Berlin Customs Wall
Encyclopedia
The Berlin Customs Wall (German: "Berliner Zoll- und Akzisemauer" literally Berlin customs and excise
wall ) was a ring wall around the historic city of Berlin; the wall itself had no defence function but was used to facilitate the levying of taxes on the import and export of goods (tariff
s) which was the primary income of many cities at the time.
was demolished in 1734; the walls of the latter had already started to crumble and its military function was questionable. Frederick William I of Prussia
ordered the construction of stockade
s around the city which were completed in 1737 - the new ring fence incorporated the existing northern "palisade line" built in 1705. The location of this oldest stockade is recalled today by the street name "Linienstraße" (line street). Few parts of this original customs wall were stone-built.
The original customs wall had 14 city gate
s which were mostly named after the city to which the ensuing road led. Additionally, the river Spree was blocked with customs gates called "Oberbaum" (upper beam) and "Unterbaum" (lower beam) after the heavy tree trunks, covered in metal spikes, that were used as booms to block the river at night to prevent smuggling. The new wall engirded not only the city of Berlin and its suburbs but also encompassed some rural land in the east and south.
With the growth of Berlin, the stockades and gates were moved as dictated by circumstances during the following decades. Between 1786 and 1802 the wooden stockades were replaced by stone walls at a height of 4 metres. Also, various gates were rebuilt in an imposing style, one notable example being the Brandenburg Gate
. In the middle of the century more gates were added to meet the increased transport requirements - these included New Gate (1832), Anhalt Gate (1839/1840), Köpenick Gate (1842) and Water Gate (1848).
The middle of the century was marked by new railway lines terminating in stations built in front of the wall usually near one of its gates. This was the case with Potsdam Station
(1841), Anhalt Station (1842), Stettin Station
(1842), Hamburg Station
(1846) - only Frankfurt Station
(1842) was built just inside the ring wall. An interconnecting railway line, the ("Berliner Verbindungsbahn") for goods and military transport, was built in 1851 linking the terminal stations and thus turning Berlin into a central transport hub for Prussia and the German Customs Union.
With the rise of Berlin, new suburbs were built outside the Customs Wall, which increasingly became a hindrance to the continued development of the city. In 1860 the Customs Wall was removed and on 1 January 1861 Berlin amalgamated its suburbs resulting in a doubling of the city's population. The remaining walls were demolished for the most part between 1867 and 1870 - including most of the gates. Only some imposing gates were kept, the Brandenburg Gate being the only one to be rebuilt after after World War II.
With the old walls out of the way, the city developed quickly almost doubling in population over the following decade. The interconnecting railway line (on the southern and western sides) was replaced by the circle line railway in 1871 - the existing railway track was then used by horsecar
lines. The route of the southern lines was used for the first electric metro line in 1900, which is now the U1 (Berlin U-Bahn)
- its metro stations Silesian Gate (Schlesisches Tor
), Cottbus Gate (Kottbusser Tor
), Halle Gate (Hallesches Tor
), and former Stralau Gate (Stralauer Tor
) are a reminder of its heritage. The following streets follow the original route of the customs wall: Stresemannstraße (former Königgrätzer Straße
), Marchlewskistraße, Friedenstraße, Prenzlauer Berg
avenue, part of Prenzlauer Allee
, Torstraße, Hannoversche Straße, Charité
straße, part of Reinhardtstraße
, and Ebertstraße.
Excise
Excise tax in the United States is a indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state and local governments and are far from uniform throughout the United States...
wall ) was a ring wall around the historic city of Berlin; the wall itself had no defence function but was used to facilitate the levying of taxes on the import and export of goods (tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s) which was the primary income of many cities at the time.
History
The wall was erected after the old Berlin FortressBerlin Fortress
The Berlin Fortress was the fortification of the historic city of Berlin. Construction started in 1650. The demolition of its ramparts began in 1740.- History :...
was demolished in 1734; the walls of the latter had already started to crumble and its military function was questionable. Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
ordered the construction of stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
s around the city which were completed in 1737 - the new ring fence incorporated the existing northern "palisade line" built in 1705. The location of this oldest stockade is recalled today by the street name "Linienstraße" (line street). Few parts of this original customs wall were stone-built.
