Talk:History of Berlin

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Starting in the 6th century Slavic peoples from the east settled in the vacated area between the Elbe and Oder rivers. Oh please! This is just not the way anything like this happens ever in human history anywhere, unless plague has emptied an area first. Heat, cold, drought, lack of food drive nomads. each group is driven by the pressure from behind.Wetman 19:46, 27 Mar 2004 (UTC)

A more correct and detailed listing of all the archeological findings proving earlier settlements and cultures can be found in the german articles de:Berlin and de:Geschichte Berlins. They do not by the way mention the name of Berolina. This is IMHO only the latin name used in the earliest existing documents. I very much doubt that slavic people at that time used latin names for their settlements.
-- Ravn 23:23, 25 Jul 2004 (UTC)
It was the contrary, the settlement got its latin name after the Slavic name. Halibutt 06:44, Jul 26, 2004 (UTC)

In the text of this article you can read the statement Berlin became, under the rule of the philosopher on the throne, a center of the Enlightenment, the city of Immanuel Kant and Moses Mendelssohn. In fact, to my knowledge, Immanuel Kant spent most of his life in Koenigsberg. Maybe that statement could be rephrased to clarify its meaning and solve the apparent contradiction. pmoresch. 19:49, 18 Dec 2005.

Reading Immanuel Kant, it seems Kant's only connection to Berlin was that he came in second to Moses Mendelssohn in a Berlin Academy competition. I'm removing him from that sentence. Angr (talk) 22:27, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Vandalism

Is no one watching this article? I can't believe this piece of vandalism went unnoticed for three days! Arrgh! Angr (talk • contribs) 22:18, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] repeating itself about "exciting and interesting"

"1920s Berlin was a very exciting and interesting city." I don't think we need to have this sentence in the article twice? Which one to remove? Thanks! Evilbu 12:29, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Berolina -Berlin Bär -Berlin name

(Due to constant disruptive removal info entered here:)


Latin documents show Berolina as well as it is still today the 'other' name of Berlin

Berliner Stadtwappen is the Berlin Bär (English: bear) at least since used on a sigilum seal in 1280 and used continuously till today.

  • Bero = bear in Old High German, Modern German Bär
  • Bera = bear in Angle Saxon
  • Bere = bear in Middle English
  • bher-os = bear, beaver, brown dam on a river in Indo-European

For more information on the Bär (bear) on city arms of Berlin and Bern, see:

Heraldry of Berne

Labbas 15 December 2006

What's disruptive is not the removal of this irrelevant information, but its constant addition. For the umpteenth time, the word Berlin is not derived from the Germanic word for "bear". All reliable sources agree the name is of uncertain, probably Slavic, origin. The association with bears is folk etymology on the part of Germanic speakers who arrived on the scene later. —Angr 07:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You and anyones VERY ONESIDED POV, taking all documents, facts, info out, surpressing them, and o n l y make it look like the name is (probably) only Slavic origin is not acceptable. The documents, language connections, the use of the bear = Old High German bero' , the research pointing to a wildlife gathering place at the Furt all show continous use and connection to the bear and the Berolina and/or Berlin name. All reliable sources DO NOT agree with your version.
Labbas 14 December 2006
We have presented several published sources indicating the most plausible etymology as being of Slavic origin. You haven't presented a single source connecting the Germanic word for "bear" with the name "Berlin". Original research has no place at Wikipedia. —Angr 19:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Berlin Bär - Bear statement in question:

The name Berlin, which is pronounced /bə(r)ˈlɪn/ in English and /bɛɐˈliːn/ (help·info) in German, is of uncertain origin, but may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl- "swamp".[13]

One only has to look at the foundation of Berne, a city founded in the same era and also in the Holy Roman Empire at that time, which is named after the German name for bear, to realize the oddness of the previous exclusive statement insisted on at wikipedia.

Verona was also previously known as Bern, so was Bonn.

Labbas 14 December 2006