Hansaviertel

Hansaviertel
Quarter of Berlin
Panoramic view
Location of Hansaviertel in Mitte district and Berlin
Hansaviertel Hansaviertel
Coordinates: 52°31′00″N 13°20′20″E
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
City	Berlin
Borough	Mitte
Founded	1762
Area
• Total	0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi)
Elevation	52 m (171 ft)
Population  (2009-06-30)
• Total	5,764
• Density	11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	(nr. 0103) 10555, 10557
Vehicle registration	B

The Hansaviertel is the smallest Ortsteil (district) of Berlin and is between Großer Tiergarten and the Spree River, within the central Mitte borough of Berlin.

It was almost completely destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt from 1957 to 1961 as a housing estate project by international master architects like Alvar Aalto, Egon Eiermann, Walter Gropius, Oscar Niemeyer, Sep Ruf. Called Interbau, the whole ensemble has two churches (St. Ansgar and Kaiser-Friedrich-Gedächtniskirche) and is now protected as a historic monument.

History

The quarter received its name for its streets named after Hansa cities, with the Hansaplatz in the centre. This square contains a small shopping arcade, a library and the Grips-Theater. The Hansaplatz subway station was built in 1957, though the U9 line did not open before 1961. Some Gründerzeit buildings remained north of the Stadtbahn railway. The Altonaer Straße, named after Altona, leads to the Victory Column. Schloss Bellevue, the residence of the German President is nearby.

Hansaplatz

Right beside the U-bahn train station is Hansaplatz square. Now a non-discernible traffic junction, this was an active plaza before the war. Led by Kolleg X students from the Bauhaus in Dessau, there is an active movement to reclaim this Plaza as a community space and share it with the cars and bicycles that currently dominate.

Hansaplatz

External links

Media related to Berlin-Hansaviertel at Wikimedia Commons