Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin facts for kids

The districts and neighbourhoods of Berlin

The 12 Berlin Bezirke (districts) - following the 2001 district reform

Berlin is a special place because it's both a big city and one of Germany's states at the same time! Think of it as a "city-state." Since 2001, Berlin has been divided into twelve main areas called districts (in German, these are Bezirke). Each district has its own local government team. However, these districts are not like independent towns or counties you might find in other countries. They are more like local offices that help run the city of Berlin, which acts as one big community.

Each district has a group of representatives, like a mini-parliament, chosen by the people living there. This group is called the district representatives' assembly. They also have a district board, which is like a local council. This board has a district mayor and several district councillors. This team handles many everyday things for the people in their district, like local parks or community services. But remember, the main Berlin government (called the Berlin Senate) can always change their decisions. Also, the districts don't collect their own taxes or own property; they get their money from the main city government. All the district mayors meet regularly in a "Council of Mayors" to give advice to the main city government.

Berlin's History and Its Districts

Twenty-three former boroughs (1990–2000)

Berlin's districts are made up of smaller areas called neighborhoods (or Ortsteile in German). The number of neighborhoods in a district can be very different. For example, one district might have only two neighborhoods, while another has fifteen!

Many of these neighborhoods used to be separate towns or villages. They all came together in 1920 to form the "Greater Berlin" we know today. Even though neighborhoods don't have their own governments, people in Berlin often feel a stronger connection to their neighborhood than to their district. These neighborhoods are important for city planning and collecting information.

When Greater Berlin was first created in 1920, it had twenty districts. After World War II, Berlin was split into four parts, controlled by different countries. In 1961, the Berlin Wall was built, dividing the city into West Berlin and East Berlin. During this time, East Berlin created three new districts.

The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the city became one again. This was a huge moment for Berlin! After reunification, the city changed a lot, building new businesses and cultural places. By the year 2000, Berlin had twenty-three districts. But in 2001, the city decided to make things simpler. They combined many of the old districts, reducing the total number to the twelve districts we have today.

The Twelve Districts of Berlin

In 2001, Berlin changed its districts. Most of the old ones were merged to create the current 12 districts. Only three districts – Spandau, Reinickendorf, and Neukölln – stayed the same because they already had many people living in them.

Here are the twelve districts of Berlin:

District	Bundestag constituency	Population 31 March 2010	Area in km2	Density per km2	Map
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf	Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (excluding Charlottenburg-Nord and the neighbourhood of Kalowswerder)	319,628	64.72	4,878
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg	Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg – Prenzlauer Berg East	268,225	20.16	13,187
Lichtenberg	Berlin-Lichtenberg	259,881	52.29	4,952
Marzahn-Hellersdorf	Berlin-Marzahn-Hellersdorf	248,264	61.74	4,046
Mitte	Berlin-Mitte	332,919	39.47	8,272
Neukölln	Berlin-Neukölln	310,283	44.93	6,804
Pankow	Berlin-Pankow (excluding Prenzlauer Berg east of Prenzlauer Allee)	366,441	103.01	3,476
Reinickendorf	Berlin-Reinickendorf	240,454	89.46	2,712
Spandau	Berlin-Spandau – Charlottenburg North	223,962	91.91	2,441
Steglitz-Zehlendorf	Berlin-Steglitz-Zehlendorf	293,989	102.50	2,818
Tempelhof-Schöneberg	Berlin-Tempelhof-Schöneberg	335,060	53.09	6,256
Treptow-Köpenick	Berlin-Treptow-Köpenick	241,335	168.42	1,406

How Berlin's Districts are Governed

The way Berlin's districts are run is part of a two-step system. The main Berlin government, called the Senate, is the first step. The districts are the second step. They have some freedom to make decisions, but they are not fully independent like towns in other parts of Germany. This is because Berlin itself is considered one big unified city-state.

