Kreuzberg

Coordinates: 52°29′15″N 13°23′00″E / 52.48750°N 13.38333°E / 52.48750; 13.38333
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Kreuzberg (disambiguation).

Kreuzberg
Quarter of Berlin
Aerial photo
Aerial photo
Coat of arms of Kreuzberg
Coat of arms
Location of Kreuzberg in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Berlin
Kreuzberg is located in Germany
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg is located in Berlin
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Coordinates: 52°29′15″N 13°23′00″E / 52.48750°N 13.38333°E / 52.48750; 13.38333
CountryGermany
StateBerlin
CityBerlin
BoroughFriedrichshain-Kreuzberg
Founded1920
Subdivisions2 zones
Area
 • Total10.4 km2 (4.0 sq mi)
Elevation
52 m (171 ft)
Population
 (2020-12-31)[1]
 • Total153,135
 • Density15,000/km2 (38,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
(nr. 0202) 10961, 10963, 10965, 10967, 10997, 10999, 10969
Vehicle registrationB

Kreuzberg (German pronunciation:

gentrified and is known for its arts scene.[3][4][5]

The borough is known for its large percentage of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, many of whom are of Turkish ancestry. As of 2006, 31.6% of Kreuzberg's inhabitants did not have German citizenship.[6] Kreuzberg is noted for its diverse cultural life and experimental alternative lifestyles,[7] and is an attractive area for many; however, some parts of the district are still characterized by higher levels of unemployment.

Geography

Layout

Kreuzberg is bounded by the river

U-Bahn line of the present-day U1, Görlitzer Park in the SO36 district, and Viktoriapark on the slope of Kreuzberg hill
in SW 61.

Subdivision

Kreuzberg is divided into 2 zones (Ortslagen):

  1. Östliches Kreuzberg (Berlin SO 36)
  2. Westliches Kreuzberg (Kreuzberg 61)

History

In contrast to many other areas of Berlin, which were villages before their integration into Berlin, Kreuzberg has a rather short history.[8] It was formed on 1 October 1920 by the Greater Berlin Act, which provided for the incorporation of suburbs and the reorganisation of Berlin into twenty boroughs. The eastern Friedrichsvorstadt, the southern Friedrichstadt, the western and southern Luisenstadt, and the Tempelhofer Vorstadt were merged into the new sixth borough of Berlin, first named Hallesches Tor. On 27 September 1921, the borough assembly of Hallesches Tor decided to rename the borough after the homonymous hill.[9] Kreuzberg, literally meaning 'cross hill', is the point of the highest elevation in the Kreuzberg locality, which is 66 m (217 ft) above sea level.[10] The hill is traditionally a place for weekend trips. It received its name from the 1821 Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars by Karl Friedrich Schinkel within the Viktoriapark, built in commemoration of the Napoleonic Wars. Except for its northernmost part—the quarter Friedrichstadt (established at the end of the 17th century)—today's Kreuzberg was a very rural place until well into the 19th century.

This changed when, in the 1860s, industrialization caused Berlin to grow rapidly. This called for extensive housing—much of which was built exploiting the dire needs of the poor, with widespread land speculation. Many of Kreuzberg's buildings originate from that time.[11] They were built on the streets laid out in the Hobrecht-Plan in an area that came to be known architecturally as the Wilhelmine Ring.

Far into the 20th century, Kreuzberg was the most populous of Berlin's boroughs even in absolute numbers, with more than 400,000 people, although it was and still is geographically the smallest. As a result, with more than 60,000 people per square kilometer (160,000 people/sq mi), Kreuzberg had the highest population density in Berlin.

Kreuzberg became a district of migration during the late 19th century when Berlin began growing rapidly as an economic and cultural hub. Before World War II, it was home to a diverse population, with a large portion of the population being

Stolpersteine
can be seen on Kreuzberg streets, commemorating the murdered Jews who lived in the area.

Saarlandstraße (today's Stresemannstraße) looking towards "Askanischer Platz" with the ruin of Anhalt Station and the tower stump of the "Protestant Saint Luke's Church", after the air raids during World War II

In addition to housing, Kreuzberg was also an industrial center of Berlin. The "export quarter" along Ritter Street consisted of many profitable small businesses, and the "press quarter" along Koch Street (

Ullstein, Scherl, and Mosse book publishers.[10]

Both industrial quarters were almost entirely destroyed by air raids during World War II, with the American bombing by over a thousand aircraft on 3 February 1945. In remembrance of the old tradition, the Axel Springer press company erected its German headquarters at Kochstraße again, right next to the Berlin Wall.

