Berlin - I love you E-Book

Gottfried Schröter

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 225

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Whether you were born in Berlin, moved here or are visiting for a while - you should know more about this city than the Kurfürstendamm, the Brandenburg Gate or Friedrichstrasse. Since its foundation, Berlin has experienced a varied and very special history - under the rule of the Hohenzollerns and Prussians, as the capital of the German Empire, in the turmoil of National Fascism and as a divided city. Now once again the capital of a united Germany, the metropolis presents itself with many preserved and new architectural masterpieces in various districts. The author lets his readers experience the past and present of Berlin through his notes as a tour guide and amateur photographer.

Leseprobe

Foreword

I wrote this book primarily for two target groups.

Firstly, for Berliners who are interested in more than just the best shopping areas and restaurants.

On the other hand, for newcomers or tourists who want to get to know Berlin or get a broader picture of Berlin's past and present.

I have concentrated mainly on the two historic centers in the east and west. An extension to the outer districts would go too far. Every Berlin district from Köpenick to Spandau and from Pankow to Zehlendorf has its own history and its own center. You can find out more about this in suitable literature from the relevant tourism or local history associations.

To understand Berlin, you should know that it is not a naturally grown city. The former towns on both sides of the Spree (Berlin and Cölln) were repeatedly expanded from the 17th century onwards. It was not until 1920 that Greater Berlin was founded, when 95 rural communities and 27 estate districts were administratively merged with historic Berlin. This can still be felt and recognized throughout the Greater Berlin area today. Berlin is not a homogeneous city. As a result of the Second World War (WWII), two distinct centers were formed - City East and City West.

My intensive involvement with Berlin and its history began in 1999. I had become unemployed as a result of the post-reunification turmoil and was offered a job as a tour guide at the Köpenick Tourist Association. During the winter months, we were familiarized more closely with Berlin by historians and through self-study. Every year from Easter to the end of October, we sailed Berlin's waterways as guides on the ships of the "Stern und Kreis" shipping company. We also had to guide tour groups in buses or on foot through the city. In the process, I developed a love for this city that has continued into old age. From 2008 onwards, I led a walking group for over 10 years, with which I roamed through all of Berlin's districts and was always amazed when I showed them what interesting things the city has to offer and how much greenery there is.

Now I've been inspired (partly by the idleness imposed on us by the coronavirus pandemic) to share my love and knowledge of Berlin with others in book form. I am supported in this by a lot of Berlin literature that I have acquired over the years.

Another of my hobbies is photography, which I have been doing since I was 14. I took many pictures on walks through Berlin. I would like to include these in this book. So all the pictures are taken by myself.

One thing I can say with certainty: it's worth getting to know this city a little better on foot and exercise is always good for you.

Yours, Gottfried Schröter

PS: Unfortunately, you can no longer take a photo of the cover picture - Alexa and the TV tower. The view has now been obstructed by a less attractive entrance gate to the Alexa department store.

PS: For many architects, I have referred in brackets to other buildings they have created.

1. historical outline

"BERLIN – ick liebe dir!"

instead of „Berlin - ich liebe dich“ that's what you hear old Berliners say. That's Berlin dialect - that's Berlin charm!

You should know a little about Berlin's history if you want to understand some of the events and peculiarities of today's metropolis. That's why I'm starting my notes with a brief history of Berlin.

Farmers settled in the Barnim (northern Platow) and Teltow (southern Platow) on both sides of the Berlin glacial valley as early as the Neolithic period - over 4000 years before Christ.

At the end of the 6th century AD, Slavic tribes, predominantly Semnones, took possession of the Berlin glacial valley. They settled along the rivers, lakes and in the lowlands, as they needed the water for their livestock. [1]

They were two Slavic tribes who settled along the Havel and Spree rivers, separated by a forest belt about 20 km wide. TheHavellerslived in the arc of the Havel to the Elbe with a center in Brennaborg (Brandenburg) and manor houses in Spandow (Spandau) and Potsdum (Potsdam). In the local area between the Panke and the Teltow, theSprewanssettled mainly along the Spree, the Dahme and around the Müggelsee with a center in Copnik (Köpenick). [1] The Sprewan prince Jaxa settled on a castle on Copnik Island - now Schlossinsel - around 825 AD. Farmers who were in bondage to the castle lords settled under the protection of the castles.