The district governments have limited power. The main Berlin Senate watches over their work and can even change their decisions. Each of the twelve districts has its own elected assembly (the Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, or BVV). This assembly acts like a local parliament. It chooses the members of the district council, which includes the district mayor and four councillors. The BVV also checks how the district is run every day and can suggest new ideas.

The twelve district mayors meet regularly in the Council of Mayors. This council is led by Berlin's main mayor and gives advice to the Senate.

District Coats of Arms

The mural crown of the coats of arms of Berliner Bezirke

All the coats of arms for Berlin's districts have some things in common. They all have a special shape for the shield. Above the shield, they have a "mural crown," which looks like a wall with three towers made of red bricks. In the middle of this crown is the coat of arms of Berlin.

Many of the current district coats of arms have changed since the 2001 reform. Some of them mix ideas from the old districts that merged together. Others took their designs from just one of the old districts. Only the districts that didn't merge – Neukölln, Reinickendorf, and Spandau – kept their original designs. The district of Pankow even got a brand new design for its coat of arms in 2008!

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Lichtenberg

Marzahn-Hellersdorf

Mitte

Neukölln

Pankow

Reinickendorf

Spandau

Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Treptow-Köpenick

Localities within Districts

As of 2012, Berlin's twelve districts are divided into 97 official smaller areas called localities (Ortsteile). These localities are sometimes even broken down into smaller zones. The biggest locality is Köpenick, and the smallest is Hansaviertel. The most populated locality is Neukölln, while the least populated is Malchow.

The old coats of arms for these localities are no longer used officially since they became part of Greater Berlin or new districts. The coats of arms shown below are historical symbols.

Mitte Localities

(01) Mitte

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0101) Mitte	10.70	79,582	7,445
(0102) Moabit	7.72	69,425	8,993
(0103) Hansaviertel	0.53	5,889	11,111
(0104) Tiergarten	5.17	12,486	2,415
(0105) Wedding	9.23	76,363	8,273
(0106) Gesundbrunnen	6.13	82,729	13,496

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Localities

(02) Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0201) Friedrichshain	9.78	114,050	11,662
(0202) Kreuzberg	10.40	147,227	14,184

Pankow Localities

(03) Pankow

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0301) Prenzlauer Berg	11.00	142,319	12,991
(0302) Weißensee	7.93	45,485	5,736
(0303) Blankenburg	6.03	6,550	1,086
(0304) Heinersdorf	3.95	6,580	1,666
(0305) Karow	6.65	18,258	2,746
(0306) Stadtrandsiedlung Malchow	5.68	1,166	205
(0307) Pankow	5.66	55,854	9,868
(0308) Blankenfelde	13.40	1,917	144
(0309) Buch	18.20	13,188	727
(0310) Französisch Buchholz	12.00	18,766	1,560
(0311) Niederschönhausen	6.49	26,903	4,145
(0312) Rosenthal	4.90	8,933	1,823
(0313) Wilhelmsruh	1.37	7,216	5,267

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Localities

(04) Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0401) Charlottenburg	10.60	118,704	11,198
(0402) Wilmersdorf	7.16	92,815	12,963
(0403) Schmargendorf	3.59	19,750	5,501
(0404) Grunewald	22.30	10,014	448
(0405) Westend	13.50	37,883	2,800
(0406) Charlottenburg-Nord	6.20	17,327	2,795
(0407) Halensee	1.27	13,966	10,997

Spandau Localities

(05) Spandau

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0501) Spandau	8.03	33,433	4,164
(0502) Haselhorst	4.73	13,668	2,891
(0503) Siemensstadt	5.66	11,388	2,012
(0504) Staaken	10.90	41,470	3,810
(0505) Gatow	10.10	3,908	386
(0506) Kladow	14.80	13,628	922
(0507) Hakenfelde	20.40	26,337	1,292
(0508) Falkenhagener Feld	6.88	34,778	5,056
(0509) Wilhelmstadt	10.40	37,080	3,558

