Berlin is the capital city of Germany, located in the northeastern part of the country. Prior to the unification of Germany in 1871 it was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. Berlin was a center of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century and in the nineteenth century was transformed during the Industrial Revolution, becoming a major German railway hub. Large sections of Berlin were destroyed during bombings in World War II. During the Cold War, Berlin was divided into East and West Berlin by the infamous Berlin Wall, which fell in 1989. Currently, it is the second most populous city in the European Union and is a leader in culture, politics, and science.