Alt-Berlin ("Old Berlin"), also spelled ''Altberlin'', is a

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

(''Stadtviertel''), situated in the

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

er locality (''Ortsteil'') of

Mitte Mitte () is the first and most central borough of Berlin. The borough consists of six sub-entities: Mitte proper, Gesundbrunnen, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Tiergarten and Wedding. It is one of the two boroughs (the other being Friedrichshain-Kreuz ...

, part of the homonymous borough. In the 13th century it was the sister town of the old

Cölln Cölln () was the Twin cities, twin city of Old Berlin (Alt-Berlin) from the 13th century to the 18th century. Cölln was located on the Fischerinsel, Fisher Island section of Spree Island, opposite Altberlin on the western bank of the River ...

, located on the northern Spree Island in the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

. The neighbourhoods (''Viertel'') of

Nikolaiviertel The (; 'Nicholas Quarter') is an old Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter of the German capital of Berlin, founded . Together with nearby Cölln, they jointly make up Alt-Berlin, the reconstructed historical heart of the city. Located in the M ...

, Marienviertel, Klosterviertel are within Alt-Berlin.

History

First mentioned in 1244, 7 years after Cölln, it represents the original core of the modern Berlin. The first stone fortification was built, to defend both cities, in 1250 and in 1251 it gained

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

. In 1280 Berlin, gained the right to mint currency. In that period it appeared on a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

for the first time, close to the symbol of the

imperial eagle The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of ...

, two stylized

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

s, antecedents of the bear currently serving as the symbol of the city. On 20 March 1307 the town was united with Cölln (maintaining its name, Berlin) forming a trading union on political and security matters, and participated in the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

.Historical infos about Cölln and Alt-Berlin on www.brandenburg1260.de
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Geography

Alt-Berlin, crossed at its southern borders by the river Spree, is located in the middle of the city. Its northern borders are represented, except for the square area of

Alexanderplatz (, ''Alexander Square'') is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin. The square is named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I, which also denotes the larger neighbourhood stretching from in the north-ea ...

, by the ''

Stadtbahn (; German for 'city railway'; plural ) is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that co ...

'' railway line between the station of Jannowitzbrücke and a rail bridge after Hackescher Markt station.

Photogallery

File:View Berlin TV Tower Jan2015 img4.jpg, Aerial view of the Nikolaikirche in the

File:Nikolaiviertel - Propststraße 02.jpg, Probststraße in the Nikolaiviertel File:Mitte Nikolaikirchplatz-001.jpg, Nikolaikirchplatz in the Nikolaiviertel File:Klostekirche, Berlin - panoramio.jpg, Ruins of the so-called "Gray Monastery" with the Franziskaner-Klosterkirche File:Klosterstraße 2021.jpg, Klosterstraße with the Parochialkirche File:Berlin panorama postcard pre 1914 Heilige-Geist-Viertel (49960852212).jpg, ''Heilige-Geist-Viertel'' in Alt-Berlin, in the background is the

Berlin Palace The Berlin Palace (), formerly known as the Royal Palace (), is a large building adjacent to Berlin Cathedral and the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin. It was the main residence of the Electors of Brandenburg, Kings of Prussia and Ge ...

and the

Berlin Cathedral Berlin Cathedral (), also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church, is a monumental Protestant Church in Germany, German Protestant church and dynastic tomb (House of Hohenzollern) at the Lustgarten on the Museum Island ...

, taken from the tower of the ''Rotes Rathaus'', ca. 1910 File:Marx & Engels.jpg, The ''

Marx-Engels-Forum Marx-Engels-Forum is a public park in the central Mitte (locality), Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, authors of ''The Communist Manifesto'' of 1848 and regarded as two of the mos ...

'', located at the site of the ''Heilige-Geist-Viertel'' File:Neptun-Brunnen-Rotes-Rathaus-Alexanderplatz-Berlin.jpg, alt=Rotes Rathaus, the city hall of Berlin with Neptunbrunnnen in front, ''

Rotes Rathaus The Red Town Hall ( ) is the town hall of Berlin, Germany, located in the Mitte (locality), Mitte district on Rathausstraße near Alexanderplatz. It is the home to the Governing Mayor of Berlin, governing mayor and the government (the Senate of B ...

'', the city hall of Berlin and Neptunbrunnen File:Marienkirche B-Mitte 03-2014.jpg, St. Mary's Church, the only remaining pre-war building in the Marienviertel district

References

External links

{{Berlin-Mitte Zones of Berlin History of Berlin Mitte