Around 750 AD, the Havell family owned a castle in Spandow opposite the mouth of the River Nuthe on the Havel. This is still represented today by the Burgstraße in Potsdam.

On several occasions, Germanic Franks attempted to drive out the Slavs. However, Germanic victories and attempts at Christianization through the founding of missionary bishoprics in Havelberg and Brandenburg were quickly reversed by Slavic uprisings. [1]

The first successes of Germanization came about through a friendship between the Margrave of Nordmark, Albrecht the Bear, and the Havell Prince Pribislaw in Brennaborg. The latter appointed the margrave as his successor in his will, as he had remained childless. However, after Pribislaw's death in 1150, the Köpenick Slavic prince Jaxa succeeded in occupying Brennaborgt.

It was not until 1157 that Albrecht the Bear was able to defeat Jaxa with the help of the army of the Archbishop of the Diocese of Magdeburg, take possession of the entire area in the Berlin glacial valley and Christianize it. This was followed by a growing influx of settlers from the Harz Mountains, Thuringia, the Lower Rhine and Flanders.

The foundation and history of Berlin and Cölln

In the middle of the 12th century, settlement by Lower Rhine-Westphalian merchants began on the larger Spree islands.Cöllnemerged on the southern Spree island (mentioned in a document in 1237) around the fish market andBerlinaround today's Nikolaivierten with the Alter Markt (mentioned in a document in 1244) on a northern Spree island. A long-distance trade route ran through a Fuhrt (shallow point in the river). Both towns had a so-called Stapelrecht, i.e. traders had to deposit their goods at both markets and offer them for sale. As a result, both places quickly developed into towns.

TheFuhrtwas increasingly used as a new Spree pass in competition with the previous crossings in Spandau and Köpenick. Around 1220, a boulder dam was built on the Fuhrt, which was expanded into a weir to regulate the water level (first mentioned in a document in 1298).

At the same time, the dam served as a mill dam for the water mills that operated on the dam from 1220 onwards.

The name of theMühlendamm bridgewas later derived from this. The Mühlendamm existed until the Spree

was regulated in 1893. Until then,

the Spree was only navigable via

the south-western arm of the Spree.

In the Middle Ages, the cities of

Berlin and Cölln were surrounded by

a city wall, a remnant of which is

still preserved today in Littenstraße, as

it long served as the back wall of old

houses.

The ground plan of Berlin and Cölln around 1400

1 Nikolaikirche, 2 Petrikirche,

3 Marienkirche, 4 Franziskanerkloster,

5 Dominikanerkloster, 6 Heiliggeistspital,

7 Georgenspital. 8 Gertraudenspital, 9 Berlin Town Hall, 10 Cölln Town Hall, 13 Alter Hof,

14 Mühlenhof, 19 Spandauer Tor,

20 Oranienburger Tor, 21 Stralauer Tor,

22 Köpenicker Tor, 23 Teltower Tor,

24 Mühlendammbrücke, 25 Lange Brücke

The current course of the Stadtbahn between Jannowitzbrücke S-Bahn station

(See Appendix 4)

Berlin and Cölln did not form a double city. From the 12th century onwards, they were each governed by councils made up of elected citizens. They were chaired by the Schultheiße appointed by the margrave.

The margraves had their residence in Berlin in the Alter Hof (13) and often preferred Berlin to Cölln with financial support. Berlin was twice the size of Cölln and the more active merchants also lived in Berlin.

In order to secure many commonalities and strengthen their economic power, the two towns formed a union in 1307 with a joint magistrate and mayor. A town hall was built on the Long Bridge (25) for this purpose.

By the end of the 13th century, Berlin and Cölln had overtaken the older towns of Spandau and Köpenick economically. They became the urban, political and economic center of the Mark Brandenburg.

