A system of municipal lodging-houses en ables the authorities at once to control the floating homeless population of the city and to provide sanitary and cheap lodgings for the needy. The poor-relief service is complete and thoroughly organized under municipal control. Berlin is divided for that purpose into 250 dis tricts, with as many local committees to take charge of the work. In addition to the salaried officers, between two and three thousand citizens, receiving no salary, are engaged in the work. In 1398 Berlin spent over 10,000,000 marks on poor-relief, not counting the expenditure of about 5,500,000 marks on hospitals free to the poor.
The population of the city has increased with great rapidity. From 202,000 in 1820, it grew to 411,000 in 1849, to 826,000 in 1871, 1,579,000 in 1890, and 1,901,567 in 1901.
The origin of Berlin dates back to the early part of the Twelfth Century, when a small fishing-village, inhabited by Wends, arose at a ford across the Spree, between the old settlements of Spandau and Kopenick. Near by there sprang up in the same period the village of K611n, and the two places prospered side by side. Early in the Thirteenth Century, Berlin acquired mu nicipal rights, and in the beginning of the Fif teenth Century it was one of the leading cities of the Middle Mark of Brandenburg, possessing extensive trading privileges, an independent mint, and its own courts of justice. From the close of the Fifteenth Century it was permanent ly the residence of the Hargraves of Branden burg. The introduction of the Reformed religion (1539) was the cause of many civil tumults, and the Thirty Years' War, in the course of which Berlin was besieged by the Swedes and the Im perialists, destroyed the growth of the town. Its population declined from 12,000 at the beginning of the war to 6000 at the end, and its trade was practically brought to a standstill. The town received new life from the Great Elector, Frederick William (1640-88), who rebuilt the deserted places, laid out suburbs, and surrounded the town with strong fortifications. By the
construction of a canal from the Spree to the Oder, he made Berlin an important centre of foreign commerce and shin-building, and he laid the foundation of its industrial prosperity by encouraging the settlement of immigrants from other countries, and especially of Huguenot refugees from France. The work of extending and beautifying the city was carried on by Frederick 1., the first King of Prussia, and his successors. In 1709 K611n, together with three suburbs, was united to Berlin. Under the patron age of Frederick the Great large manufactures of silk and cotton grew up, and toward the end of the Eighteenth Century, Berlin, from a gar rison town and royal residence, had become rather an industrial centre. Its growth con tinued steady in spite of its occupation by the Austrians in 1757, the Russians in 1760, and the French from 1806 to 1303. Under Frederick William 11I. and Frederick William 1V. the limits of the city were extended, many public buildings erected, and numerous public institu tions founded, chief among them the University of Berlin (1800). The last quarter of the Nine teenth Century was a period of tremendous growth in wealth and population. due in part to the great industrial development of the city, and in part to its position as the capital of the new and powerful German Empire.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. For history of Berlin, seeBibliography. For history of Berlin, see Ucber die Entstehung, des Alter end die f•iiheste Gesehiehtc der Stlidte Berlin undUn (Berlin, 1839) ; Streckfuss, 50o Jahre Berliner Gesehichic (Berlin, 18861 ; L. Geiger, Geschiehte des geistigen Lebens (Berlin, 1892) ; Pollard, A Ntudy in Municipal Government (London, 1893) .Shaw, Municipal Goveruao in Conti nental Europe (New York, 1895) ; Functions (New York, 1899 ) ; Statis tisehes Jahrbueh deutsche?• Stddte (Breslau, 1890-1901) ; Matistisches Jahrbueh der 8tudt Berlin (Berlin, 1397-1900).