Köpenick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Köpenick
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Quarter of Berlin
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Town hall on Dahme river
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| Country | Germany | |
| State | Berlin | |
| City | Berlin | |
| Borough | Treptow-Köpenick | |
| Founded | 1232 | |
| Elevation | 34 - 115 m (−343.3 ft) | |
| Population
(2014-12-31)
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| • Total | 61,747 | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Vehicle registration | B | |
| Website | Official website: http://www.koepenick.net/ | |
Köpenick is a cool historic town located where two rivers meet. It sits in the southeast part of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. The rivers are called the Dahme and the Spree.
This area was once known as Copanic, then Cöpenick. It officially got its current spelling, Köpenick, in 1931. It's famous for a funny story about an imposter known as the Hauptmann von Köpenick (Captain of Köpenick).
Before 1920, Köpenick was its own independent town. Then, it became a part of Berlin. It turned into a borough (a large district) of Berlin. With an area of about 128 square kilometers (49 square miles), it's Berlin's biggest borough!
Exploring Köpenick
A big part of Köpenick is covered by forests and water. The most famous water area is the huge Müggelsee lake. The old town center is in a special valley formed by melting glaciers long ago. This is where the Dahme and Spree rivers join together.
Right before the Dahme river meets the Spree, there's a small island called Schlossinsel. On this island, you'll find Köpenick Castle. It's a really neat place to visit!
The Spree river connects Köpenick to the Müggelsee and also to the center of Berlin. There's also a canal called the Oder–Spree Canal. This canal links the Dahme river to the Oder river. This means boats can travel from Köpenick all the way to the Oder river!
People sometimes call Köpenick the "green lungs" of Berlin. This is because it has so many trees and green spaces. The Müggelberge hills are in the southeast of Köpenick. They are 115 meters (377 feet) high. This makes them the highest natural point in all of Berlin.
A Look at History
For many years, Köpenick was a town all by itself. The first time it was mentioned in history was in 1209. Back then, it was called a stronghold, which means it was a fortified place. This makes Köpenick older than Berlin itself! Berlin was first mentioned in a document in 1237. For most of its history, the town was known as Cöpenick.
In 1631, a big war called the Thirty Years' War was happening. The representatives of a ruler named George William, Elector of Brandenburg went to Köpenick. They met the army of Gustav Adolph, who was the King of Sweden. They hoped to stop the army from causing damage to the area.
A funny and famous event happened in 1906. A shoemaker named Wilhelm Voigt pretended to be a Prussian army officer. He managed to take over the town hall of Köpenick! This true story was so amazing that it was turned into a play. Later, many films and TV shows were made about it.
Images for kids
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Schloss Köpenick
See also
In Spanish: Köpenick para niños