In the 14th century, both towns had largely freed themselves from the influence of the sovereign. They had their own town seals, obtained the right to mint coins and built a new town hall. From then on, it always stood on the corner of Spandauerstraße and Königsstraße (9). It had to be renewed several times due to fire damage.

In 1387, Berlin succeeded in buying Köpenick and its castle, which until then had been the center of the timber trade on the Upper Spree.

The acquisition of court rights and court revenues from the sovereign also led to a further upswing.

Despite this, disputes between Berlin and Cölln arose time and again. These included conflicts between the craftsmen's guilds and the merchants over participation in city decisions. The sovereigns often used these to exert their influence on the cities.

Furthermore, strong noble families of the Mark Brandenburg repeatedly caused conflicts among themselves and with the self-determining towns. This often led to armed conflicts or the theft of livestock grazing outside the city walls.

In 1411, the German king Sigismund therefore appointed the Nuremberg burgrave Frederick from the Hohenzollern dynasty as captain over the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Until February/March 1414, he subjugated the landed gentry and the towns of the Margraviate. Because of his merits, the king awarded him the dignity of margrave and elector at the Council of Constance (the electors and archbishops of Germany were the electors for the respective German king).

His son, Elector Frederick II Eisenzahn, put an end to the disputes between the Berlin and Cölln merchants and the petty burghers and craftsmen in 1442. In order to subdue the towns, Frederick II built a fortress on the free half of the Cölln Werder north of the Dominican Church (5). This later became the Berlin Palace.

In 1451, Elector Frederick II moved his residence from Tangermünde to Berlin.

At the end of the 15th century, Elector Joachim Cicero ordered the construction of a truncated causeway from the Berlin Palace to the Grunewald hunting lodge, to which today's Kurfürstendamm can be traced back.

Elector Joachim II Hector converted to Lutheranism in 1539 and the entire council had to follow him. He also began building the citadel in Spandau in 1560.

Elector Johann Sigismund returned to the Catholic faith at the beginning of the 17th century. However, he enforced religious freedom and did not ask anyone to follow his example. As a result, his wife and some of his councillors remained of the Lutheran faith.

Elector Frederick William - the Great Elector - ended the Thirty Years' War with his victory against the Swedes at Fehrbellin (June/July 1675). He also created a modern European state by expanding the economy, administration and army. Friedrichswerder was the first extension to the city and the entire city was turned into a fortress.

With his Edict of Potsdam in 1685, he gave Protestants (Huguenots) who had been expelled from France the opportunity to settle in the Mark Brandenburg. Several benefits for the new settlers led to the hoped-for upswing. Under the Great Elector, Brandenburg became the second most powerful state in the German Empire.

Elector Frederick III crowned himself with the title King Frederick I of Prussia in Königsberg on January 18, 1701.

On January 17, 1709, he issued an edict to form the Royal Residence of Berlin by merging the cities of Berlin, Cölln, Friedrichswerder, Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichstadt, which was completed on January 1, 1710.

He had the Litzenburg, later renamed Charlottenburg Palace, built in honor of his second wife Sophie Charlotte. Schönhausen Palace, Monbijou Palace, the Zeughaus and the Parochial Church were also built during his reign.

King Frederick William I - known as the Soldier King - introduced a strict military order in the economy and the army and had garrison towns such as Berlin and Potsdam surrounded by city walls in order to secure the excise duty (customs), but also to prevent recruits from fleeing (the soldiers lived in private accommodation with the citizens and farmers at the time).

The Charité was established as a public hospital.

His son, Frederick II - the Great Frederick - "thinks as a philosopher and acts as a king", wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He expanded the country and promoted the economy, trade and settlement inwards. After two wars, he annexed Silesia to Prussia, carried out melioration in swampy areas and introduced potato cultivation.

He had Sanssouci Palace built for himself in Potsdam and the Forum Frederico in Berlin - both by his architect Georg Wenzeslaus v. Knobelsdorff.

Frederick William II lacked governing skills. His policies were influenced by mistresses and favoritism. He left behind a shattered, politically isolated Prussia.

