Westend (Berlin)
Encyclopedia
Westend is a locality of the Berlin
borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
situated on the Spandauer Berg, the northern peak of the Teltow plateau
between the river valleys of Spree
and Havel
. It emerged in the course of Berlin's 2001 administrative reform on the grounds of the former Charlottenburg
borough.
had a military camp
here, though he himself chose Charlottenburg Palace
for accommodation. The land was developed from 1866 on as a residential area for the wealthy bourgeoisie
, originally made up of mansion
s and villa
s and named after the West End of London
. Today it is a quite densely settled, still affluent territory adjacent to the inner city
area of Charlottenburg
in the east.
The locality also includes the neighbourhoods of Neu-Westend and Ruhleben, a suburban housing area of the 1920s. The site of the former Ruhleben P.O.W. Camp
, a World War I
civilian prisoner of war camp, today is part of the adjacent Spandau
district. Furthermore the areas of Pichelsberg, Heerstraße and Eichkamp at the northern rim of the Grunewald
forest belong to Westend. It is home of the Berlin trade fair
(where the Internationale Funkausstellung
is held) and of the former Reichssportfeld area of the 1936 Summer Olympics
.
Ringbahn lines S41, S42 and S46
at the stations Westend
, Messe Nord/ICC
and Westkreuz
as well as the Westbahn lines S75
and S9
at the stations Messe Süd
, Heerstraße
, Olympiastadion (Süd)
and Pichelsberg
.
U-Bahn
connection to the inner city is provided by the U2
line with the stations Kaiserdamm
, Theodor-Heuss-Platz
, Neu-Westend
, Olympia-Stadion (Ost)
and Ruhleben
.
The A100 (Berliner Stadtring) motorway marks Westend's eastern border. The federal highways Bundesstraße 2 and Bundesstraße 5
together run through the locality along the streets Kaiserdamm and Heerstraße. Near the S-Bahn station Messe Nord/ICC is Berlin's Central Bus station
Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB).
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...
borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the fourth borough of Berlin, formed in the 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf.-Overview:Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf covers the western centre of the City of Berlin...
situated on the Spandauer Berg, the northern peak of the Teltow plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
between the river valleys of Spree
Spree
The Spree is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, and in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic...
and Havel
Havel
The Havel is a river in north-eastern Germany, flowing through the German states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe river and in length...
. It emerged in the course of Berlin's 2001 administrative reform on the grounds of the former Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
borough.
History
In 1806 NapoleonNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
had a military camp
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...
here, though he himself chose Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin, Germany, and the only royal residency in the city dating back to the time of the Hohenzollern family. It is located in the Charlottenburg district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf burough.The palace was built at the end of the 17th century...
for accommodation. The land was developed from 1866 on as a residential area for the wealthy bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, originally made up of mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s and villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s and named after the West End of London
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
. Today it is a quite densely settled, still affluent territory adjacent to the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
area of Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
in the east.
The locality also includes the neighbourhoods of Neu-Westend and Ruhleben, a suburban housing area of the 1920s. The site of the former Ruhleben P.O.W. Camp
Ruhleben P.O.W. Camp
Ruhleben P.O.W. Camp was a civilian detention camp during World War I. It was located in Ruhleben, then a village to the west of Berlin, now split between the districts of Spandau and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf...
, a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
civilian prisoner of war camp, today is part of the adjacent Spandau
Spandau
Spandau is the fifth of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is the fourth largest and westernmost borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel, but the least populated.-Overview:...
district. Furthermore the areas of Pichelsberg, Heerstraße and Eichkamp at the northern rim of the Grunewald
Grunewald
Grunewald is a locality within the Berliner borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Famous for the homonymous forest, until 2001 administrative reform it was part of the former district of Wilmersdorf.-Geography:The locality is situated in the western side of the city and is separated from...
forest belong to Westend. It is home of the Berlin trade fair
Messe Berlin
Messe Berlin fairgrounds are situated in Berlin-Westend, precinct Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, at Masurenallee opposite of the Haus des Rundfunks....
(where the Internationale Funkausstellung
Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin
The IFA or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin is one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany. Between 1924 and 1939 it was an annual event, but as from 1950 it was organized on a two yearly basis until 2005. Since then it has become an annual event again, held in September...
is held) and of the former Reichssportfeld area of the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
.
