ParisBerlin Shapes and Shades of History

From 1650 to 1789 the two cities werent on equal terms while Paris was the largest city on the European continent Berlin was merely emerging as a future capital This first episode explores how the French kings ndash and Louis XIV in particular ndash established the foundations of modern town planning and in so doing exerted a profound influence on the small town of Berlin

In the 18th century several battles had opposed the armies of Louis XV and Frederick the Great but until then nothing had seriously threatened relations between Paris and Berlin However in 1806 their shared history took a dramatic turn when Napoleons troops came and occupied the Prussian capital

Berlin is still merely the capital of a moderately important kingdom while Haussmanns enormous undertaking has made Paris the most modern city of its era A few months later Berlin became the capital of the most powerful empire of its time In contrast the French capital humiliated by its defeat was the theater of the Paris Commune rebellion

Paris and Berlins destinies at this point diverged forever Berlin became a divided city torn by diametrically opposed urban planning The Stalinallee a monumental avenue in East Berlin and the Hansaviertel a massive group of housing units scattered across West Berlin Paris densely populated with highly harmonious architecture was a city that refused to expand any further