Urbanized areas of Germany are in many respects a result of political and/or territorial changes over time. First towns developed under the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. around military camps, where craftsmen and traders settled to provide for various needs of the soldiers. Market places or towns grew spontaneously at focal points of trade routes. A third category were the coloniae, new towns founded by an act of the state as is the case of Cologne (KÖln, Roman name Colonia Agrippinensis). Berlin is made of two towns; Berlin and Coelln that merged together around 1300.These two towns can clearly be seen on map 1.The two towns were originally separated by the River Spree, but when the two towns merged the river was straddled by a bridge and one united town was created. It was a typical medieval independent city. Around 1685, 6000 Huguenots fled into Berlin. Huguenots were French Protestants, who fled France as they were being persecuted for their religious believes. It was at this point that the city was begun to be built up. The city was developed by the Prussian soldier king' Frederick William 1, who brought the focus back to the military spending 80% of all tax revenue on it, and in 1709, he made Berlin the capital. As Prussia became a great military power, Berlins importance grew as the country gained in influence, and became the centre of the enlightenment in Germany. The city's appearance also changed under Friedrich. During his reign Unter den Linden became a major thoroughfare, St Hedwig's Cathedral, the FranzÖsischer Dom (French Cathedral), the Opera House, and the Fridericianum Forum were built, and the Tiergarten was re-designed in a Baroque style. These buildings still dominate Berlin's inner city. The king's appreciation of the humanities paved the way for a new era of classical architecture. As there was a large French influence in the city, which can still be seen today, several buildings around the city built in the French style of that time still remain.
