Märkisches Viertel

The märkische quarter ( short MV, berolinistisch strange Quarter) in Berlin is a large housing estate, satellite town or satellite town in the district of Reinickendorf. The settlement was built from 1963 to the spring of 1974 and was designed with around 17,000 homes for up to 50,000 residents. Since June 1999, the märkische district is a district of the district Reinigendorf (with its own coat of arms ). Before that, it belonged to the district of Wittenau. The märkische district is named after the former Mark Brandenburg.

In addition to the Mark Brandenburg district originated in West Berlin two large housing estates: the approximately equal size Gropius town in the district of Neukölln and the slightly smaller Falkenhagener field ( district of Spandau ). In East Berlin came a little later in Großbausiedlungen Hohenschonhausen ( Lichtenberg district ), Marzahn and Heller village (both in the Marzahn - Heller village). Common to all its suburban location.

Size

Without really be circular, the märkische district has an approximate diameter of two kilometers. In the north and south of this imaginary circle is flattened. Greatest east-west extension in the northern third of about 2.5 km, on the southern edge contrast, less than one kilometer. The area covers 3.2 km ².

Location and extent

The district lies on the eastern edge of the district Reinigendorf, almost exactly half-way up its north - south extent.

In the south and east the märkische area borders the district of Pankow, was characterized directly at the Berlin Wall. In the northeast, the settlement is limited by the course of Quickbornerheide road, while the district includes the underlying industrial area to the county line to Pankow. To the north is a former railway line ( part of the industrial railway Tegel -Friedrichsfelde ) limitation dar. Just north lies the amusement park Luebars rural hamlet Luebars. The demarcation at this point seems almost brutal: Just south of the tracks rise partly ten-storey high-rise buildings, while lying on the north side of allotments and grain fields.

In the northwest, the boundary of the settlement is not entirely clear. The railway line bends slightly to the south, but no longer approaches the skyscrapers. However, is located north of the railway, at the junction with the Eichhorster way the district heating plant of the Mark Brandenburg district. At this point, the next high-rise buildings are already located around 500 meters. Same time, other high-rises are found outside looking in about 200 meters north of the Witten Straße (until Zabel -Krüger dam and the intervening Titiseestraße ) that are no longer expected to Märkischen quarter, although they originate from the same period. They belong to the district Reinickendorfer Waidmannslust. The western boundary represents the embankment of the Berlin Northern Railway, a railway line, which is now traversed by the S-Bahn. To the west, the district Wittenau connects.

The circle closes in the south at the point where the train crosses the northern trench delineation to Pankow simultaneously. Just south of the North trench is the factory area of Bergmann -Borsig, which is being restructured since about 2000 to a business park ( Pankow Park). In the east, the north ditch comes after about a kilometer on the tracks of the Heidekrautbahn, of which he is crossed, and the - form the boundary to the east - lying on the Pankow area.

Formation

The märkische quarter was the first major housing development in what was then West Berlin. First ideas for a new urban development plan at this point go back to the early 1950s. As early as 1952 was designed in the district Reinickendorf a first spatial plan. 1959 certified a sociological opinion the area with its numerous residential gazebos and shelters on disordered, often undeveloped land completely inadequate hygienic conditions. Against this background, the Senate took the early 1960s, the planning itself. The " green slums " should disappear as soon as possible. In July 1962, the architect Hans C. Müller, Georg Heinrichs and Werner Düttmann submitted an urban planning concept for the märkische district. In December 1962, the former Berlin senator Rolf Schwedler called the Society for social housing ( Gesobau ) to the redevelopment agency for the project.

More than 35 domestic and foreign architects planned the new buildings. With an overarching color coordination of the German artist Utz Kampmann was entrusted in the years 1966-1968. Designs for the residential buildings provided Karl Fleig, René Gages, Ernst Gisel, Werner Düttmann, Georg Heinrich, Hans C. Müller, Lothar Juckel, Chen Kuen Lee, Ludwig Leo, Peter Pfannkuch, Hans Rudolf Plarre, Heinz Schudnagies, Herbert Stranzberg, OM Ungers, Shadrach Woods, Astra Zarina - Haner, Siegfried Hoffie, Erwin Eickhoff, Jo Zimmermann and the Building Department of the DEGEWO. These homes were high store chains with irregular floor plans and staggered heights, surround the larger areas with single family homes.

