Berlin has been at the center of European history over the last two centuries. It was the hub of Europe's industrialization in the nineteenth century, the capital of the Nazi state in the mid-twentieth century, and the battleground for Eastern and Western power struggles between 1945 and 1989. Now an historic world capital, the city has become a fascinating microcosm of the New Europe, marked by active involvement in the European Union and progressive social welfare policies but also by struggles with political extremism and tensions over immigration. Lexia students will be able to study firsthand changing notions of German and European identity and the continuing impact of history, politics, and memory on people's daily lives.