What goes around, comes around. It might take about 800 years sometimes. But, wait patiently enough, and it will. Why this philosophical thought on a January day in the zoo? Bear in mind, pardon the pun, that Berlin’s symbol is a bear, and sit back and enjoy a little history lesson. Many hundreds of years ago, there were only forests where Berlin is now. Amongst the pine and birch forests there was heath land and wide lakes. Rivers and streams separated out and then flowed back together again. Every time the rivers flooded, the landscape changed: rivers changed their course and little islands appeared. Not many people lived in the area, but those who did got their food by hunting and fishing. They also tried to make fields and meadows out of the land.

About 800 years ago, a nobleman by the name of Albrecht arrived in this area. He wanted to hunt. One day, one of his courtiers spotted an enormous bear. Albrecht followed the bear to its hideout and saw that it was a mother bear, looking after her cub. His heart told him that it was not right to kill a mother bear with a dependent cub. So he put his spear down and said to his courtier, “I want to build a city here and it will be named after the little Bärlin.” And that’s the story people tell of how the city was founded.

That folk tale has come around again this time in a slightly different form, and it has a name: Knut. Knut was a polar bear born in the zoo and abandoned by his mother. “Let him die!” insisted some who believed nature should be left to take its course. But never underestimate Berliners when it comes to bears. The result was that the whole of Berlin united to save him. People put signs and stickers in their windows insisting Knut be saved, no question about what had to be done. And saved he was by being hand-fed and reared by his keeper.

Berlin rejoiced, and the zoo was overwhelmed. There were never- ending queues to see him, a constant TV presence, polar bear soft toys selling out faster than anyone could make them, and he became a world-wide star eventually bringing in more than 5 million euros of extra income to the zoo. Knut is saved, but the new question now is where should he live? He is a child of separated parents, with a father in another German city and a mother in Berlin. A child of our times. And the cameras are still there, asking Berliners for their opinion.

And for those of you who are wondering about the real social and geographical reasons for why the city was founded where it was, come on a Berlin Exploring holiday and let us take you there and explain it to you in person. No bear hunting – guaranteed!