Once a year, during the Berlinale film festival, the world of the silver screen focuses on Berlin. And the city’s inhabitants are used to global interest. After all, the people of Berlin have lived in a capital city since 1458. However, there is also a shady side to the city’s history: the rule of the National Socialists and the East German regime, which built a wall right through the heart of the city. Since 1990, Berlin has once again been the undivided capital city. The Museum Island, the Berlin Philharmonic and some 150 theaters ensure the city is unique. The “scholarly capital” boasts 20 institutes of higher education, while also being home to outstanding firms such as Bayer Schering Pharma or Philip Morris. And the ITB, the world’s largest tourism fair, highlights the fact that “Berlin is well worth a visit”.