To the north of the city centre can be found the Oranienburger
Strasse. This area was once the centre of Berlin's Jewish community
and in the years after the First World War attracted a lively
mix of artists, writers and thinkers. Following the Second World
War the area fell into decay but now, with buildings being restored
and renovated and with numerous cafes and bars, it is now fast
becoming a popular place to visit. It's here that you'll find
the old Jewish cemetery (now a park) and the newly restored Neue
Synagogue. The Natural History Museum, one of the largest in the
world, is found in this area, on Invalidenstrasse. Also on Invalidenstrasse,
if modern art is high on your list then don't miss visiting the
Hamburger Bahnhof, once the Hamburg Railway Station.
The Tiergarten is another 'must see'.
Once a a royal hunting estate, it became a park in the 1700s.
Before 1939 nearby Potsdamer Platz was filled with department
stores, banks and businesses. Many of these buildings didn't survive
the war and, with the building of The Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz
found itself in East Berlin whilst the Tiergarten area was in
West Berlin. Potsdamer Platz became an area of desolation but,
with the fall of The Wall and reunification the area has become
the scene of major developments, including the new impressive
government buildings near the Reichstag.
The area is once again at the centre of Berlin's cultural, political
and business activities. High on your list of 'must sees' could
be the Kunstgewerbemuseum, the Museum of Arts and Crafts containing
a wealth of decorative items from early middle ages to the modern.
The collection was once housed in Schloss Charlottenburg but is
now largely in the purpose built building.
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North Berlin Info. Local Sights, culture and more Germany
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