The original customs wall had 14 city gate
City gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
s which were mostly named after the city to which the ensuing road led. Additionally, the river Spree was blocked with customs gates called "Oberbaum" (upper beam) and "Unterbaum" (lower beam) after the heavy tree trunks, covered in metal spikes, that were used as booms to block the river at night to prevent smuggling. The new wall engirded not only the city of Berlin and its suburbs but also encompassed some rural land in the east and south.
With the growth of Berlin, the stockades and gates were moved as dictated by circumstances during the following decades. Between 1786 and 1802 the wooden stockades were replaced by stone walls at a height of 4 metres. Also, various gates were rebuilt in an imposing style, one notable example being the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
. In the middle of the century more gates were added to meet the increased transport requirements - these included New Gate (1832), Anhalt Gate (1839/1840), Köpenick Gate (1842) and Water Gate (1848).
The middle of the century was marked by new railway lines terminating in stations built in front of the wall usually near one of its gates. This was the case with Potsdam Station
Berlin Potsdamer Bahnhof
The Potsdamer Bahnhof is a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany. It was located at Potsdamer Platz, about 1 km south of the Brandenburg Gate, and kick-started the transformation of Potsdamer Platz from an area of quiet villas near the south-east corner of the Tiergarten into the bustling...
(1841), Anhalt Station (1842), Stettin Station
Berlin Nordbahnhof
Berlin Nordbahnhof is a railway station in the Mitte district of Berlin, Germany. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn and local bus and tram lines.-History:...
(1842), Hamburg Station
Hamburger Bahnhof
Hamburger Bahnhof is a former railway station in Berlin, Germany, on Invalidenstraße in the Moabit district opposite the Charité hospital. Today it serves as the Museum für Gegenwart , a contemporary art museum....
(1846) - only Frankfurt Station
Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin Ostbahnhof is a mainline railway station in Berlin, Germany. It is in Friedrichshain, now part of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, and has undergone several name changes in its history. It was known as Berlin Hauptbahnhof from 1987 to 1998, a name now applied to Berlin's new central station...
(1842) was built just inside the ring wall. An interconnecting railway line, the ("Berliner Verbindungsbahn") for goods and military transport, was built in 1851 linking the terminal stations and thus turning Berlin into a central transport hub for Prussia and the German Customs Union.
With the rise of Berlin, new suburbs were built outside the Customs Wall, which increasingly became a hindrance to the continued development of the city. In 1860 the Customs Wall was removed and on 1 January 1861 Berlin amalgamated its suburbs resulting in a doubling of the city's population. The remaining walls were demolished for the most part between 1867 and 1870 - including most of the gates. Only some imposing gates were kept, the Brandenburg Gate being the only one to be rebuilt after after World War II.
With the old walls out of the way, the city developed quickly almost doubling in population over the following decade. The interconnecting railway line (on the southern and western sides) was replaced by the circle line railway in 1871 - the existing railway track was then used by horsecar
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
lines. The route of the southern lines was used for the first electric metro line in 1900, which is now the U1 (Berlin U-Bahn)
U1 (Berlin U-Bahn)
U1 is a line on the Berlin U-Bahn, which is 8.8 km long and has 13 stations. Its traditional line designation was BII. It runs east-west and its eastern end is immediately south of the route of the historical Schlesischen Bahn at the Warschauer Straße S-Bahn station and runs through...
- its metro stations Silesian Gate (Schlesisches Tor
Schlesisches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
Schlesisches Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station on the line.-Overview:It is located in eastern Kreuzberg, near Oberbaumbrücke, in the Bohemian quarter commonly known as SO36...
), Cottbus Gate (Kottbusser Tor
Kottbusser Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
Kottbusser Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the and . Many Berliners use the affectionate term Kotti.It is located in central Kreuzberg. The area has a bad reputation for the relatively high, mainly drug-related crime rate, instances of which have recently become quite rare in most other...
