people was predicted to be able to generate clouds and rain inside the dome. Peter's Basilica in Rome and with an enormous dome. On the site of todays Parliamentary offices (Paul-Löbe-Haus) adjacent to the Reichstag, Speer planned to construct The Great Hall, 250 meters high and seven times broader than St. (Berlin was and is a center of left-wing political activity in Germany, and its residents largely opposed the Nazis' rise to power.) Therefore he and his architect Albert Speer made enormous plans for the new Berlin. During this period, Adolf Hitler had great plans to transform Berlin, because he thought that Berlin was one of the ugliest cities in the world, and he hated it. It remained Germany's capital during the Weimar Republic and under the Nazis' Third Reich. Although it was the residence of the Prussian kings, Berlin's population did not greatly expand until the 19th century, mainly after becoming the capital of the German Empire in 1871. The overall impression one gets when visiting Berlin today is one of great discontinuity, visibly reflecting the many ruptures of Germany's difficult history in the 20th century. In 1709, Berlin-Cölln was joined together with 'Friedrichswerder', the 'Dorotheenstadt' and 'Friedrichstadt' under the name of Berlin, with 60,000 inhabitants. In January 18, 1701, Frederick III was crowned King Frederick I in Prussia and made Berlin the capital of the new kingdom of Prussia. From 1688 on the Friedrichstadt was built and settled. Some years later (from 1674 on), the Dorotheenstadt was constructed in a bow of the river Spree northwest of the Spreeinsel (Spree Island), where the Palace was situated. The boulevard is called Unter den Linden. A boulevard with six rows of trees was laid down between the park Tiergarten and the Palace in 1647. During his government Berlin reached 20,000 inhabitants and became significant among the cities in Central Europe for the first time. In 1640 Frederick William took regency in the principality of Brandenburg. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Berlin's population shrank from 10,000 to 6,000. In 1576, the bubonic plague killed about 4,000 people in the city. At that time Berlin-Cölln numbered about 8,000 inhabitants. The first City Palace was built on the embankment of the river Spree from 1443 to 1451. 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. Their urban development took place in parallel for 400 years, until Cölln and Berlin were finally unified under the name of Berlin in 1709, including the suburbs Friedrichswerder, Dorotheenstadt, and Friedrichstadt. Both cities formed a trade union in 1307, and participated in the Hanse. Unfortunately, the great town center fire of 1830 damaged most written records of those early days. Cölln is first mentioned on October 28th, 1237 in documents; Berlin in 1244. The city developed out of two settlements, Berlin and Cölln, on both sides of the river Spree, in today's borough Mitte. Berlin itself is one of Europe's younger cities, with its origin in the 12th century. 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. This seems to be the closest settlement to the area which is today known as Berlin and was called Spandow (todays Spandau). The Heveller founded another place at the river Havel in about 750. Close to the river Spree in todays borough of Berlin Köpenick the Sprewanen were found. The Heveller settled at the river Havel with their central settlement in Brennabor which later has become the town of Brandenburg. At about 720 two Slavic tribes settled in the Berlin region. see also: History of Berlin. The district mayors form the council of mayors, called Rat der Bürgermeister under leadership of the Regierende Bürgermeister (governing mayor) to advise the Senat. 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. Each Borough 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. For a map and a list of the old and new borough names, see Boroughs of Berlin. Berlin is subdivided into 12 boroughs, called Bezirke, which have been merged from the previously existing 23 boroughs, effective since January 1, 2001. The current Senat consists of a coalition of the social democrat SPD and the socialist PDS. The city and state parliament is called the Abgeordnetenhaus or House of Representatives. Presently, this office is held by Klaus Wowereit (SPD); for earlier mayors, see the list of Mayors of Berlin. The governing mayor is mayor of the city and representative of the