Majakowskiring
Encyclopedia
The Majakowskiring is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow
district of Berlin
, Germany
, in the Niederschönhausen
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
river to the south.
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
district) became a synonym for the GDR
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
, east of East Berlin
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
, Wandlitz
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
was sold and is private property.
The Majakowskiring (named after Vladimir Mayakovsky
) is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow
district of Berlin
, Germany
, in the Niederschönhausen
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
river to the south.
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
district) became a synonym for the GDR
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
, east of East Berlin
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
, Wandlitz
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
was sold and is private property.
The Majakowskiring (named after Vladimir Mayakovsky
) is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow
district of Berlin
, Germany
, in the Niederschönhausen
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
river to the south.
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
district) became a synonym for the GDR
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
, east of East Berlin
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
, Wandlitz
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
was sold and is private property.
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen is a German locality within the borough of Pankow, Berlin. It is commonly known also as "Pankow-Schönhausen".-History:...
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
Panke
The Panke is a small river in Brandenburg and Berlin.It is 29 km in length with its source at Bernau bei Berlin, and in Berlin is a relatively well known tributary of the Spree, into which it enters close to the Weidendammer Bridge....
river to the south.
History
Until 4 May 1950, the northern section was called Kronprinzenstraße and the southern section Viktoriastraße. It was then renamed after the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
Hans Scharoun
Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun was a German architect best known for designing the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall and the in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic architecture....
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district) became a synonym for the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution may refer to:* The Hungarian Revolution of 1848.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1919, which led to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic headed by Béla Kun.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1956....
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The actual municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten...
, east of East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung was the secure housing zone built for the leaders of former East Germany. It was located near Wandlitz about north of East Berlin...
, Wandlitz
Wandlitz
Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg...
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
Johannes R. Becher
Johannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
was sold and is private property.
Individual houses
Houses and their inhabitants:- Majakowskiring 2 guesthouse of the GDR government
- Majakowskiring 12 Lotte UlbrichtLotte UlbrichtLotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
(after the death of her husband 1973) - Majakowskiring 28/30 Lotte and Walter UlbrichtWalter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
- Majakowskiring 29 Wilhelm PieckWilhelm PieckFriedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.-Biography:Pieck was born to...
, later guesthouse of the mayor of East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city... - Majakowskiring 34 Johannes R. BecherJohannes R. BecherJohannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
- Majakowskiring 46/48 Otto GrotewohlOtto GrotewohlOtto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
- Majakowskiring 47 in GDR Polish Ambassador's Residence, now Historical Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin
- Majakowskiring 50 Heinrich RauHeinrich RauHeinrich Gottlob "Heiner" Rau was a German communist politician during the time of the Weimar Republic; subsequently, during the Spanish Civil War, a leading member of the International Brigades and after World War II an East German statesman.Rau grew up in a suburb of Stuttgart, where he early...
- Majakowskiring 58 Erich HoneckerErich HoneckerErich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
- Majakowskiring ? Friedrich Ebert junior
The Majakowskiring (named after Vladimir Mayakovsky
Vladimir Mayakovsky
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky was a Russian and Soviet poet and playwright, among the foremost representatives of early-20th century Russian Futurism.- Early life :...
) is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen is a German locality within the borough of Pankow, Berlin. It is commonly known also as "Pankow-Schönhausen".-History:...
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
Panke
The Panke is a small river in Brandenburg and Berlin.It is 29 km in length with its source at Bernau bei Berlin, and in Berlin is a relatively well known tributary of the Spree, into which it enters close to the Weidendammer Bridge....
river to the south.
History
Until 4 May 1950, the northern section was called Kronprinzenstraße and the southern section Viktoriastraße. It was then renamed after the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
Hans Scharoun
Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun was a German architect best known for designing the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall and the in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic architecture....
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district) became a synonym for the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution may refer to:* The Hungarian Revolution of 1848.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1919, which led to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic headed by Béla Kun.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1956....
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The actual municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten...
, east of East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung was the secure housing zone built for the leaders of former East Germany. It was located near Wandlitz about north of East Berlin...
, Wandlitz
Wandlitz
Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg...
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
Johannes R. Becher
Johannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
was sold and is private property.
Individual houses
Houses and their inhabitants:- Majakowskiring 2 guesthouse of the GDR government
- Majakowskiring 12 Lotte UlbrichtLotte UlbrichtLotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
(after the death of her husband 1973) - Majakowskiring 28/30 Lotte and Walter UlbrichtWalter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
- Majakowskiring 29 Wilhelm PieckWilhelm PieckFriedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.-Biography:Pieck was born to...
, later guesthouse of the mayor of East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city... - Majakowskiring 34 Johannes R. BecherJohannes R. BecherJohannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
- Majakowskiring 46/48 Otto GrotewohlOtto GrotewohlOtto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
- Majakowskiring 47 in GDR Polish Ambassador's Residence, now Historical Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin
- Majakowskiring 50 Heinrich RauHeinrich RauHeinrich Gottlob "Heiner" Rau was a German communist politician during the time of the Weimar Republic; subsequently, during the Spanish Civil War, a leading member of the International Brigades and after World War II an East German statesman.Rau grew up in a suburb of Stuttgart, where he early...