), Halle Gate (Hallesches Tor
Hallesches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
The underground station Hallesches Tor is part of the Berlin U-Bahn network at the intersection of the east-west bound U1 and the north-south bound U6 in the Kreuzberg district.-Overview:...
), and former Stralau Gate (Stralauer Tor
Stralauer Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
Stralauer Tor was a Berlin U-Bahn station in Berlin-Friedrichshain. As an elevated station built into the north-eastern part of the Oberbaumbrücke viaduct, it operated between Warschauer Straße and Schlesisches Tor stations on today's U1...
) are a reminder of its heritage. The following streets follow the original route of the customs wall: Stresemannstraße (former Königgrätzer Straße
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
), Marchlewskistraße, Friedenstraße, Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg is a locality of Berlin, in the borough of Pankow.Until 2001, Prenzlauer Berg was a borough of Berlin; in that year it was included in the borough of Pankow....
avenue, part of Prenzlauer Allee
Prenzlauer Allee
Prenzlauer Allee is a major avenue in the Prenzlauer Berg district of the German capital Berlin and one of the main thoroughfares of the north-eastern Pankow borough...
, Torstraße, Hannoversche Straße, Charité
Charité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
straße, part of Reinhardtstraße
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
, and Ebertstraße.
Gates
The 18 city gates and 2 river gates are still visible on the map, their names having been given to squares and streets. In clockwise order these are:- Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor at Pariser PlatzPariser PlatzPariser Platz is a square in the centre of Berlin, Germany, situated by the Brandenburg Gate at the end of the Unter den Linden. The square is named after the French capital Paris in honour of the Allied occupation of Paris in 1814, and is one of the main focal points of the city.-History :Pariser...
/Unter den LindenUnter den LindenUnter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
) the only city gate left. - Unterbaum (near Unterbaumstraße).
- New Gate (Neues Tor at todays "Platz vor dem Neuen Tor", design by Karl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
). - OranienburgOranienburgOranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
Gate (Oranienburger Tor at Torstraße /FriedrichstraßeFriedrichstraßeThe Friedrichstraße is a major culture and shopping street in central Berlin, forming the core of the Friedrichstadt neighborhood. It runs from the northern part of the old Mitte district to the Hallesches Tor in the district of Kreuzberg...
) - the original gate was sold to Groß Behnitz - HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
Gate (Hamburger Tor at Torstraße /Kleine Hamburger Straße). - RosenthalRosenthal (Berlin)Rosenthal is an affluent locality within the Berlin borough of Pankow. The old village first mentioned in a 1356 deed as Rosendalle became a part of Greater Berlin in 1920 .-Overview:The Rosenthal locality includes the Nordend neighborhood....
Gate (Rosenthaler Tor at Torstraße /Rosenthaler Straße near Rosenthaler Platz). - SchönhausenNiederschönhausenNiederschönhausen is a German locality within the borough of Pankow, Berlin. It is commonly known also as "Pankow-Schönhausen".-History:...
Gate (Schönhauser Tor at Torstraße /Schönhauser AlleeSchönhauser AlleeSchönhauser Allee in Berlin is one of the most important streets of the Prenzlauer Berg district.Schönhauser Allee reaches from Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in the south to Pankow in the north...
). - PrenzlauPrenzlauPrenzlau , a city in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg in Germany, had a population of about 21,000 in 2005.-International relations:Prenzlau is twinned with: Uster, Switzerland Barlinek, Poland Świdwin, Poland...
Gate (Prenzlauer Tor at Torstraße /Prenzlauer AlleePrenzlauer AlleePrenzlauer Allee is a major avenue in the Prenzlauer Berg district of the German capital Berlin and one of the main thoroughfares of the north-eastern Pankow borough...
). - BernauBernau bei BerlinBernau bei Berlin is a German town in the Barnim district. The town is located about northeast of Berlin.-History:...