Bundesland (state) at the same time. Berlin is governed by the Senat of Berlin which consists of the Regierender Bürgermeister (governing mayor) and up to 8 senators, holding ministerial portfolios. Since the day of the German reunification, October 3, 1990, it is one of the three city states, together with Hamburg and Bremen that form the present 16 German Bundesländer. Berlin used to be part of Brandenburg, but became a separate city state in 1920. It is enclosed by the German state (Bundesland) of Brandenburg, and constitutes a state of its own. Berlin is located on the rivers Spree and Havel in the northeast of Germany. It is also the second-largest city in the European Union after London. Berlin [ bɜˈlɪn] (German [beɐˈliːn]) is the national capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,387,404 inhabitants (as of September 2004); down from 4.5 million before World War II. Hafen Neukölln (Port Neukölln) - with only 19,000 m² the smalest port; transshipment of building materials. Osthafen (Eastport) - the area of 57,500 m² is still in use, but partly under urban redevelopment. Südhafen (Southport) - an area of about 103,000 m² for transshipment of pieced and heavy goods. Westhafen (Westport) - largest port in Berlin with an area of 173,000 square meters; transshipment of grain, pieced and heavy goods. Berlin Airports Website (http://www.berlin-airport.de). Tempelhof International Airport (THF), to close 2006. Tegel International Airport (TXL), to close after BBI starts operations (in 2007). Schönefeld International Airport (SXF), to be expanded and renamed Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) in 2007. A map of the current Public Transport Network (http://www.bvg.de/images/sunetz_aktuell.pdf) (BVG). All means of public transport, U- & S- Bahn, Trams, Buses and Ferries can be accessed with the same ticket. Passenger Ferry. Bus,. Straßenbahn, a tram system mainly located in eastern Berlin. S-Bahn, mostly overground urban railway system. U-Bahn, Metro subway system. 90°. WMF (Café Moskau) wmfclub.de (http://www.wmfclub.de/). Watergate water-gate.de (http://www.water-gate.de/). Tresor tresorberlin.com (http://www.tresorberlin.com/). Sternradio. Steinhaus steinhaus-berlin.de (http://www.steinhaus-berlin.de/). Soda Club at Kulturbrauerei. SO36. Sage Club sage-club.de (http://www.sage-club.de/). Polar.tv. Matrix. Maria am Ostbahnhof clubmaria.de (http://www.clubmaria.de/). Magnet magnet-club.de (http://www.magnet-club.de/). Knaack Club knaack-berlin.de (http://www.knaack-berlin.de/). Kinzo. Kato. Kalkscheune kalkscheune.de (http://www.kalkscheune.de/). Icon. Big Eden. Bastard (Prater). Arena. 2BE Club (Old WMF Location). Komische Oper. Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Deutsche Oper. Renaissance Theater. Maxim Gorki Theater [44] (http://www.gorki.de). Grips-Theater. Theater des Westens [43] (http://www.theater-des-westens.de). Berliner Ensemble [42] (http://www.berliner-ensemble.de). Deutsches Theater [41] (http://www.deutsches-theater.de). Volksbühne [40] (http://www.volksbuehne-berlin.de). Schaubühne [39] (http://www.schaubuehne.de). Prussian Palaces and Gardens in Berlin [38] (http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=1&sessionLanguage=en). Berlin Wall Documentation Center [37] (http://www.berliner-mauer-dokumentationszentrum.de/index_e.html). Museum of Medical History [36] (http://www.charite.de/kompakt/english/p8.00_frame.html). German Museum of Technology [35] (http://www.dtmb.de/index_en.html). Museum of Natural History [34] (http://www.museum.hu-berlin.de/home.asp?lang=1). Flick Collection [33] (http://www.hamburgerbahnhof.de/FCFC/hbflickausse.html). F.C. Berlin Picture Gallery (Gemaeldegalerie) [32] (http://www.museen-berlin.de/gg/e/s.html). The Berggruen Collection (Picasso and his Age) [31] (http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/shb/e/s.html). Vitra Design Museum [30] (http://www.design-museum.de/berlin.php). Museum of European Cultures [29] (http://www.museen-berlin.de/mek/e/s.html). Kaethe Kollwitz Museum [28] (http://www.dhm.de/museen/kollwitz/english/home.htm). German Film Museum [27] (http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/veranstaltungen/e_ve_filmmuseum.html). Deutsche Guggenheim Museum [26] (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/e/). Broehan Museum [25] (http://www.broehan-museum.de/home1.htm). Bauhaus Museum [24] (http://www.bauhaus-archiv.de/english/index.htm). Berlin State Gallery [23] (http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/en/71-1-1_0.htm). Museum of European Cultures. Hamburger Bahnhof (Museum for the Present - Berlin). Jewish Museum Berlin. Old National Gallery (Old National Gallery), 19th-century painting and sculpture[22] (http://www.smpk.de/ang/e/s.html). Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), one of the last buildings by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Museum for Post and Telecommunication. German Museum of Technology in Kreuzberg, located at the site of an old freight train hub. Museum Island with the Altes Museum, Pergamon Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie. Archenhold Observatory Archenhold-Sternwarte [21] (http://www.astw.de). Good-Bye Lenin!, set in Berlin in 1989. Run Lola Run, filmed in post-reunification Berlin and Potsdam. Wings of Desire 1980's divided Berlin. Cabaret. One, Two, Three (Cold War). The Blue Angel (1930´s Depression). Tierpark Friedrichsfelde, founded by the GDR in a historic castle park in eastern Berlin. Zoologischer Garten Berlin, Berlin's eldest zoo located in the city center. Technische Fachhochschule [18] (http://www.tfh-berlin.de). Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler [17] (http://www.hfm-berlin.de). Fachhochschule für Wirtschaft [16] (http://www.fhw-berlin.de). Fachhochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft [15] (http://www.fhtw-berlin.de). Katholische Fachhochschule [14] (http://www.khsb-berlin.de/). Evangelische Fachhochschule [13] (http://www.evfh-berlin.de). Alice-Salomon-Fachhochschule für Sozialarbeit/-pädagogik [12] (http://www.asfh-berlin.de). Universität der Künste [11] (http://www.udk-berlin.de). Charité [10] (http://www.charite.de) (Medical Faculty of Freie and Humboldt-Universität). Technische Universität Berlin [9] (http://www.tu-berlin.de). Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin [8] (http://www.hu-berlin.de). Freie Universität Berlin [7] (http://www.fu-berlin.de). It is located in Friedrichshain and Mitte. The Karl-Marx-Allee, a boulevard lined by monumental landmark buildings designed in the Socialist Classicism of the Stalin era. Juni connects the Brandenburg Gate in the East and Ernst-Reuter-Platz in the West, commemorating the uprisings in East Berlin of June 17, 1953. It features the golden Siegessäule (Statue of Victory), which used to stand in front of the Reichstag. The Straße des 17. Also nearby is the Zoologischer Garten, a zoo with the largest number of species. The church was bombed out in World War II and its ruins have been preserved in their damaged state. Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm), with the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), which lies right at the top end of Kurfürstendamm, on Breitscheidplatz (underground station Kurfürstendamm). Friedrichstraße, Berlin's legendary street of the "Golden Twenties" which combines the tradition of the last century with modern architecture of today's Berlin. Part of Humboldt University is located there. Many Classical buildings line the street. Unter den Linden is the street that heads east from the Brandenburg Gate. Power station Reutter. Power station Berlin-Wilmersdorf. TV Tower Berlin-Mueggelberge. Radar facility Berlin-Teufelsbberg. Radio mast Berlin-Olympiastadium. Transmitter Berlin-Alley of Stallupone. Radio mast Berlin-Scholzplatz. Transmitter Berlin-Britz. Richtfunkstelle Berlin-Frohnau. Fernmeldeturm Berlin (Berlin Telephone Tower). Mueggelturm — A tower giving panoramic views over the Mueggelsee lake. Siegessäule [6] (http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/cgi-bin/sehenswertes.pl?id=13353) — the monument at the Großer Stern situated in the middle of the Tiergarten where it was relocated during 1938 / 1939 from its previous position in front of the Reichstag . Bell Tower at the Olympic Stadium [5] (http://www.glockenturm.de) — is part of the Reichssportfeld complex, the tower offers a view of the Olympic Stadium and also of the Waldbühne. Berliner Dom [4] (http://www.berliner-dom.de) — situated next to the Lustgarten and the Berlin Cathedral which has a circular observation platform around the dome. 1970s style tower in the Berlin Borough of Steglitz with a café & bar at the top giving views over the south-west of Berlin. Bierpinsel — Literally "Beer Stick". Französischer Dom [3] (http://www.franzoesischer-dom-berlin.de) — located on Gendarmenmarkt in the very heart of the city, the