Englisches Viertel

Hidden in plain sight, the Englisches Viertel whispers tales of a bygone era. Here in Berlin’s Wedding district, the Englisches Viertel isn’t marked by grand monuments or bustling markets. Instead, it reveals itself through quiet streets named after British and Irish cities. Think Londoner Straße, Edinburger Straße, Dubliner Straße, and Bristolstraße. The Englisches Viertel’s heart is the 30-hectare Schillerpark, a tranquil oasis amidst the urban sprawl. This neighborhood is primarily residential, punctuated by large housing estates built in the 20th century. The Englisches Viertel’s history stretches back to 1886, with the founding of the Paul-Gerhardt-Stift. This was a deaconess house and hospital. Development truly took off after 1908, when the city closed a nearby abattoir. Its removal eliminated a persistent odor that had previously deterred settlement. In 1909, during a visit by British King Edward VII, the streets in the southern part of the area received their Anglo-centric names. A few years later, in 1910, the Schillerpark fire station became the first in Berlin designed for motorized fire engines. The Schillerpark itself opened in 1913 as Berlin’s first public park. The Englisches Viertel was on the outskirts of Berlin in the early 20th century. Large housing estates, built in a variety of styles, sprang up to accommodate the city’s booming population. These estates still define the area’s character today. The northern section of the Englisches Viertel was developed in the 1920s. Streets there also received British-inspired names. Between 1927 and 1928, a large modernist housing estate with 888 apartments, designed by Erich Glas, was built between Dubliner, Edinburger, Liverpooler, Glasgower, and Schöningstraße. This innovative estate included its own heating plant, providing apartments with then-novel hot-water central heating. The Siedlung Schillerpark, designed by Bruno Taut, was built in the 1920s and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. It’s now home to 600 apartments. The estate was later expanded in the 1950s with additional buildings by Taut’s student Hans Hoffmann. Between 1925 and 1927, the Schillerhof settlement was constructed in a more conservative architectural style. After World War II, the Wedding district became part of the French sector of Berlin. The French military established its headquarters in southern Reinickendorf, which led to the emergence of several French institutions in the Englisches Viertel. The Centre Français de Berlin is located directly on Müllerstraße, while the German-French student shop “Karotte” can be found on Glasgower Straße. Today, the Englisches Viertel offers a unique blend of cultures and architectural styles, nestled amongst green spaces. The Schillerpark, the various cemeteries, and the BVG’s facilities add to the neighborhood’s distinctive atmosphere.