Charlottenburg facts for kids
Charlottenburg used to be its own city west of Berlin. That was until 1920, when it became part of a bigger Berlin, known as Groß-Berlin. It then became a borough, which is like a district.
In 2001, Charlottenburg joined with another area called Wilmersdorf. Together, they formed a new, larger borough named Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. A few years later, in 2004, the areas inside this new borough were changed. The old Charlottenburg was split into smaller parts called Westend, Charlottenburg-Nord, and Charlottenburg. It also has many popular local neighborhoods, known as kiezes.
Charlottenburg is most famous for the Charlottenburg Palace. This is the biggest royal palace still standing in Berlin today.
Charlottenburg celebrated its 300th birthday in 2005.
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Where is Charlottenburg?
Charlottenburg is located next to the Spree river. This area is part of a large valley formed by glaciers long ago. It is west of the Tiergarten park. A famous road, the Straße des 17. Juni (17th June Street), goes through the park. This road connects Charlottenburg to the old center of Berlin.
Charlottenburg Palace History
The story of Charlottenburg Palace began in 1695. That year, Sophia Charlotte of Hanover received the area of Lietzow. Her husband, Elector Frederick III, gave it to her. She traded some of her own lands for it.
Frederick then had a summer home built for his wife. The architect Johann Arnold Nering worked on it from 1695 to 1699. In 1701, Frederick became the first King of Prussia. He then made the building much larger and grander.
After Sophie Charlotte passed away, the village near the palace was named 'Charlottenburg'. The palace itself became known as Schloss Charlottenburg. The settlement was officially made a town. The king was the town's mayor until 1720. That's when Lietzow became part of Charlottenburg.
Frederick's son, Frederick William I of Prussia, did not spend much time at the palace. He even tried to take away the town's special rights. But in 1740, things changed. His son, Frederick II (Frederick the Great), became king. The town became important again.
Frederick the Great had a new part of the palace built. This was the eastern New Wing, built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff from 1740 to 1747. It was meant to be Frederick the Great's home. However, he later preferred his own palace, Sanssouci, which he helped design.
When Frederick II died in 1786, his nephew Frederick William II became king. Charlottenburg Palace became his favorite place to live. His son, Frederick William III, also loved it.
In 1806, the Prussian army lost a big battle at Jena. French soldiers then took over Charlottenburg. Napoleon himself stayed in the palace, while his troops camped nearby.
A Fun Place to Visit
By the late 1700s, Charlottenburg was growing for another reason. It became a popular place for people from Berlin to relax. The first proper inn opened in the 1770s. It was on a street then called 'Berliner Straße', now Otto-Suhr-Allee. Many other inns and beer gardens soon followed. These places were very popular for weekend parties.
Famous Places to See
Besides the beautiful palace, Charlottenburg has other famous sights. You can visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the Breitscheidplatz. This church was a well-known landmark in former West Berlin. Other popular spots include the Kurfürstendamm shopping street and the Zoo railway station. Charlottenburg is also home to the Deutsche Oper Berlin, which is one of Berlin's three opera houses.
Twin Towns
Charlottenburg is twinned with these cities:
Images for kids
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Charlottenburg neighborhoods
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Alt-Lietzow village green
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Lützenburg Castle, about 1700
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Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, about 1900
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November 2015 view from Europa-Center over the City West
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Town hall, about 1905
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Theater des Westens
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Museum Berggruen
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Royal Mausoleum
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See also
In Spanish: Charlottenburg para niños