Oranienplatz on Labour Day
Kottbusser Tor (Berlin U-Bahn station)
A street in Kreuzberg

In July 1945, most of the then district was assigned to the American Sector. After the Berlin Wall was built, the most important transit location to East Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie.

After World War II, Kreuzberg's housing rents were regulated by law which made investments unattractive. As a result, housing was of low quality, but cheap, which made the borough greatly attractive to immigrants.[12] Starting in the late 1960s, increasing numbers of students, artists, and immigrants began moving to Kreuzberg. Enclosed by the Berlin Wall on three sides, the area became famous for its alternative lifestyle and its

squatters, especially the SO36 part of Kreuzberg.[13]
Starting in 1987, there have been violent riots in SO36 on Labour day.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg suddenly found itself in the middle of the city again. The initially cheap rents and the high concentration of 19th-century housing made some parts of the borough more attractive as a residential area for a much wider (and richer) variety of people. Today, Kreuzberg has one of the youngest populations of all European city boroughs; statistically, its population has been completely swapped twice in the last two decades.

Oberbaumbrücke, this combination seemed awkward to many residents.[citation needed] The two areas not being able to agree on a common location for the future borough's city hall, the present location in Friedrichshain was decided by flipping a five-Mark
coin.

Culture

Kreuzberg has historically been home to Berlin's punk rock movement as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany.[14] The SO36 club remains a fixture on the Berlin music scene. It was originally focused on punk music and in the 1970s was often frequented by Iggy Pop and David Bowie. In those days, the club rivalled New York's CBGB as one of the finest new-wave venues in the world.[15]

There has also been a significant influence stemming from

breakdance within Berlin. Though the majority of Kreuzberg's residents are of German or Turkish descent, some identify more with American or African-American culture.[16]
Hip hop was largely introduced to the youth of Kreuzberg by the children of American servicemen who were stationed nearby until the
reunification of Germany.[17] The art collective Berlin Kidz who are known for their pichação influenced graffiti, parkour, and train surfing are from the Kreuzberg area.[18]

The Carnival of Cultures, a large annual festival, celebrates different cultures and heritages with colourful street parades and festivities including street entertainment, food, arts and craft stalls, music, and art.[19]

Kreuzberg has long been the epicenter of LGBTQ life and arts in Berlin. Kreuzberg is home to the Schwules Museum, established in the 1980s and dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and discovering queer history, art, and culture.

Kreuzberg in popular culture

Kottbusser Tor
at night

Places and buildings of interest

Rio-Reiser-Platz (former Heinrichplatz) in Kreuzberg
Waterside of the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg
Bridges over the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg
Berlin U-Bahn station Görlitzer Bahnhof
Wrangelstraße with Tabor Church

People

See also

References

  1. ^ "Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner im Land Berlin am 31. Dezember 2020" (PDF). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2021.
  2. ^ Wosnitza, Regine (13 April 2003). "Berlin on its wild site". Time. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Kreuzberg". Archived from the original on 6 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Berlin's culture club". CNN. 30 June 2007.
  5. ^ "Kreuzbergs Retter : Textarchiv : Berliner Zeitung Archiv". Archived from the original on 3 May 2009.
  6. ^ "Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen e.V". Web1.bbu.de. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg". www.visitberlin.de. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  8. ^ Eva Brücker, Hasso Spode et al.: Kreuzberg (Geschichtslandschaft Berlin V), Berlin: Nicolai 1994 [1]
  9. ISBN 3-7759-0287-2
    .
  10. ^ a b Muz-online.de Archived 2 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine retrieved on 21 March 2008
  11. ^ Visitberlin.de Archived 3 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved on 21 March 2008
  12. ^ Time.com, Regine Wosnitza "Berlin on its wild site" 13 April 2003, retrieved on 21 March 2008
  13. ^ Spiegel.de retrieved on 21 March 2008; see Brücker/Spode op.cit.
  14. ^ Sontheimer, Michael (8 December 2016). "Berliner Punk-Zentrum SO36: Bier, Schweiß, Lärm und Freiheit". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Home". SO36.
  16. ^ Brown, Timothy S. "'Keeping it Real' in a Different 'Hood: (African-) Americanization and Hip-hop in Germany". In The Vinyl Ain't Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture, ed. by Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, 137-50. London; A
  17. New York Times
  18. ^ "Biography / Berlin Kidz". urban-nation.com. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Karneval der Kulturen". Karneval-berlin.de. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  20. ISBN 978-1-5040-3998-7
    .

External links

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