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Neukölln
Borough of Berlin
FlagCoat of arms
Location of Neukölln in Berlin
Neukölln Show map of GermanyNeukölln Show map of Berlin
Coordinates: 52°29′N 13°27′E / 52.483°N 13.450°E / 52.483; 13.450
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
City	Berlin
Subdivisions	5 localities
Government
• Borough Mayor	Martin Hikel (SPD)
Area
• Total	44.93 km (17.35 sq mi)
Population
• Total	330,017
• Density	7,300/km (19,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registration	B
Website	Official homepage

Neukölln (German: [nɔʏˈkœln] ) is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin, Germany. It is located south of Berlin's centre and stretches southeastwards to the city boundary, encompassing the localities of Neukölln, Britz, Buckow, Rudow and Gropiusstadt.

Neukölln borough was part of the American sector during the Four-Power occupation of the city. It is characterised by having one of the highest percentages of immigrant residents in Berlin. An influx of students and artists since the mid-2000s has led to gentrification.

History

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. During the German revolution it was the centre of a soldier and worker's council which controlled all local government departments, abolished the municipal authorities, took over the banks and declared housing to be communal property.

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.

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

Neukölln is subdivided into five localities:

Public transport

Neukölln is served by three operational sections of urban rail.

U-Bahn:

• U7: Rathaus Spandau ↔ Rudow (running northwest–southeast)
• U8: Wittenau ↔ Hermannstraße (running north–south)

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

• S41/S42: Südkreuz → Gesundbrunnen → Südkreuz (clockwise ↔ anti clockwise circular)
• S45: Südkreuz ↔ Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen (only from Monday till Friday). An extension of the S45 is projected to run beyond the current terminus at Schönefeld Airport to the under construction Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
• S46: Westend ↔ Königs Wusterhausen
• S47: Spindlersfeld ↔ Hermannstraße

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

• Hermannplatz - U7 / U8
• Hermannstraße - U8 / S-Bahn
• Berlin-Neukölln - U7 / S-bahn

Demographics

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. The borough is known for its large Turkish, Arab and Kurdish communities, which together make up roughly 18% of the borough's population. Recently, there has been an influx of Romani people and Sub-Saharan Africans.

Gentrification

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. Northern Neukölln, just to the south of the Kreuzberg area, has become informally referred to as "Kreuzkölln" as the area becomes increasingly fashionable.

Politics

District council

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	1.7	18	1
	Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)	Susann Worschech	25,238	17.6	2.7	11	2
	Christian Democratic Union (CDU)	Falko Liecke	24,191	16.9	0.6	10	±0
	The Left (LINKE)	Sarah Nagel	21,525	15.0	2.8	9	2
	Alternative for Germany (AfD)	Julian Potthast	10,125	7.1	5.7	4	4
	Free Democratic Party (FDP)	Roland Leppek	6,971	4.9	0.6	3	1
	Tierschutzpartei		4,101	2.9	0.7	0	±0
	Die PARTEI		2,909	2.0	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	6.5
Source: Elections Berlin

District government

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:

Notable people

• Edgar Froese (1944–2015), musician, founder of the electronic music group Tangerine Dream
• Leo Arons (1860–1919), physicist, social democrat and supporter of the trade union movement
• Sebastian Blomberg (born 1972), actor
• Horst Buchholz (1933–2003), actor
• Heinz Buschkowsky (born 1948), politician (SPD), former district mayor of Neukölln
• Christiane F. (born 1962), author of the book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo
• Ursula Goetze, anti-Nazi activist (1916–1943)
• Alexander Hacke, musician, born 1965 in Neukölln
• Kirsten Heisig (1961–2010), juvenile magistrate in Neukölln, created the Neuköllner Modell, applying rapid intervention procedures to deal with juvenile offenders before they embarked on a criminal lifestyle
• Kurt Krömer (born 1974), presenter, actor and entertainer
• Jutta Limbach (1934–2016), legal academic
• Will Meisel (1897–1967), composer and publisher
• Inge Meysel (1910–2004), actress
• Gunnar Möller (1928–2017), actor
• Mady Rahl (1915–2009), actress
• Antonio Rüdiger (born 1993), footballer
• Werner Seelenbinder (1904–1944), wrestler, politician (KPD) and resistance fighter
• Katharina Szelinski-Singer (1918–2010), sculptor
• Elsa Thiemann (1910–1981), Bauhaus educated photographer, who took many photographs of Neukölln where she lived
• Lotte Ulbricht (1903–2002), wife of East German leader Walter Ulbricht
• Emil Wutzky (1871–1963), trade unionist and local politician (SPD)
• Engelbert Zaschka (1895–1955), inventor and helicopter pioneer
• Alice Phoebe Lou (born 1993), a South African singer-songwriter

In popular culture

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• "Neuköln" (deliberately spelt with one 'l') is an instrumental piece by David Bowie, the ninth track on his 1977 album "Heroes".
• The last track of Miss Kittin's first solo album I Com is called "Neukölln 2".
• The German film Knallhart is set in the northern part of Neukölln.
• The German documentary Neukölln Unlimited tells the story of three Lebanese teenagers based in Neukölln, who fight their deportation out of Germany.
• Electronic music producer Kobosil is a native of the city. With a Bachelor of Arts in audio production, he has released music on the Ostgut Ton and MDT labels.
• The series 4 Blocks is set in Neukölln and Kreuzberg.
• The sixth leg of The Amazing Race 32 had its Pit Stop in Neukölln.

