A closer look at the history of some Berlin neighborhoods
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Afrikanisches Viertel: Street names in the “African Quarter” are closely tied to German colonial history. In the early 20th century, a zoo was planned nearby, intended to exhibit both animals and people from Germany’s overseas colonies. This never happened, but the streets had already been named. (Until recently, some streets were still named after influential German colonialists, but after years of activism and legal hurdles, they were finally rededicated to figures of colonial resistance.)
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Schönhauser Allee: This busy road cuts through most of Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it used to lead to “Schönhauser Tor”, a gate in the city’s former outer wall. The name used to serve a navigational purpose, signifying the street’s direction.
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Landsberger Allee: Similarly, this large road used to lead to “Landsberger Tor”, another gate on the city’s former outer perimeter. Unlike Schönhauser Allee, named after a palace that has since become part of the city, the town this street points towards is still in the state of Brandenburg, outside of Berlin.
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Helmholtzkiez: Several streets in this neighborhood are named after cities in present-day Poland. However, at the time of naming between 1874 and 1910, they were still part of the Prussian state within the German Empire, which is why they use the cities’ former German names instead of the contemporary Polish ones.
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Kissingenviertel: The streets of this 1920s housing estate were named after cities in Bavaria.
Chart: Jona Pomerance