Consider this a green lung. Gemeindewäldchen Zehlendorf awaits. This 9.6-hectare forest sits in Zehlendorf Mitte. It offers a welcome escape. It is a great place for city recreation. Need a break? Want to spend your lunch on a park bench? This is the place.
The Gemeindewäldchen Zehlendorf is bordered by several streets. Potsdamer Chaussee lies to the south. Fischerhüttenstraße borders the northeast. Bergmannstraße marks the northeast edge. Busseallee cuts through its western part.
Inside Gemeindewäldchen Zehlendorf, paths branch out. They create a star-like network for walkers. In May 2012, a new addition opened. A 2400 square meter playground. It is designed for all ages. It features climbing frames and a zipline.
The history of Zehlendorf goes back centuries. In 1242, it was first documented. Landesherren Johann I and Otto III sold the village. The buyers were Cistercian monks from Lehnin. The price was 300 marks in silver. The monks held it until 1542. That is when the Reformation changed things.
These monks needed a base. They were heading to their Barnim properties. The people who worked the land came from nearby. About 40 years before, several villages arose here. It is thought the Askanians founded them. They wanted to secure the area. They wanted protection against the Margrave of Meißen. The Cistercians brought structure to the new village. They added a church. They added farming expertise. A tavern and a mill were built. A blacksmith was added.
In 1251, Zehlendorf’s territory grew. They bought Krummensee and its settlement. This secured the livelihood for about 140 people.
Three lakes provided for the village. Tusen now Nikolassee, Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke. They supplied fish and reeds. The fish were for food. The reeds were for roofing. To the west, the land reached the Havel and Wannsee. These areas offered wood and pasture. The eastern soils were fertile. These were used for a three-field crop system.
For 300 years, the monks managed Zehlendorf. Then, in 1542, everything changed. Church lands were seized during the Reformation. Zehlendorf fell under the control of the Kurfürstliche Amtes Mühlenhof. From then on, Brandenburg’s electors and Prussian kings became patrons of the village church.
After population losses and economic decline during the Thirty Years’ War, the village recovered. By 1652, there were 12 farmers and 6 cottagers. The “Gemeine Dorf Ordnungk” defined moral and legal principles in 51 paragraphs. The oldest surviving church book also dates from this time. It shows the success of the new order.
Potsdam became the second home of the Hohenzollerns. Zehlendorf, halfway between Potsdam and Berlin, gained importance. Frederick II would stretch his legs in Zehlendorf. He spoke to the farmers. He ordered the medieval fieldstone church to be replaced. He wanted a lighter, octagonal building. His nephew built the first Prussian road between the residences. This increased travel speed to 10 km/h.
In the 19th century, the railway arrived. The first Prussian railway connected Potsdam, Zehlendorf, and Berlin in 1838/39. This laid the foundation for a Berlin suburb. People could live in the country and work in the city. Land reforms also helped. Farmers gained ownership of their land. A new Landgemeindeordnung allowed for self-government.
Companies bought farms. They divided the land. They sold it to wealthy Berliners. Large country houses and villas were built. Later, cooperative settlements and modern housing complexes followed. Many famous architects lived here. Hermann Muthesius built English-style country houses. Bruno Taut created groundbreaking housing estates. They all enjoyed country life. They did not miss the comforts of the city.
In 1920, Zehlendorf became part of Greater Berlin. The rural communities of Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Nikolassee joined. So did the Dahlem, Kleinglienicke, Pfaueninsel, and northern Potsdamer Forst estates.
Today, Gemeindewäldchen Zehlendorf remains. It offers green space. A place to relax. A bit of history. A touch of nature.