Twin towns – sister cities

Neukölln is twinned with:

• Anderlecht, Belgium (1955)
• Bat Yam, Israel (1978)
• Boulogne-Billancourt, France (1955)
• Çiğli (İzmir), Turkey (2005)
• Cologne, Germany (1967)
• Hammersmith and Fulham (London), England, United Kingdom (1955)
• Leonberg, Germany (1970)
• Marino, Italy (1980)
• Pavlovsk (Saint Petersburg), Russia (1991)
• Prague 5 (Prague), Czech Republic (2005)
• Pushkin (Saint Petersburg), Russia (1991)
• Ústí nad Orlicí, Czech Republic (1989)
• Wetzlar, Germany (1959)
• Zaanstad, Netherlands (1955)

Gallery

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

See also

• Berlin-Neukölln (electoral district)
• Hermannplatz

References

1. "Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner im Land Berlin am 31. Dezember 2023". Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg. February 2024.
2. Translated "New Cölln", and etymologically "New Colony" from lat. colonia.
3. ^ 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. Gluckstein, Donny (1985). Western soviets. Bookmarks Publishing Co-operative. p. 133.
6. 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.
7. S41 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
8. S42 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
9. S45 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 91 march 2018
10. "2020 vision for Berlin's long-overdue Brandenburg Airport" Travel weekly, 9 January 2018
11. S45 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
12. S47 "Bahnhofs- und Linieninformationssystem" s-bahn-berlin.de accessed 19 March 2018
13. "Seite wird geladen" (PDF).
14. Peters, Freia (28 September 2010). "Die Roma von Berlin-Neukölln". Die Welt.
15. "Seite wird geladen" (PDF). www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
16. "Sagt endlich Kreuzkölln!" 12 April 2016 Der Tagesspiegel
17. Roma, A. S. (9 June 2016). "Antonio Rudiger: This is the story of my life". forza roma. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
18. "Kobosil". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor Ltd. 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
19. Turano, Sammi (18 November 2020). "The Amazing Race Recap for 11/18/2020: Double Legs". TV Grapevive. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
20. "Neuköllner Städtepartnerschaften". berlin.de (in German). Berlin. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

External links

• (in German) Official homepage
• (in German) WebTV from Berlin, Neukoelln

v t e Boroughs and quarters of Berlin
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (4)	Charlottenburg Charlottenburg-Nord Grunewald Halensee Schmargendorf Westend Wilmersdorf
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (2)	Friedrichshain Kreuzberg
Lichtenberg (11)	Alt-Hohenschönhausen Falkenberg Fennpfuhl Friedrichsfelde Karlshorst Lichtenberg Malchow Neu-Hohenschönhausen Rummelsburg Wartenberg
Marzahn-Hellersdorf (10)	Biesdorf Hellersdorf Kaulsdorf Mahlsdorf Marzahn
Mitte (1)	Gesundbrunnen Hansaviertel Mitte Moabit Tiergarten Wedding
Neukölln (8)	Britz Buckow Gropiusstadt Neukölln Rudow
Pankow (3)	Blankenburg Blankenfelde Buch Französisch Buchholz Heinersdorf Karow Niederschönhausen Pankow Prenzlauer Berg Rosenthal Stadtrandsiedlung Malchow Weißensee Wilhelmsruh
Reinickendorf (12)	Borsigwalde Frohnau Heiligensee Hermsdorf Konradshöhe Lübars Märkisches Viertel Reinickendorf Tegel Waidmannslust Wittenau
Spandau (5)	Falkenhagener Feld Gatow Hakenfelde Haselhorst Kladow Siemensstadt Spandau Staaken Wilhelmstadt
Steglitz-Zehlendorf (6)	Dahlem Lankwitz Lichterfelde Nikolassee Schlachtensee Steglitz Wannsee Zehlendorf
Tempelhof-Schöneberg (7)	Friedenau Lichtenrade Mariendorf Marienfelde Schöneberg Tempelhof
Treptow-Köpenick (9)	Adlershof Alt-Treptow Altglienicke Baumschulenweg Bohnsdorf Friedrichshagen Grünau Johannisthal Köpenick Müggelheim Niederschöneweide Oberschöneweide Plänterwald Rahnsdorf Schmöckwitz
Districts Localities Zones Greater Berlin Act Former boroughs

v t e Boroughs of Berlin (1920–2000)
West boroughs (1920–2000)	Charlottenburg Kreuzberg Neukölln Reinickendorf Schöneberg Spandau Steglitz Tempelhof Tiergarten Wedding Wilmersdorf Zehlendorf
East boroughs (1920–2000)	Friedrichshain Hellersdorf (1986) Hohenschönhausen (1985) Köpenick Lichtenberg Marzahn (1979) Mitte Pankow Prenzlauer Berg Treptow Weißensee

• Neukölln
• Districts of Berlin
• Ethnic enclaves in Germany
• Former boroughs of Berlin