Frederick William III was an often-indecisive ruler. He was supported above all by his first wife, Queen Luise, who thus created a lasting monument to herself in Prussia.

Prussia was defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in 1806 and only freed itself from this disgrace through a powerful internal freedom movement and militarily in alliance with England through the victory at Waterloo in 1815.

Favoured by the freedom of trade (1810) and unrestricted freedom of trade (1818), rapid industrialization began in Prussia with the aim of reaching and surpassing England. This also led to a huge increase in Berlin's population. Berlin doubled its population to 400,000 in the first three decades of the 19th century, and the villages around Berlin grew closer to the city. By 1861, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen, the Rosenthal, Stralau and Oranienburg suburbs, Schöneberg and the Tempelhof suburb had been added to the urban area. The old city wall and all the city gates except the Brandenburg Gate were demolished.

By 1871 Berlin had reached 800,000 inhabitants, in 1877 the first million and in 1905 the second. [1]

Frederick William IV's main focus was on the beautiful design of buildings, which greatly influenced Karl Friedrich Schinkel. From 1850, under the direction of Peter Joseph Lenne, the Landwehr Canal and the Luisenstädtische Canal were constructed to create the conditions for the development of Luisenstadt (now part of Kreuzberg).

Frederick William IV was the "Romantic on the throne", who left the crown to his brother William after an 18-year reign due to illness. Wilhelm's appearance during the 1848 revolution was inglorious. As crown prince, he had the revolutionaries bloodily shot down and civil rights curtailed.

The Prussian bourgeoisie had identified him as the main enemy of the 1848 revolution. Even as crown prince, he wanted to resign. On a walk in his palace park in Babelsberg, the diplomat Bismarck convinced him to stay in office. In 1861, Wilhelm became King of Prussia and a year later Bismarck became Prussian Prime Minister.

The latter exploited loopholes in the constitution to govern against the majority in parliament. This led to considerable constitutional conflicts that threatened to escalate. However, Bismarck's "blood-and-iron policy" and the victories against Denmark in 1864 for the supremacy of Schleswig-Holstein and against Austria in 1866 for supremacy in the German Confederation caused the mood to change and the population now supported Bismarck's policies.

The war against France in 1870/71 also led to a magnificent victory for Prussia and the strengthening of Wilhelm I in Germany. In 1871, Prussia's king was crowned German Emperor, Bismarck was appointed Chancellor of the Reich and Berlin became the German capital.

Economically, 1871 marked the beginning of the founding years, which had their starting point in the five billion gold marks wrested from France under the peace treaty.

The construction of extensive railroad lines in and around Berlin by the end of the 19th century contributed significantly to industrialization and the population upswing. The network consisted of the city railroad between Schlesischer Bahnhof (now Ostbahnhof) and Charlottenburg station across Berlin Mitte, as well as the Ringbahn around the center of Berlin. The network also included non-Berlin lines with terminus stations in Berlin (Anhalter Bhf., Hamburger Bhf., Schlesischer Bhf., Lehrter Bhf., Stettiner Bhf. and others).

Wilhelm I died in 1888 and his son Frederick III became emperor. However, he was already dying. After 99 days, his son, Wilhelm II, took over the imperial throne. Thus we speak of a three-emperor year 1888.

During the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the"Greater Berlin" special-purpose associationwas founded in 1912 to solve the growing infrastructure problems of the metropolis. In addition to Berlin, the association included the cities of Spandau, Charlottenburg, Lichtenberg, Neukölln, Schöneberg, Wilmersdorf and Köpenick as well as the districts of Niederbarnim and Teltow.

This special-purpose association was dissolved after the abdication of the Kaiser and the proclamation of the republic in 1918. Niederbarnim and Teltow became independent districts again.

A new law on the Berlin metropolitan area from April 27, 1920 stipulated that the 59 formerly independent towns and rural communities as well as 27 estates of the special-purpose association were declared part of the Berlin metropolitan area. Berlin thus grew to 3.8 million inhabitants. By 1939, the population had risen to 4.34 million due to further immigration.