The large, central shopping center, the märkische line was extended in 2000 to the shopping mall Maerkisches center. Together with the event and Cultural Fontane -Haus, the indoor pool and the Thomas-Mann High School it is grouped around the central market square. Besides emerged more distinctly smaller centers where there are several shops ( hairdresser, newsagents ) settled by a smaller supermarket. Primary schools and kindergartens were also not (only) provided in the central area, but all around the edge between the high-rise building groups. Within the high-rise building groups numerous playgrounds originated close to the apartments.

The rows of shops erected Hans Bandel and Waldemar Proeike, schools and daycare Stephen Heise, Harald Franke, Hasso fright, Karl Fleig, Jörn -Peter Schmidt- Thomsen, Günter Plessow, Hasso Windeck, Ernst F. Bartels, Christoph Schmidt -Ott and the building department the district Reinigendorf. Protestant community centers planned Bodo Fleischer, Günther Behrmann, Stephen Heise, Gerd Neumann, Dietmar Grötzebach and Günter Plessow. The district heating plant and a 1988 torn Information Pavilion designed Fridtjof Schliephacke. A senior center designed Gert H. Rath fields, for the Catholic community center St. Martin, the old people's home and a primary school drew Werner Düttmann responsible. The hotel Rheinberg built Bodo Fleischer with Hanno Pretty. The swimming pool designed Henning Schran and Hasso fright, the playhouse of the Federal German scouts Engelbert Kremser, the house of caring Ludwig Leo and the traffic kindergarten as well as several sports facilities, the SAL- planning group.

Already in August 1964 drew in their first tenants. The ( now) last new building was handed over in 1974. Of the total 16,916 dwellings were 15,043 of the state's own GESOBAU, 614 of the DEGEWO, 812 of the Debausie and another 304 were built by a private company. 134 flats finally emerged in 1974 in an elderly home.

Image change

In the early years, especially the architects involved praised the new quarter partly enthusiastic. In the words of West Berlin architect Herbert Stranzberg: " The maximum height was prescribed, the rest is applied sun. " And: " individualism of the single apartment in the arrangement, accented by grading and color. This is democracy " Despite the complex planning developed the märkische district soon have a bad reputation, which is far beyond Berlin handed. In the book published by the State of Berlin Travel Guide Berlin for young people ( 3rd edition, 1983), this was justified as follows:

" [ That] was because only a deficient infrastructure was present in the first years. That is, it was too little shops, restaurants and pubs; not enough schools, kindergartens and playgrounds. Berlin for Young People, p 103 "

In other words, the planning on paper had not kept pace with the implementation; the number of dwellings ( and residents ) grew faster than the required infrastructure was built.

The image problem was exacerbated by a paradigm shift in the planning disciplines. In the late 1960s, more and more architects and city planners turned by the idea of new settlements from retort and the growing European city. Renovation of old buildings and the renovation of old neighborhoods took center stage. Even during the construction period was the märkische quarter so suddenly as a dinosaur and a relic no longer contemporary architectural ideas. As a counter-event to the official Berlin Bauwochen 1968 criticized an exhibition at the University of the District märkische fiercely. Subsequent articles in the mirror did the rest to dismantle the reputation of the neighborhood.

Another problem was the origin of a new population is: They often came from old buildings of downtown redevelopment areas and had made ​​her familiar neighborhood to move here because their old houses were demolished. Thus they lost to a their previous social ties and could on the other hand with the new - anonymous, in their view, cold, unfriendly - living environment not identify and lonely. There were suicides that were recorded by the mass media and a bad light cast on the settlement. The, the Extra-Parliamentary Opposition (APO ) connected, " Working Group rents and living" were against the abuses his MVZ - out märkische neighborhood newspaper that still exists in public records - such as the University of Berlin - is fully available. Audience effect were then hung banners and other against the rent increases from the houses that still want to seem the contemporary - staid Berliners as " Skyscraper ". One or more members of the Working Group MVZ apparently joined the Red Army Faction by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Horst Mahler.

For tourists, it is said to have organized bus given by the " bad residential area". Photographic and cinematic representations showed the settlement often " gray on gray " and in the gloom of winter or in rainy weather.

By complementing and expanding infrastructure, the negative development of the image could be stopped. Even minor alterations, which caused the main owner GESOBAU in individual houses and among whom were friendly entrance areas, evaluated on the quarter. In the early 1990s the market square in front of the cultural center Fontanehaus was eventually redesigned and 1992, designed by Emanuel Scharfenberg bronze fountain erected Fontane bow. With a height of 4.60 meters, the associated fountain basin has an area of ​​12 meters x 8 meters.