platform of the cathedral offers unique views. Grunewaldturm [2] (http://www.grunewaldturm.de) — this 59-metre high historic tower stands on a hill in the Grunewald forest close to the Wannsee lake. The whole of the city can be viewed from its 204-metre high observation platform. Berlin Television Tower [1] (http://www.berlinerfernsehturm.de/) — 368 metre high television tower, built in 1969 close to Alexanderplatz. Berliner Funkturm— the only observation tower in the world which stands on insulators! Open air observation deck which is ideal for photography!. This area was a centre of Jewish culture before the Nazis. This includes the New Synagogue area in Oranienburger Straße (originally built in the 1860s in Moorish style with a large golden dome, and reconstructed in 1993), and the Hackesche Höfe, a conglomeration of several buildings around several courtyards, nicely reconstructed after 1996. Hackescher Markt, Spandauer Vorstadt and Scheunenviertel, the home to fashionable culture, with countless small clothing shops, clubs, bars, and galleries. A must-see for people who like modern city planning. The historic Potsdamer Platz was not rebuilt as it was divided by the Wall. Potsdamer Platz, an entire quarter built from scratch after 1995. The museum, which is a private venture, exhibits interesting material about people who devised ingenious plans to leave the East, but is controversial in the city for its propagandistic Cold War didactics and publicity stunts that many consider tasteless. Checkpoint Charlie, remains and a museum about one of the crossing points (albeit restricted to Allied forces) in the Berlin Wall. Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech. Rathaus Schöneberg with John-F.-Kennedy-Platz, whence John F. Rotes Rathaus(the Red City Hall), historic town hall famous for its distinctive red-brick architecture. East Side Gallery a memorial for freedom based on the last parts of the Berlin Wall. It is now a thoroughly Westernized shopping center. Alexanderplatz, formerly East Berlin's major shopping center, and home to the Centrum-Warenhaus, which was the DDR's department store. The Fernsehturm is easily visible throughout most of the central districts of Berlin. The Fernsehturm, the TV tower, the highest building in the city at 368 m (1207 ft), and the second largest structure in Europe (after Moscow's Ostankino Tower). The Palace Square was renamed Marx-Engels-Platz at the same time. The Palast der Republik is built on the site of the Berlin City Palace, which was demolished in 1950 by the Communists. Although it has some significance as a historical tourist attraction, the German Parliament voted for its demolition, which will commence in 2005. It is seen by some as ugly, former East Berliners remember with affection restaurants, shops, clubs, and the concerts that took place there in the 1980s. The Palast der Republik, the old East German parliament building. The Tiergarten was largely deforested by 1948 because it served as a source of firewood for the devastated city. Tiergarten is Berlin's largest park and a masterpiece of park building. The Neptunbrunnen, a famous fountain in Berlin Mitte. Nikolaiviertel with the Nikolaikirche a historical city core founded in the 13th century. Hedwig (St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale). Cathedral of St. A large crypt houses the remains of the Prussian royal family. The Berliner Dom, a historic cathedral. Berlin victory column, monument to Prussia's victories. Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin surrounded by two famous cathedrals and the concert hall. Features a glass dome in which you can walk around and watch the parliamentarians from above. Reichstag building, the old and new seat of the German parliament, renovated by Sir Norman Foster. The Brandenburg Gate appears on German Euro coins. The Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden, symbols of Berlin, Prussia, and now Germany. the Soviet Union, consisting of the Boroughs of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow, Weissensee, Friedrichshain, Lichtenberg, Treptow and Köpenick. France, consisting of the Boroughs of Wedding and Reinickendorf;. the United Kingdom, consisting of the Boroughs of Tiergarten, Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf and Spandau;. the United States, consisting of the Boroughs of Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Tempelhof, Schöneberg, Steglitz and Zehlendorf;. |