After the First World War, the Weimar Republic and its capital Berlin developed at a rapid pace. While Paris had previously been the intellectual and cultural center of Europe, Berlin rivaled the French metropolis in the mid-1920s. Berlin reached its peak in 1926. 120 daily newspapers appeared and 40 theaters offered drama and music projects. Berlin had around 200 chamber music and choral societies, which performed in 20 concert halls and countless churches.

1933 marked the beginning of the darkest period in German history and thus also in Berlin's history. Although the NSDAP did not achieve an absolute majority in the March elections with 43.9% (34.6% in Berlin) of the vote, it whipped through its enabling laws in the new Reichstag on March 23, 1933 by declaring the votes for the KPD and some for the SPD invalid. Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor by Hindenburg and from then on, National Socialism's propaganda and atrocities swept the country.

This was followed by the Wehrmacht's invasion of Austria, the Sudetenland in 1938 and Poland in September 1939. This marked the beginning of the worst war and the most atrocious genocide from German soil.

On January 20, 1942, the so-called Final Solution to the Jewish Question was decided in the Villa am Wannsee. This was followed by the genocide of the Jews in Germany and Europe, to which around 6 million people fell victim.

Until May 1945, an all-consuming war raged, which also turned Berlin into a horrific field of rubble. All life in the city came to a standstill. There was no electricity and no gas, the water supply only worked in a few outlying districts and the food supply was interrupted.

The Red Army had captured the last pockets of resistance on May 2 and the Berlin city commander General Weidling announced the surrender. Berlin was occupied by Soviet troops. Berlin was thus completely under Soviet control. From the very beginning, the Red Army tried to provide the Berlin population with makeshift food supplies. The first clean-up operations were organized and local transport was gradually restarted. Soviet-style administrations were also set up, although this contradicted the Yalta Treaty. In Yalta, the Allies had agreed on joint administration of the city.

After the Western powers reached Berlin with their armies in June 1945, the Yalta resolutions were renewed and recorded in the Potsdam Agreement in August. Accordingly, Berlin was divided into four zones, each of which was controlled by a commander of the Allied occupying forces (Soviet Union, USA, Great Britain and France). The task was to form a joint administration and government. However, the views of the Soviet Union and the Western powers on democracy and the economy were fundamentally at odds, so the Western powers merged the Western zones separately. As a result, the Soviet Union left the Control Council and the Allied Command on March 20, 1948. Separate monetary unions followed in June.

As the Soviet side was doing everything in its power to obstruct supplies to the western sectors, the Allies set up an exemplary airlift from West Germany to West Berlin and flew in all the necessary goods, even industrial plants.

The division into East and West became final after the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was founded in the West on May 23, 1949 and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the East on October 7, 1949. The GDR declared the eastern sector of Berlin its capital.

Only when the GDR joined the Federal Republic on October 3, 1990, did Germany once again become a unified state with Berlin as its capital.

2. the historic cities of Berlin and Cölln

2.1 The churches of Berlin and Cölln

The two cities of Berlin and Cölln had a total of five churches, all dating back to the 13th century:

The Petrikirche, the city church of Cölln

The Nikolaikirche, the city church of Berlin

St. Mary's Church, the parish church of Berlin's Neustadt district

The monastery church of the Franciscan monastery

The Dominican Church of the Dominican Order

A sixth church was added in 1300, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, which belonged to the hospital of the same name.

The historicPetrikirche churchin Cölln was a victim of the Second World War. It was the target of grenades after a Schutzstaffel (SS) unit had entrenched itself in it. In 1945, all that was left was a ruin, which was demolished in 1964.

TheDominican Churchwas the church of the "Black Brothers" (founded in 1297). Elector Frederick II had his Berlin court built next to it in 1451 and from then on used the Dominican Church for his family.

In 1535, Elector Joachim II dissolved the Dominican order and had a cathedral church built in place of the chapel. It was demolished in 1747 under King Frederick II due to dilapidation. A new cathedral was built in the Lustgarten until 1750. More on this later.

Themonastery churchof the Franciscan

monks dates back to around 1250. The

first chapel belonged to the mendicant order

of the "Grey Friars". Around 1290, a new,

early Gothic church was built on the same

site, which was rebuilt several times in

1470 and later. It fell victim to

Anglo-American bombs in 1945 and was

saved as a ruin in 1959-1961.

Two historic churches still dominate the old center of Berlin today: St. Nicholas Church and St. Mary's Church.

TheNikolaikircheis the oldest parish church in Berlin.

It was built around 1230 as a Romanesque

fortified basilica made of fieldstones.

Its base consisted of hewn granite blocks, which

still exist today (see picture). The original fieldstone

base is therefore the oldest existing structure in Berlin.

At the end of the 14th century, the Nikolaikirche

was converted into a three-aisled Gothic hall church

and a sacristy and chapel extension was added in t

he 1450s.

In 1539, Elector Joachim II and the town

council converted to the Protestant faith.

In the middle of the 17th century, the Evangelical Lutheran theologian Paul Gerhard made the Nikolaikirche the center of Protestant church singing.

The church was rebuilt and renovated several times. It was given its present form according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, executed by his pupil Friedrich August Stüler until 1843. From 1876 to 1878, Hermann Blankenstein changed the previously single-tower structure into two towers with octagonal spires.

In 1944/45, the Nikolai Church was destroyed down to the surrounding walls by Anglo-American bombs. Reconstruction only began in 1980 with the construction of the new Nikolai quarter in preparation for Berlin's 750th anniversary celebrations. Since then, the church has been used as a city museum and for concerts.

St. Mary's Churchon the former Neumarkt - built around 1270 - is the oldest parish church still in use as a church. It rests on 16 m high oak pillars in the marshy, sandy soil of Berlin. It is a three-aisled basilica. It was given its present form after the town fire of 1380. The tower was added in 1418 and was topped by Carl Gustav Langhans in 1790. The entrance gate, which is low today, shows the medieval ground level.

Buildings on oak piles can often be found in the center

of Berlin. After all, the soil in the Berlin glacial valley

is not very stable due to sand andhigh-waterlevels.

As long as the timbers are damp, they will bear them

load for centuries. If they become dry, they begin

to decay. This still has to be taken into account

when renovating today.

St. Mary's Church has a large collection of epitaphs

and panel paintings, some of which were saved from

the monastery churches. The alabaster pulpit is the work

of Andreas Schlüter from 1703.

During restoration work in the 19th century, a 22-metre-long fresco from around 1480 was found in the tower hall, the "Dance of Death", which says: In death, rich and poor are equal.

Outside, next to the main entrance, a cross of atonement commemorates the murder of the Provost of Bernau in 1325.

TheChapel of the Holy Spiritin Spandauer Straße once belonged to the hospital of the same name on the western outskirts of Berlin (formerly at Spandauer Tor). It was built in 1300 and rests on a fieldstone base. The early Gothic brick building consists of a single-nave, rectangular room with a Gothic star vault from the 15th century. The chapel has one of the oldest preserved vaulted roofs in Berlin.

The hospital was demolished in 1825, the chapel was to follow in 1905.

Popular protests prevented this. The chapel was incorporated into the new building of the commercial college as a lecture hall and temporarily as a canteen. Today it is part of the Humboldt University's Faculty of Economics complex.

2.2 Fisherman's Island - the old Cölln

Cölln (spelled with a 'C' until 1930, then with a 'K', like Köpenick) on Fischerinsel was a small town of 0.28 km² on the western side of the Spree. Its center was the Petrikirche church at the Breite Straße/Mühlendamm intersection.

With its island location, Cölln was particularly favorable as a resting and transshipment point for traders.

Little of the historic buildings on Fischerinsel have

been preserved. Almost everything was destroyed and

shot up during the Second World War. The ruins of

St. Peter's Church and the Berlin Palace were

demolished in GDR times. Nevertheless, this part of the

city still offers interesting buildings and facilities worth

seeing.

The Berlin Palace