Together with other embellishments so created an environment in which the 40th anniversary of the Mark Brandenburg quarter, the average length of residence was 17 years and where there are tenants who have been living since the completion in the same apartment. Likewise, it can be observed that children of Erstbezieher remain in the settlement and start their own families. The märkische quarter does not count today to reported social hot spots of Berlin, such as the Rollbergsiedlung in Neukölln.

Energy-efficient modernization

The GESOBAU started in 2008 in order to modernize more than 13,000 apartments energetically. Already from 2007, ran to a pilot project. The project has a total investment of 440 million euros and will take approximately eight years. It is thus as currently the largest redevelopment projects in the German housing with a model for the sustainable reconstruction of large housing estates in Germany.

A series of coordinated measures to increase energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of the residential buildings. First up is the installation of new, low-loss Piping systems and header systems for heat supply and replacement of the radiator. Outdated pipe systems are replaced by two-pipe systems. To reduce the heat loss through the building envelope, a thermal insulation system is applied to the facades. Also the rooftops (or the ceiling of the top floors ) and the basement ceilings are insulated and replaced the window. Depending on the building may be represented by these measures, the heating costs by more than half. In sum, the GESOBAU calculated a reduction of CO2 emissions (after completion of the measures ) annually by more than 20,000 tons.

New radio-based and remote reading encoders measure in future the consumption of heating, hot and cold water for the first time precisely and allow a monitoring of one's own consumption habits by tenants. Since all train lines are renewed in the walls, the builder can also modernize the bathrooms and install water-saving fixtures and appliances. The outdated, unsanitary garbage disposals are to be closed and replaced with a more environmentally friendly separation system. In the access areas areas are unsealed and turned into green areas.

Because the renovation is taking place in occupied buildings and just can affect older people, or pregnant women who GESOBAU has initiated a help and support network especially for older tenants, which integrates social institutions as partners and to make the construction bearable. Particularly burdened tenants can with their families, even get a temporary home for the time in which her ​​apartment is being renovated. Since September 2008, an information box provides information on the City Square at Wilhelmsruher dam residents and the public about the modernization.

Green and water areas

Conceptually provided from the beginning were next to playgrounds numerous green areas and paths between the skyscrapers and larger green spaces. The time almost completely newly planted plants need to grow, thereby immediately after completion of the major settlement gave the impression of a barren concrete wasteland.

In Märkischen district there are two lakes in the northern area. The smaller midfield basin, which is only accessible via parkways. And twice as large Seggeluch basin ( the name derives from sedge to sedge and Luch for swamp ago), which is divided by a road bridge. Both lakes are connected by small ditches. The grave system pervades the entire northern district and was originally the drainage. During the construction of the Mark Brandenburg district, the pits were channeled, but retained its tortuous course and were integrated into green corridors. In the south of the much larger Nordgraben took over the drainage. - Parts of today Märkischen district was originally a wetland, which is why many of the high-rise buildings have no cellar, but have storage rooms on the ground floor, while the apartments are only about it.

Traffic

The connection to the rail network in Berlin is only through the S - and U- train station Wittenau which, however, already in the district Wittenau, located on the western edge of the Mark Brandenburg district. Within the satellite town, public transport by bus and coach is handled, the drive on almost all major roads. An extension of the line U8 of the Berlin U -Bahn, which would open up the quarter schnellbahn moderately better is only provided long term. In the 1970s, considerations were part of a development project hired to replace the bus Märkischen of the district by the Cabin Taxis ( PRT ) system. Although the idea was not realized.

Private transport

The central east-west axis is the Wilhelmsruher dam. Other major roads are: Dannenwalder way (development of the southern and northeastern portion ), Finsterwalder street (northwest), Eichhorster way and Schorfheide road (north -south in the western third). A special role is played by the Senftenberg ring. Although he is not a main road, but significant part of the traffic development in the north of the Mark Brandenburg district. It branches north from the Wilhelmsruher dam, divided by 350 meters and forms a complete ring with a diameter of about 500 meters, which has only two other places connection to the outside ( Calauer and Wesendorfer road).

The street names simultaneously explain the origin of the name of the large settlement: You describe places of his time Mark Brandenburg. An exception is the Wilhelmsruher dam, which is named after the nearby hamlet Wilhelmsruh the district of Pankow (but north of this passes ). This road existed before the construction of the Mark Brandenburg district.