Steglitz-Zehlendorf Localities

(06) Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0601) Steglitz	6.79	70,555	10,391
(0602) Lichterfelde	18.20	78,338	4,300
(0603) Lankwitz	6.99	40,385	5,778
(0604) Zehlendorf	18.80	57,902	3,075
(0605) Dahlem	8.36	14,966	1,784
(0606) Nikolassee	19.61	15,899	811
(0607) Wannsee	23.68	9,044	382
(0608) Schlachtensee	4.05	10,573	2,611

Tempelhof-Schöneberg Localities

(07) Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0701) Schöneberg	10.60	116,743	11,003
(0702) Friedenau	1.65	26,736	16,204
(0703) Tempelhof	12.20	54,382	4,458
(0704) Mariendorf	9.38	48,882	5,211
(0705) Marienfelde	9.15	30,151	3,295
(0706) Lichtenrade	10.10	49,451	4,896

Neukölln Localities

(08) Neukölln

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0801) Neukölln	11.70	154,127	13,173
(0802) Britz	12.40	38,334	3,091
(0803) Buckow	6.35	38,018	5,987
(0804) Rudow	11.80	41,040	3,478
(0805) Gropiusstadt	2.66	35,844	13,475

Treptow-Köpenick Localities

(09) Treptow-Köpenick

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(0901) Alt-Treptow	2.31	10,426	4,513
(0902) Plänterwald	3.01	10,618	3,528
(0903) Baumschulenweg	4.82	16,780	3,481
(0904) Johannisthal	6.54	17,650	2,699
(0905) Niederschöneweide	3.49	10,043	2,878
(0906) Altglienicke	7.89	26,101	3,308
(0907) Adlershof	6.11	15,112	2,473
(0908) Bohnsdorf	6.52	10,751	1,649
(0909) Oberschöneweide	6.18	17,094	2,766
(0910) Köpenick	34.90	59,201	1,695
(0911) Friedrichshagen	14.00	17,285	1,233
(0912) Rahnsdorf	21.50	8,891	414
(0913) Grünau	9.13	5,482	600
(0914) Müggelheim	22.20	6,350	286
(0915) Schmöckwitz	17.10	4,117	240

Marzahn-Hellersdorf Localities

(10) Marzahn-Hellersdorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(1001) Marzahn	19.50	102,398	5,240
(1002) Biesdorf	12.40	24,543	1,973
(1003) Kaulsdorf	8.81	18,732	2,126
(1004) Mahlsdorf	12.90	26,852	2,075
(1005) Hellersdorf	8.10	72,602	8,963

Lichtenberg Localities

(11) Lichtenberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(1101) Friedrichsfelde	5.55	50,010	9,011
(1102) Karlshorst	6.60	21,329	3,232
(1103) Lichtenberg	7.22	32,295	4,473
(1104) Falkenberg	3.06	1,164	380
(1106) Malchow	1.54	450	292
(1107) Wartenberg	6.92	2,433	352
(1109) Neu-Hohenschönhausen	5.16	53,698	10,407
(1110) Alt-Hohenschönhausen	9.33	41,780	4,478
(1111) Fennpfuhl	2.12	30,932	14,591
(1112) Rummelsburg	4.52	17,567	3,887

• Codes 1105 and 1108 (this one to former Hohenschönhausen locality) are not assigned

Reinickendorf Localities

(12) Reinickendorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
(1201) Reinickendorf	10.50	72,859	6,939
(1202) Tegel	33.70	33,417	992
(1203) Konradshöhe	2.20	5,997	2,726
(1204) Heiligensee	10.70	17,641	1,649
(1205) Frohnau	7.80	17,025	2,183
(1206) Hermsdorf	6.10	16,503	2,705
(1207) Waidmannslust	2.30	10,022	4,357
(1208) Lübars	5.00	4,915	983
(1209) Wittenau	5.87	22,696	3,866
(1210) Märkisches Viertel	3.20	35,206	11,002
(1211) Borsigwalde	2.03	6,432	3,168

See also

• Politics of Berlin
• Berlin Police