Envision this: A cascade of water rushes down a rocky slope. We are standing at the foot of the waterfall in Viktoriapark. This urban oasis in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district is a testament to history and recreation.
Viktoriapark is named after Princess Victoria. She was the British princess and later Queen of Prussia. The park opened in 1894, offering a green escape in the city.
The park sits on the Tempelhofer Berge range. This forms the northern slope of the Teltow Plateau. From here, you can overlook the glacial valley and Berlin’s city center. The major landmark is a cast-iron monument. King Frederick William III of Prussia dedicated it in 1815. It commemorates the liberation wars against France during the Napoleonic Wars. The monument offers excellent views of the city.
In summer, an artificial waterfall flows from the monument’s base. It tumbles down the hillside to the intersection of Großbeerenstraße and Kreuzbergstraße. Viktoriapark also has a historic wine-growing area. Two small vineyards neighbor the park. One was founded in 1968. The Senate of Berlin owns it. The adjacent market garden cultivates it. The other vineyard was established in 2006. It is within the Victoria Quarter on the Kreuzberg hill’s southern slope. Only the old vineyard produces “Kreuz-Neroberger” wine. Kreuzberg’s twin towns donate the vines. Wiesbaden donated in 1968. Ingelheim am Rhein donated in 1975. The Bergstraße county donated in 1971 and 1973. Bad Bergzabern donated in 1985. About 600 bottles are pressed each year.
In 1821, the Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars was inaugurated. Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed it in Neoclassical style. It stood atop the 66-meter promontory west of the road to Tempelhof. The hill was then known as Tempelhofer Berg or Runder Berg. The king renamed the hill Kreuzberg. This was after the Iron Cross at the monument’s top. In September 1921, Kreuzberg became the borough’s name. This was created by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act.
As the surrounding area became a densely built-up suburb, an ordinance was decreed. This was to maintain the monument’s visibility. However, the “Kreuzberg judgement” annulled this.
Hermann Mächtig, Berlin’s city garden director, designed the park. He used the name Victoria Park. The city parliament decided to lay out a park in 1886. In 1887, Berlin acquired land for the park.
Mächtig had to alter his plans. Exuberant water cascades were replaced by a more naturalistic waterfall. He and sculptor Albert Manthe visited natural waterfalls in the Giant Mountains for inspiration. The city parliament approved the waterfall designs in 1891. Mächtig designed a highland-like waterfall. It was directed towards Großbeerenstraße. He used rocks from the Giant Mountains for the waterfall. The Kreuzberg waterfall was modeled on waterfalls in the Giant Mountains.
In 1893, the waterfall ran for the first time on trial. Gas motors pumped up the water. Since 1894, 13,000 liters per minute cascade down to the lower pond. Between 1898 and World War I, the waterfall was illuminated at night. However, the waterfall’s operation was interrupted several times.
Mächtig’s park design created a mountainesque character. There are varied landscape forms, forested slopes, and terraces. Paths, ramps, and stairs connect the park. Sculptures and monuments adorn the park. Ernst Herter’s bronze sculpture “Der seltene Fang” stands at the lower pond. It depicts a fisherman and a mermaid.
In the late 1890s, herms of poets and singers of German patriotism were raised. However, only three survived World War II. Aluminum replicas were posted at their original locations. In 1904, a stele with a bust of Robert Zeller was added.
Albert Brodersen extended Viktoriapark between 1913 and 1916. This included a playing field. In 1925, a vivarium was opened. It hosted various animals.
The Victoria Park was included in Nazi plans for rebuilding Berlin. In summer 1944, tunnels were driven into the northern Kreuzberg slope. These were used as air-raid shelters. In 1944, bombs destroyed the waterfall’s pumphouse.
Today, Viktoriapark remains a beloved green space. It offers a blend of history, nature, and recreation. As you wander through this park, remember the stories it holds. From royal namesakes to wartime shelters, Viktoriapark is a place of enduring beauty and resilience.