Remember the name Rudolf de Weddinghe. He might be the namesake and founder of Wedding. His knight’s court was the center of a German settlement. Wends later destroyed it.
Welcome to the Altes Gutshaus. It is in Berlin. This area has a rich past linked to Brandenburg’s evolution and Berlin’s growth. Wedding’s first mention was in a document from May 22 1251. It recorded a cloister buying a mill.
Let’s delve into the Altes Gutshaus’s story. On August 14 1289, the knight Rudolphe von Weddinghe’s estate appeared in records. Markgraf Johann I and Otto III noted it. The estate and village by the Panke River marked today’s district origin. The mill was rebuilt many times.
In the 14th century, Wedding’s land was mainly for farming. It became Berlin’s city heath over time. Despite less farming, a small estate existed with woods around. A 1516 document hinted at a village church.
After reformation, the Kurfürstentum got cloister lands. Nobles bought land outside city walls. They farmed and raised livestock. The mill declined and revived over centuries. Hieronymus Graf Schlick created a new estate in 1601. He bought fifty properties. This estate was northeast of Nettelbeckplatz. The Panke River bordered it. In 1603, Kurfürst got the estate. It became part of Amt Mühlenhof. From 1635 to 1648, more land was bought. Wedding became Kurfürst’s property.
For fifty years, it was a royal domain. It supplied food to the royal court. In 1705, the Panke River was dammed and channeled. This improved access to Niederschönhausen Palace. Around 1720, Wedding Vorwerk’s function ended. The area evolved differently. The village started northwest along Müllerstraße. Near Pankemühle in Badstraße, Gesundbrunnen formed another settlement.
Farming resumed in 1722. Plots were leased to Berliners. Heinrich Wilhelm Behm, a pharmacist, got the dilapidated Vorwerk in 1764. He prospered with the Gesund Brunnen spa. Gardeners from Bayreuth settled near the royal Vorwerk. This was called “Neu Wedding”. Their properties were on Reinickendorfer Straße. Around 1770, another colony arose east on Koloniestraße. These colonists also had a mulberry plantation. Royal gardens were set up to profit after six years. Behm cleared the Kämmereiheide for the colony’s growth.
In 1797, Geheimrat Noeldchen bought the leased Vorwerk. In 1817, he sold it to Berlin. Berlin owned Wedding lands again. In 1827, the estate was re-parceled. Building plots emerged. A sheep farm still existed near the Vorwerk. After forests were cut down, milling businesses thrived. The Prussian Mühlenedict of 1810 gave millers more freedom. Milling boomed in Wedding. Many millers settled on Müllerstraße. Müller Kloß built a Dutch mill in 1809. Müller Streichan followed with a post mill.
From 1819, Müllerstraße towards Tegel and Reinickendorfer Straße towards Reinickendorf were settled. Adolph Friedrich Wollank divided and sold his lands.
Wedding’s development sped up in the 19th century. Magistrates leveled fields and built roads. The Ruppiner Straße became a paved, toll road around 1800. It was once an old army road. The Chausseewärterhaus at Müllerstraße 46-47 shows this time. It lost its function in 1811. Parcels were settled from 1820. Individual parcels, colonies, and settlements gradually merged. These included Weddinghof and Gesundbrunnen.
The Altes Gutshaus saw significant settlement along the Chaussee. This was especially true on Müllerstraße. New infrastructure and a street network were needed. This prevented unregulated building. Some oddities arose in parceling. These became clear later. Baurat James Friedrich Ludolf Hobrecht planned the city. The house at Müllerstraße 156d is only two windows wide. It is five stories high.
Wedding developed connections to Pankow, Tegel, and Reinickendorf in the 19th century. The Niederbarnimer Kreis and Berlin argued over the poor area’s responsibility. The 1842 poor care law made landowners responsible. Berlin became responsible due to ownership. Industrialization brought workers. It also caused social problems. The city was overwhelmed by those seeking help. Church groups and civic clubs offered aid.
Wedding’s incorporation into Berlin faced resistance. On January 1 1861, it officially joined Berlin. Wedding and Gesund Brunnen kept their names. Parts of Rosenthaler Vorstadt were added. Wedding became the district with the highest unemployment. Despite resistance, the forced incorporation happened due to positive votes. Areas connected in 1861 included parts of Oranienburger Vorstadt. It also included the Plötzensee estate district. Neu-Wedding, Luisenbad, Kleiner Wedding, Johannesberg, and rural settlements became Berlin districts.
Despite initial resistance and social issues, Wedding became integral to Berlin’s growth.