Sights
- FunkturmFunkturm BerlinThe Berliner Funkturm or Funkturm Berlin is a transmitting tower in Berlin, built between 1924 and 1926 by Heinrich Straumer. It is nicknamed "der lange Lulatsch" and is one of the best-known points of interest in the city of Berlin. It stands in the Berlin trade fair ground in the...
, 1926 - Haus des RundfunksHaus des RundfunksThe Haus des Rundfunks , located in the Westend district of Berlin, Germany, is the oldest self-contained broadcasting house in the world. It was designed by Hans Poelzig in 1929 after winning an architectural competition...
by Hans PoelzigHans PoelzigHans Poelzig was a German architect, painter and set designer.-Life:Poelzig was born in Berlin in 1869 to the countess Clara Henrietta Maria Poelzig while she was married to George Acland Ames, an Englishman...
, 1931, today broadcasting centre of the Rundfunk Berlin-BrandenburgRundfunk Berlin-BrandenburgRundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg is an institution under public law for the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, situated in Berlin and Potsdam...
(RBB) - DeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995....
arena, 1935 - Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (Berlin)The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
with Bell TowerBell tower Olympic Stadium BerlinThe Bell Tower of Berlin Olympic Stadium was a 77 metres high observation tower that was built in 1934 after plans by professor Werner March. The steel skeleton construction was covered with limestone plates....
(Glockenturm) and Waldbühne amphitheatreAmphitheatreAn amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
by Werner MarchWerner MarchWerner Julius March was a German architect.He was born in Charlottenburg and died in Berlin.For the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, March created his most famous work, Berlin's Olympic Stadium...
, 1934-36 - Unité d'HabitationUnité d'HabitationThe Unité d'Habitation is the name of a modernist residential housing design principle developed by Le Corbusier, with the collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso...
with ModulorModulorThe Modulor is an anthropometric scale of proportions devised by the Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier .It was developed as a visual bridge between two incompatible scales, the Imperial system and the Metric system...
scale by Le CorbusierLe CorbusierCharles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
, part of the InterbauInterbauInterbau was a housing development, constructed as part of the 1957 International Building Exhibition in the Hansaviertel area of West Berlin....
exhibition 1957 - Studio of sculptor Georg KolbeGeorg KolbeGeorg Kolbe was the leading German figure sculptor of his generation, in a vigorous, modern, simplified classical style similar to Aristide Maillol of France.Kolbe was born in Waldheim ....
, 1929, with museumMuseumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities... - International Congress Centre (ICC), 1979
- Mommsen Stadium, 1930, home of the Tennis Borussia BerlinTennis Borussia BerlinTennis Borussia Berlin is a German football club based in Berlin-Westend.- History :The team was founded in 1902 and takes its name from its origins as a tennis and ping-pong club. "Borussia" is a Latinised version of Prussia. In 1903 the club took up football and quickly developed a rivalry with...
football club - Westend hospital of the German Red CrossGerman Red CrossThe German Red Cross , or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.With over 4.5 million members, it is the third largest Red Cross society in the world. The German Red Cross offers a wide range of services within and outside Germany...
- Spandauer Berg water towerWater towerA water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
, 1909 - Villas along the street Am Rupenhorn by Erich MendelsohnErich MendelsohnErich Mendelsohn was a Jewish German architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic functionalism in his projects for department stores and cinemas.-Early life:...
, 1930 and WassiliWassili LuckhardtWassili Luckhardt was a German architect. He studied at the Technical University of Berlin and Dresden. Luckhardt and his brother Hans worked closely together for most of their lives...
and Hans LuckhardtHans LuckhardtHans Luckhardt – October 8, 1954 in Bad Wiessee) was a German architect and the brother of Wassili Luckhardt, with whom he worked his entire life. He studied at the University of Karlsruhe with Hermann Billing and was a member of the Novembergruppe, the Arbeitsrats für Kunst, and the Glass Chain...