See also: List of streets in Berlin- Maerkisches quarter

Rail transport

S -Bahn

Even before the construction of the Mark Brandenburg district of the S-Bahn station Wittenau was present. It is situated on the embankment of the Berlin Northern Railway, which forms the western boundary. For two reasons the station was not originally considered as transport links for the settlement: Although it is located on the east-west main axis, but the access was on the north, the Wilhelmsruher embankment opposite side ( on Göschenplatz ). The second and more fundamental reason was the special political situation of West Berlin and the S-Bahn, which was operated until 1984 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. From the population of the district Märkischen the train was almost completely boycotted (S -Bahn boycott ). Only after the takeover of operations of the tram by the BVG in 1984 changed this situation. After modernization work on the S- Bahn line of the south access of the S-Bahn station was put into operation in 1986.

Despite the boycott of the S -Bahn, two measures related to the S -Bahn line were from the construction of the Mark Brandenburg district in the 1970s carried out: The bridge over the Wilhelmsruher dam was rebuilt and thereby created with foresight so that between the two S remained -Bahn tracks space for a platform and thereby access the platform could immediately start on Wilhelmsruher dam. The second measure was a little further south to a new railway bridge over the road Schorfheide newly created. Here is another S-Bahn station was also provided; approximately halfway between the stations Wittenau and Wilhelmsruh.

Subway

Already the first inhabitants of the Mark Brandenburg district was promised a connection to the subway in the late 1960s. Early plans called a connection directly from the south, which should continue to end in Märkischen center and a station at the Senftenberg ring. Supposedly it (rather: structural considerations ) smaller inputs enter in the field of individual high-rise building foundations or start-ups. South of Wilhelmsruher dam falls on a free line, which is not built of skyscrapers (for Tornower way back ). These plans were never realized, and no later discarded in the 1970s. A subway line was instead coming from the west planned under the Wilhelmsruher dam. While the guide was clear to Märkischen center, it was an attempt to dispense with a northward pivoting extension Senftenberg ring to after - at that time not to be expected - to extend the route straight to the county line to Pankow reunification can.

This plan was implemented only in part to below the S-Bahn station on the western edge. On September 24, 1994 - twenty years after the completion of the Mark Brandenburg district - the metro station was opened ( Wilhelmsruher dam ) named Wittenau. It is round about the extension of the metro line U8 from Paracelsus-Bad station. At the same time the S-Bahn station of Wittenau ( Northern Railway ) in Wittenau ( Wilhelmsruher dam ) has been renamed. The management of the S -Bahn was between time passed ( after the German reunification ) of the LPP to the S- Bahn Berlin GmbH, a company of the German Bahn AG.

Tram

The nearest tram route terminates eastward in front of the Mark Brandenburg district at the stop Rosenthal north of the county boundary of Pankow. In the planning is a straightforward extension over the Wilhelmsruher dam west to Wittenau station. The need is real, especially since currently every 2 ½ minutes on the wrong Wilhelmsruher dam in each direction on average a bus. The Senate, however, reluctant to invest in new tram lines. The track is currently available only in the long-term planning.

Other routes

On the eastern edge of the district Märkischen the tracks of the Heidekrautbahn are available since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The owner of the railway, the railway Niederbarnimer basically planning a reopening of the route of Basdorf to the S-Bahn station Wilhelmsruh or beyond, including the construction of a new breakpoint on the eastern edge of the Mark Brandenburg district. A time of implementation, however, is not in sight. Mainly steam-powered - - On some weekends services which use historical are on the way to Basdorf trains carried out by the Berlin railway enthusiasts eV.

The route to the north, a section of the railway industry Tegel -Friedrich field is shut down, without the prospect of a reactivation exists. The track was never intended for passenger services.

Prominent residents of the district Märkischen

• Mario Hene, Songwriter
• Benjamin Köhler, football player
• Chen Kuen Lee, German - Chinese architect
• Horst Mahler, the RAF Terrorist
• Ulrike Meinhof, the Red Army Faction terrorist
• Sido, rapper
• Philip Tägert ( Artist name: Fil), comic book artist and entertainer
• B-Tight, rapper
• Max Willutzki, filmmaker ( he made, inter alia, the 1973 documentary film The long lamentation over tenant protests in the Mark Brandenburg Quarter)