Neukölln facts for kids

Neukölln is a borough (like a large district) in the city of Berlin, Germany. It covers an area of about 44.93 square kilometers (17.35 square miles). As of 2003, around 307,400 people lived there. Neukölln is known for having one of the highest percentages of people from other countries in Berlin.

Its current mayor is Heinz Buschkowsky, who is part of the SPD.

History of Neukölln

Neukölln was first mentioned in 1360 as a village called Richardsdorf. At that time, it was owned by the Order of St. John, a very old group of knights.

The symbol of Neukölln, its coat of arms, has a Maltese cross. This cross helps everyone remember the area's connection to the Order of St. John.

In 1737, Frederick William I of Prussia allowed a group called the Moravians to settle in the area. These Moravians came from Bohemia (which is now part of the Czech Republic). They built their own church and homes away from the old village center. Their new village was along the road to Berlin, which is now called Richardstraße. In 1797, this new Bohemian village was given its own set of rules, like a small constitution.

In 1874, the two parts of the village were joined together again. At that time, about 8,000 people lived there. Just one year later, the population had almost doubled to 15,000!

On May 1, 1899, the area became an independent city. It was the largest village in Prussia at that time. In 1912, it got its current name, Neukölln. However, its independence ended in 1920. That's when it became part of a bigger Berlin, known as German: Groß-Berlin.

Between 1966 and 1975, a large housing area called "Gropiusstadt" was built in Neukölln. This "city-within-a-city" was designed by a famous architect named Walter Gropius. He was the last director of the Bauhaus school. This school was famous for its art and architecture style. Gropiusstadt is a very large area, and over 60,000 people live there.

Famous People from Neukölln

Some well-known people were born in Neukölln. These include the actress Mady Rahl. Also, Lotte Ulbricht, who was the wife of East German leader Walter Ulbricht, was born here.

Neukölln has also inspired music:

• "Neuköln" (spelled with one 'l' on purpose) is a song by David Bowie. It's the ninth track on his 1977 album "Heroes".
• The last song on Miss Kittin's first solo album, I Com, is called "Neukölln 2".

Twin Cities

Neukölln has special partnerships with other cities around the world. These are called "twin cities" or "sister cities."

•  Germany Cologne (Germany)
•  Germany Wetzlar (Germany)
•  Germany Leonberg (Germany)
•  Italy Marino (Italy)
•  Israel Bat Yam (Israel)

Coordinates: 52°29′N 13°27′E

See also

In Spanish: Neukölln para niños

Images for kids

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  The location of Neukölln in Berlin.

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  County court of Neukölln

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  Berlin-Neukölln station

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  County-Court Building of Neukölln, near the Rathaus Neukölln U-Bahn station

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  Hermannplatz

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  Leo Arons around 1901

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  Memorial plate Ursula Goetze (1987)

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  Alexander Hacke performing on 5 May 2007

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  City hall

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  Buddy Bear Neukölln in front of the City hall

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  Landwehrkanal

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  Border crossing at Sonnenallee, 1964

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  Stadtbad Neukölln

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  Europe's largest hotel: The Estrel near Sonnenallee train station, 2012