, 1932
Transportation
Westend is served by the Berlin S-BahnBerlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
Ringbahn lines S41, S42 and S46
S46 (Berlin)
The Berlin S-Bahn line 46 runs from Königs Wusterhausen to Westend. It operates over:*the Görlitz line, opened in 1866 and electrified in 1929,*the Baumschulenweg–Neukölln link line, opened on 8 June 1896 and electrified in 1928 and...
at the stations Westend
Berlin-Westend railway station
Westend is a station in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines , and ....
, Messe Nord/ICC
Berlin Messe Nord/ICC railway station
Messe Nord/ICC is a station in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines , and . It is linked to the U-Bahn station of Kaiserdamm.-Overview:...
and Westkreuz
Berlin Westkreuz railway station
Berlin Westkreuz is a station in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines , , , , , and and so represents a major interchange point on the Berlin S-Bahn network...
as well as the Westbahn lines S75
S75 (Berlin)
S75 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Wartenberg to Spandau over:*a section of the Outer ring, completed in the early 1940s as part of the Outer freight ring,...
and S9
S9 (Berlin)
S9 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Schönefeld Flughafen to Berlin-Blankenburg station over:*a very short section of the Outer ring, opened in 1951 and electrified in 1983,...
at the stations Messe Süd
Berlin Messe Süd railway station
Messe Süd is a railway station in the Westend district of Berlin. Located on the Westbahn railway to Spandau it is served by the S-Bahn lines and .-History:...
, Heerstraße
Berlin Heerstraße railway station
Heerstraße is a railway station in the Westend district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines and . The station is situated on the street of the same name, the major thoroughfare from Berlin's inner city to the west. The street led to the former proving grounds in Döberitz, thus the name...
, Olympiastadion (Süd)
Berlin Olympiastadion railway station
Olympiastadion is a railway station in the Westend district of Berlin. Located at the southern entrance of the Olympic Stadium, it is served by the S-Bahn lines and , and other lines are extended to the station during major events...
and Pichelsberg
Berlin-Pichelsberg railway station
Berlin Pichelsberg is a railway station in the Westend district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines and ....
.
U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
connection to the inner city is provided by the U2
U2 (Berlin U-Bahn)
U2 is a line on the Berlin U-Bahn. The U2 line starts at the Pankow urban rail station, runs through the eastern city centre to Potsdamer Platz, the western city centre and finally to the Ruhleben terminal station.The U2 has 29 stations and a length of...
line with the stations Kaiserdamm
Kaiserdamm (Berlin U-Bahn)
Kaiserdamm is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the . It is linked to the Berlin S-Bahn station of Messe Nord/ICC .Opened in 1908, this station was build by A.Grenander. 1936 it was renamed to Kaiserdamm/Messedamm and 1967 it got the name Adenauerdamm...
, Theodor-Heuss-Platz
Theodor-Heuss-Platz (Berlin U-Bahn)
Theodor-Heuss-Platz is a station of the Berlin U-Bahn located in the Westend district on the line.-Overview:When the station first opened on March 29, 1908 it was named Reichskanzlerplatz after the eponymous square laid out between 1904 and 1908, referring to the office of Chancellor of Germany...
, Neu-Westend
Neu-Westend (Berlin U-Bahn)
Neu-Westend is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the .Opened in 1908 and built by A.Grenander. In 1986 the station was renovated, the eastern entrance was kept in original.- References :...
, Olympia-Stadion (Ost)
Olympia-Stadion (Berlin U-Bahn)
Olympia-Stadion is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the line in the Westend district. It serves Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where football matches and other events are regularly held...
and Ruhleben
Ruhleben (Berlin U-Bahn)
Ruhleben is a Berlin U-Bahn station in the Westend district. It is the western terminus of the line.The elevated station designed by Alfred Grenander opened on December 22, 1929...
.
The A100 (Berliner Stadtring) motorway marks Westend's eastern border. The federal highways Bundesstraße 2 and Bundesstraße 5
Bundesstraße 5
The Bundesstraße 5 or B5 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction from the Danish border near Niebüll to Frankfurt . It provides a direct route for motorists traveling between Berlin and Hamburg. In Berlin B5 forms among others the following squares and...
together run through the locality along the streets Kaiserdamm and Heerstraße. Near the S-Bahn station Messe Nord/ICC is Berlin's Central Bus station
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB).