Neukölln

Coordinates: 52°29′N 13°27′E / 52.483°N 13.450°E / 52.483; 13.450
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For the locality in Neukölln borough, see Neukölln (locality). For the David Bowie instrumental piece, see Neuköln.

Neukölln
Borough of Berlin
Flag of Neukölln
Flag
Coat of arms of Neukölln
Coat of arms
Location of Neukölln in Berlin
Neukölln is located in Germany
Neukölln
Neukölln
Neukölln is located in Berlin
Neukölln
Neukölln
Coordinates: 52°29′N 13°27′E / 52.483°N 13.450°E / 52.483; 13.450
CountryGermany
StateBerlin
CityBerlin
Subdivisions5 localities
Government
 • Borough MayorMartin Hikel (SPD)
Area
 • Total44.93 km2 (17.35 sq mi)
Population
 (2020-12-31)[1]
 • Total327,945
 • Density7,300/km2 (19,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registrationB
WebsiteOfficial homepage

Neukölln[2] (German: [nɔʏˈkœln] ⓘ) is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is located in the southeastern part from the city centre towards Berlin Schönefeld Airport. It was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city. It features many Gründerzeit buildings and is characterized by having one of the highest percentage of immigrants in Berlin. In recent years an influx of students and creative types has led to gentrification.[3]

History[edit]

Richardplatz

The Berlin district of Neukölln has a long and varied history that reflects the city's changing political and cultural landscape.

Located in the south of the city, Neukölln was originally a small village on the outskirts of Berlin. Neukölln's independence ended on 1 October 1920 when it was incorporated into Berlin.[4]

In September 1929, Goebbels led his men into Neukölln, a KPD stronghold, and the two warring parties exchanged pistol and revolver fire. During World War II, Neukölln was the location of a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp for Jewish and Romani women.[5]

After World War II, Neukölln underwent significant transformation as a result of the city's division by the Berlin Wall. The neighborhood was located in West Berlin and became a center of industry and commerce, with many factories and warehouses. From 1966 to 1975 the Gropiusstadt was built, a "Trabantenstadt" or city-within-a-city housing estate, designed by architect Walter Gropius. In the 1980s and 1990s, Neukölln underwent a process of gentrification, with many artists, students, and young professionals moving into the area. In recent years, Neukölln has become known for its diverse and vibrant cultural scene, with a mix of traditional and alternative businesses and a thriving arts and music scene.

Today, Neukölln is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, with a diverse array of restaurants, cafes, and shops, as well as a number of cultural attractions and events. Despite its gentrification, Neukölln remains a working-class neighborhood with a diverse and multicultural population.

Locality subdivisions[edit]

Hufeisensiedlung, 2017
Britzer Garten in Neukölln's South

Neukölln is subdivided into five localities:

Locality
 Area
(km2)
 Inhabitants
 Density
(Inhabitants/km2)
0801 Neukölln
 11.71 155,950 13,318
0802 Britz
 12.40 39,029 3,148
0803 Buckow
 6.35 38,219 6,019
0804 Rudow
 11.81 40,733 3,449
0805 Gropiusstadt
 2.67 35,751 13,390

Subdivisions of Neukölln

Public transport[edit]

Berlin-Neukölln station
County-Court Building of Neukölln, near the Rathaus Neukölln U-Bahn station
Hermannplatz

Neukölln is served by three operational sections of urban rail.

U-Bahn:

Part of each of the following S-Bahn routes share an east–west-running section of Ringbahn track through Neukölln:

Among the numerous rail stations in Neukölln three act as interchanges:

Demographics[edit]

As of 2010, the borough had a population of 310,283, of whom 121,000 (38.9%) were of non-German ethnicity. The percentage is significantly higher in the locality of the same name, Neukölln.[12] The borough is known for its large Turkish, Arab and Kurdish communities, which together make up roughly 18% of the borough's population. Recently,[when?] there has been an influx of Romani people and Sub-Saharan Africans.[13]

Population by migration background[14]
Ethnic Germans 60% (189,000)
Middle Eastern origin 18% (55,000)
non-German European origin 11% (33,000)
Afro-Germans 4% (12,400)
Others (East Asians, Americans, etc.) 6.5% (21,000)

Gentrification[edit]

A trend is the rapid gentrification of certain neighbourhoods within the borough. There has been an influx of students, creatives and other young professionals of mostly Western origin avoiding higher rents which are charged in other parts of Berlin. This has caused a knock-on effect, with rents rising in some parts of Neukölln.[3] Northern Neukölln, just to the south of the Kreuzberg area, has become informally referred to as "Kreuzkölln" as the area becomes increasingly fashionable.[15]

Politics[edit]

District council[edit]

The governing body of Neukölln is the district council (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung). It has responsibility for passing laws and electing the city government, including the mayor. The most recent district council election was held on 26 September 2021, and the results were as follows:

Party Lead candidate Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Social Democratic Party (SPD) Martin Hikel 41,104 28.7 Decrease 1.7 18 Decrease 1
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) Susann Worschech 25,238 17.6 Increase 2.7 11 Increase 2
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Falko Liecke 24,191 16.9 Increase 0.6 10 ±0
The Left (LINKE) Sarah Nagel 21,525 15.0 Increase 2.8 9 Increase 2
Alternative for Germany (AfD) Julian Potthast 10,125 7.1 Decrease 5.7 4 Decrease 4
Free Democratic Party (FDP) Roland Leppek 6,971 4.9 Increase 0.6 3 Increase 1
Tierschutzpartei 4,101 2.9 Increase 0.7 0 ±0
Die PARTEI 2,909 2.0 Decrease 0.4 0 ±0
dieBasis 1,787 1.2 New 0 New
Klimaliste 1,451 1.0 New 0 New
Volt Germany 1,431 1.0 New 0 New
Free Voters 1,061 0.7 New 0 New
We are Berlin 843 0.6 New 0 New
Ecological Democratic Party 235 0.2 New 0 New
Liberal Conservative Reformers 192 0.1 New 0 New
Valid votes 143,164 98.9
Invalid votes 1,655 1.1
Total 144,819 100.0 55 ±0
Electorate/voter turnout 225,767 64.1 Increase 6.5
Source: Elections Berlin

District government[edit]

The district mayor (Bezirksbürgermeister) is elected by the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, and positions in the district government (Bezirksamt) are apportioned based on party strength. Martin Hikel of the SPD was elected mayor on 21 March 2018. Since the 2021 municipal elections, the composition of the district government is as follows:

Councillor Party Portfolio
Martin Hikel SPD District Mayor
Civil Service and Logistics
Jochen Biedermann GRÜNE Deputy Mayor
Urban Development, Environment and Traffic
Falko Liecke CDU Social Affairs
Karin Korte SPD Education, Culture and Sport
Mirjam Blumenthal SPD Youth and Health
Sarah Nagel LINKE Public Order
Source: Berlin.de

Notable people[edit]

Leo Arons around 1901
Memorial plate Ursula Goetze (1987)
Alexander Hacke performing on 5 May 2007

In popular culture[edit]

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Neukölln is twinned with:[19]

Gallery[edit]

  • County Court
    County Court
  • City hall
    City hall
  • Buddy Bear Neukölln in front of the City hall
    Buddy Bear Neukölln in front of the City hall
  • Landwehrkanal
    Landwehrkanal
  • Border crossing at Sonnenallee, 1964
    Border crossing at Sonnenallee, 1964
  • Stadtbad Neukölln
    Stadtbad Neukölln

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner im Land Berlin am 31. Dezember 2020" (PDF). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2021.
  2. ^ Translated "New Cölln", and etymologically "New Colony" from lat. [nova] colonia.
  3. ^ a b Mendoza, Moises (11 March 2011). "Neukölln Nasties: Foreigners Feel Accused in Berlin Gentrification Row". Der Spiegel.
  4. ^ "1920: A Crisis Year". Unvollendete Metropole. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  5. ^ Megargee, Geoffrey P. (2009). The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. p. 1279. ISBN 978-0-253-35328-3.
  6. ^ S41 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
  7. ^ S42 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
  8. ^ S45 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 91 march 2018
  9. ^ "2020 vision for Berlin's long-overdue Brandenburg Airport" Travel weekly, 9 January 2018
  10. ^ S45 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
  11. ^ S47 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
  12. ^ "Seite wird geladen" (PDF).
  13. ^ Peters, Freia (28 September 2010). "Die Roma von Berlin-Neukölln". Die Welt.
  14. ^ "Seite wird geladen" (PDF). www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Sagt endlich Kreuzkölln!" 12 April 2016 Der Tagesspiegel
  16. ^ Roma, A. S. (9 June 2016). "Antonio Rudiger: This is the story of my life". forza roma. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Kobosil". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor Ltd. 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  18. ^ Turano, Sammi (18 November 2020). "The Amazing Race Recap for 11/18/2020: Double Legs". TV Grapevive. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Neuköllner Städtepartnerschaften". berlin.de (in German). Berlin. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neukölln.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Neukölln.
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