Gate (Bernauer Tor, since 1809 "Königstor", at Greifswalder Straße /Am Friedrichshain) - LandsbergAltlandsbergAltlandsberg is a historic town in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated about east of Berlin.-History:Altlandsberg was first mentioned in a 1230 deed, it was located at the site of a former Slavic settlement...
Gate (Landsberger Tor at Landsberger Allee /Friedenstraße). - FrankfurtFrankfurt (Oder)Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
Gate (Frankfurter Tor, west of the current location somewhere near U-Bahnhof WeberwieseWeberwiese (Berlin U-Bahn)Weberwiese is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the line, which currently runs from Alexanderplatz to Hönow. The station is located under Karl-Marx-Allee directly east of Straße der Pariser Kommune. Although the next station on the line is called Frankfurter Tor, the historical city gate...
). - Stralau Gate (Stralauer Tor, earlier named "Mühlentor" / Mills Gate) (Warschauer StraßeWarschauer StraßeWarschauer Straße is a street in the Friedrichshain locality of central Berlin, the capital of Germany. It links the Oberbaumbrücke, a landmark double deck bridge across the River Spree, with Frankfurter Tor....
/Stralauer Allee /Mühlenstraße). - Oberbaum (OberbaumbrückeOberbaumbrückeThe Oberbaum Bridge is a double-deck bridge crossing Berlin's River Spree, considered one of the city landmarks. It links Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, former boroughs that were divided by the Berlin Wall, and has become an important symbol of Berlin’s unity....
). - SilesiaSilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
n Gate (Schlesisches TorSchlesisches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)Schlesisches Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station on the line.-Overview:It is located in eastern Kreuzberg, near Oberbaumbrücke, in the Bohemian quarter commonly known as SO36...
, earlier "Wendentor" / WendsWendsWends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
Gate) (Skalitzer Straße /Schlesische Straße am U-Bahnhof Schlesisches TorSchlesisches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)Schlesisches Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station on the line.-Overview:It is located in eastern Kreuzberg, near Oberbaumbrücke, in the Bohemian quarter commonly known as SO36...
). - KöpenickKöpenickKöpenick is a historic town and locality that is situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital city of Berlin. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopting the current spelling in 1931...
Gate (Köpenicker Tor at Lausitzer Platz). - CottbusCottbusCottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
Gate (Kottbusser TorKottbusser Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)Kottbusser Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the and . Many Berliners use the affectionate term Kotti.It is located in central Kreuzberg. The area has a bad reputation for the relatively high, mainly drug-related crime rate, instances of which have recently become quite rare in most other...
at Skalitzer Straße /Kottbusser Straße near U-Bahnhof Kottbusser TorKottbusser Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)Kottbusser Tor is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the and . Many Berliners use the affectionate term Kotti.It is located in central Kreuzberg. The area has a bad reputation for the relatively high, mainly drug-related crime rate, instances of which have recently become quite rare in most other...
). - Water Gate (Wassertor on today's Wassertorplatz): named the crossing point of the new Luisenstadt canal.
- HalleHalle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
Gate (Hallesches Tor at Hallesches Ufer /MehringplatzMehringplatzMehringplatz is a round plaza at the southern peak of the Friedrichstadt neighbourhood in Kreuzberg, Berlin. It marks the southern end of Friedrichstraße...
near U-Bahnhof Hallesches TorHallesches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)The underground station Hallesches Tor is part of the Berlin U-Bahn network at the intersection of the east-west bound U1 and the north-south bound U6 in the Kreuzberg district.-Overview:...
), After the original gate was dismantled, two buildings were built by Heinrich Strack in 1876-9. The twin structures were destroyed in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - AnhaltAnhaltAnhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
Gate (Anhalter Tor at Stresemannstraße /Anhalter Straße near S-Bahnhof Anhalter Bahnhof, design by Karl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
). - PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
Gate (Potsdamer Tor at Leipziger PlatzLeipziger PlatzLeipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße just east of and adjacent to the Potsdamer Platz...
/Potsdamer PlatzPotsdamer PlatzPotsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
; design by Karl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
, damaged in WW2, demolished in the 1950s).