Ever wondered about a village that’s also a Berlin suburb? Welcome to Blankenburg.
Blankenburg isn’t just any Berlin neighborhood. It boasts a rich history stretching back to around 1230. Imagine Low German settlers arriving establishing this place on the Barnim plateau. Their origins possibly near the Harz mountains. This explains the name a nod to another Blankenburg far to the south.
The village church a testament to its past dates back to approximately 1250. Its Romanesque architecture whispers tales of medieval life. A 1375 document the Landbuch of Emperor Charles IV formally mentions Blankenburg. It detailed the village’s 42 farms including those belonging to the priest and a local official. Twenty-four Kossaten small farmers lived there along with a publican. The village had a lord’s manor. It belonged to the noble family of Tamme von Röbel. Their estate encompassed eight farms.
Throughout the centuries Blankenburg changed hands. Noble families owned it. Berlin’s city government eventually acquired the manor in 1882. They turned it into a sewage farm. The area developed slowly though. It remained quite rural. A large allotment garden complex once one of Germany’s biggest existed here from 1910. This limited building expansion. Housing construction accelerated from 1902 reaching its present size around 1938.
Blankenburg became part of Greater Berlin in 1920. Its infrastructure improved. The Panke river was regulated and a mortuary built. In the 1980s Blankenburg joined the Weissensee borough. A significant event for the area. But in 2001 Blankenburg rejoined the Pankow borough its present administrative location.
Blankenburg’s character is defined by its well-preserved village green and church. Many buildings around Alt-Blankenburg Street are listed buildings. A unique feature was the former Dog Museum. A local couple founded it in 1986. It even earned a Guinness World Record in 1992 for its extensive collection. Sadly the museum closed in 2020. The now-demolished former HTW campus also once stood here. A golf course now occupies that land.
Today Blankenburg is a charming suburb. It offers a blend of history modern life. A testament to its longevity Blankenburg continues to evolve while retaining its distinct character. Its village core. Its unique history. A place where past and present peacefully coexist. This is Blankenburg a place worth exploring.