- Majakowskiring 58 Erich HoneckerErich HoneckerErich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
- Majakowskiring ? Friedrich Ebert junior
The Majakowskiring (named after Vladimir Mayakovsky
Vladimir Mayakovsky
Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky was a Russian and Soviet poet and playwright, among the foremost representatives of early-20th century Russian Futurism.- Early life :...
) is an ellipse-shaped street in the Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen
Niederschönhausen is a German locality within the borough of Pankow, Berlin. It is commonly known also as "Pankow-Schönhausen".-History:...
locality. It was famous as the residence of many senior figures in the government of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
.
The Majakowskiring neighbourhood (Ortslage) is situated between Grabbeallee to the west and northwest, Ossietzkystraße and Schlosspark to the east, Schloss Schönhausen to the northeast, and the Panke
Panke
The Panke is a small river in Brandenburg and Berlin.It is 29 km in length with its source at Bernau bei Berlin, and in Berlin is a relatively well known tributary of the Spree, into which it enters close to the Weidendammer Bridge....
river to the south.
History
Until 4 May 1950, the northern section was called Kronprinzenstraße and the southern section Viktoriastraße. It was then renamed after the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n poet Vladimir Mayakovski. For a short time it was called Majakowskistraße.
Most of the houses were built in the 1920s and are mainly mansions which were inhabited by industrialists and artists, until the most of them were expropriated after the Second World War. In exceptional cases the former owners were allowed to remain if they continued to pay rent, for example in the case of the house No. 29. When the owners left in 1950 East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, these also were expropriated.
Until 1960, the members of the GDR government lived here, after the houses were converted to the taste of the new inhabitants by architects like Hans Scharoun
Hans Scharoun
Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun was a German architect best known for designing the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall and the in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic architecture....
. The Majakowskiring (and likewise the Pankow
Pankow
Pankow is the third borough of Berlin. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was merged with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee; the resulting borough retained the name Pankow.- Overview :...
district) became a synonym for the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
government. Thus Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
spoke of the "gentlemen in Pankoff", and Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...
sang of the "special train to Pankow". The government representatives living in the Majakowskiring quarter became shielded from the outside world.
After the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian Revolution may refer to:* The Hungarian Revolution of 1848.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1919, which led to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic headed by Béla Kun.* The Hungarian Revolution of 1956....
, the East German leadership was afraid of the effect of such riots in the East Germany
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and decided that it was better for the elite to live in less populated place. At first, it was decided to move to Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The actual municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten...
, east of East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, because there was a fast escape route from there over the motorway eastward. In the end, a complex was built in Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung
Waldsiedlung was the secure housing zone built for the leaders of former East Germany. It was located near Wandlitz about north of East Berlin...
, Wandlitz
Wandlitz
Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg...
, and the leadership moved there in 1960.
Because of this sealing-off, people called the quarter (little town). When Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht
Lotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
wanted to return to the Majakowskiring after the death of her husband Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
in 1973, the barriers and controls were waived. However she was forbidden to return to the house they originally lived in. Instead, she was assigned house number 12, in which she lived up to her death in 2002. In 1975, house 28/30 was demolished, as part of the process of erasing every reminder of Walter Ulbricht from history.
The house in which Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl
Otto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
lived is today a literature workshop. The house of Johannes R. Becher
Johannes R. Becher
Johannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
was sold and is private property.
Individual houses
Houses and their inhabitants:- Majakowskiring 2 guesthouse of the GDR government
- Majakowskiring 12 Lotte UlbrichtLotte UlbrichtLotte Ulbricht was a Socialist Unity Party of Germany official and the second wife of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht....
(after the death of her husband 1973) - Majakowskiring 28/30 Lotte and Walter UlbrichtWalter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
- Majakowskiring 29 Wilhelm PieckWilhelm PieckFriedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.-Biography:Pieck was born to...
, later guesthouse of the mayor of East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city... - Majakowskiring 34 Johannes R. BecherJohannes R. BecherJohannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
- Majakowskiring 46/48 Otto GrotewohlOtto GrotewohlOtto Grotewohl was a German politician and prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death. According to Roth , "He was a figurehead who led various economic commissions, lobbied the Soviets for increased aid, and conducted foreign policy tours in the attempt to break...
- Majakowskiring 47 in GDR Polish Ambassador's Residence, now Historical Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin
- Majakowskiring 50 Heinrich RauHeinrich RauHeinrich Gottlob "Heiner" Rau was a German communist politician during the time of the Weimar Republic; subsequently, during the Spanish Civil War, a leading member of the International Brigades and after World War II an East German statesman.Rau grew up in a suburb of Stuttgart, where he early...
- Majakowskiring 58 Erich HoneckerErich HoneckerErich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
- Majakowskiring ? Friedrich Ebert junior