When it comes to geography some places cause confusion and Berlin is one such place. The city’s complex history, political borders, and evolving cultural landscape have led many to wonder: is Berlin Eastern Europe? To answer this question it is necessary to view more precisely the factors which determine the belonging of the region to Eastern Europe and the peculiarities of Berlin.
Understanding Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is also a differentiated area of its own with certainly own peculiarities caused by history, culture, and politics. Usually when people speak of Eastern Europe they are actually pointing to the region in the eastern part of the European continent. Yet the accurate identification of the extent of this region is relatively a tricky task because of the numerous historical and political changes.
Factors Influencing Eastern Europe
Many conditions serve as determinants of labeling a country or region as being in eastern Europe. These factors may include:
History: It is important to note that Cold War friendship or alliance with Soviet Union is common history of many of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Geography:Many countries in proximity to those that are normally defined as belonging to Eastern Europe including Russia and Poland and the Baltic States are also often referred to as part of Eastern Europe.
Culture:There is cultural heritage in the form of language, religion and practices which are part of the definition of Eastern Europe.
Politics:Additional information that is also used to describe the geographical area of Eastern Europe is political, for example membership in the European Union.
History: Religions Legacies associated with the Soviet Union, especially in the Cold War period are usually linked to the Eastern European nations.
History:
Geography: Countries from the Balkan state area as well as nations geographically close to better-known states belonging to the eastern European subregion, for instance, Russia, Poland and the Baltic nations are also deemed to belong to this subregion.
Geography:
Culture: Regional cultural factors such as language, religion and culture scoop over the region and can be used to pin down Eastern Europe.
Culture:
Politics: Additional information can be found regarding political alignment, for example, the Eastern European countries that are also EU members.
Politics:
Evaluating Berlin’s Geographical Identity
Being in the central Europe and the experience of it going through vital changes in socio political formations, Berlin has always featured in the discourses relating to eastern Europe. However, putting Berlin in the Eastern European region might be a little misleading when looking at the many-sided city. Here are some key points to consider:
Historical Significance
Berlin is one of the world’s great cities of history and it lies at the intersection of Western and Eastern cultural worlds. In the period of of cold war, it was a city which was divided into Western of Berlin and eastern Berlin which was part of the eastern Germany. It also established the division of the city that makes Berlin a unique city because it linked the East and Western countries.
Geographical Location
Berlin is in the north-eastern region of Germany and on the eastern edge of the country. It is even nearer some of the eastern European nations than many of the western European cities. But here, co-location does not tell the full story of a city’s geographical problems.
Cultural Fusion
The current Berlin culture as a growing city has been influenced by both blank and eastern culture. The population density, cultural background, traditional and historical significance as well as artistic scene of the city mean the city is an example of a polycentric hub of multicultural nucleation that defies geographical taxonomy.
Political Alignment
Belief Berlin has been the capital of a reunified Germany since 1990 which makes it centre for reunification. Nowadays Germany is politically and economically distinguished as the part of Western Europe, and the capital of the country – Berlin continues to be not only the center of diplomatic relations but also European center of the art.
So, Is Berlin Eastern Europe?
Though Berlin shares historical connections to the states of Eastern Europe and is even closer to most of these states that many western European cities, it cannot be deemed fully as Eastern Europe because of the characteristic it has adopted and mainly due to the fact that it fully aligns politically with western Europe.
Dynamic multicultural framework of Berlin reflect the possibility of the state to go beyond geographic concepts and to appreciate cultural differences inherent in history. As different neighborhoods or strikingselected museums, it is only comprehensible as a concept how best Berlin is a cosmopolitan city through firsthand experience.
Therefore, whether you are going to walk along the parts of the Cold War death line in Berlin or have a great night life party time, you should bear in mind that farther than being a symbol of divided city or the power struggle capital of the world, Berlin is much more than that.
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