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=== History ===
Unter den Linden, the second-broadest avenue in Europe<ref>Mott T. Greene (2015) ''Alfred Wegener : Science, Exploration, and the Theory of Continental Drift'' Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press p.1</ref>, stretches across Berlin from west to east. This grand boulevard derives its name from the meticulously arranged shade trees that flank its sides. Along its path, the avenue showcases neoclassical facades of ministries and palaces, while the Prussian State Library, Royal Opera, Friedrich-Wilhelms University, and Arsenal proudly display their pediments and porticoes. The journey along Unter den Linden culminates at the old Lustgarten, a magnificent parade ground facing the Imperial Palace on the Museum Island (Museum Insel), where the rich history of Berlin comes to life.
The Museum Insel (museum island) in the River Spree is the heart of Old Berlin, the site of the medieval towns of Berlin and Cölln, founded in the 13th century. By the 15th century, they had merged. Later, the construction of a castle had elevated the town to the "Seat of the Electors of Brandenburg" : the Hohenzollern , a family then just beginning its long climb up the ladder of imperial fortune.
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