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Royal residence and rapid growth
In 1701, following the coronation of elector prince Friedrich III as King Friedrich I of Prussia, Berlin was nominated to the status of royal residence and capital city. Myriad, famous buildings were edified during this period. Among 1740 and 1786, under the rule of both King Friedrich Wilhelm I (the Soldier King) and his successor Friedrich II (Frederick the Great), Berlin developed into Prussia's leading industrial city.
Berlin City Palace Frederick the Great commissioned the master builder Knobelsdorff to redesign the city's architecture. The number of the population climbed to over 150,000. Frederick the Great manifested a particular interest in sponsoring the sciences, art, and culture. Berlin became a centre for the Enlightenment.
From 1806-1808 the city was occupied by Napoleon's troops; following the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig in 1814, the Quadriga (four-horsed chariot), which Napoleon had removed, was returned to its place on the top of the Brandenburg Gate. Over the following decades, a number of classical buildings were erected by Schinkel, and gorgeous park areas were created by Lenné. From the mid-19th century the economy boomed and so did the population.
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Berlin History
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