The Galactic Center is the only nucleus of a galaxy that we can study on milli-parsec scales. It is also the Milky Way?s most extreme environment and most prolific star forming region. I will review the current state of our knowledge about the structure and formation history of the Galactic Center as well as about the properties and open questions of present day star formation in this nearest analogue of a starburst environment. Dr. Schoedel will be based at the Institut fuer Theoretische Astrophysik for his visit to Heidelberg and will be available for meetings by arrangement with his host, Mattia Sormani (mattia.sormani@uni-heidelberg.de). Those unable to attend the colloquium in person are invited to participate online through Zoom (Meeting ID: 942 0262 2849, passcode 792771) using the link: https://zoom.us/j/94202622849pwd=dGlPQXBiUytzY1M2UE5oUDRhbzNOZz09