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Spandau (locality)
Encyclopedia
Spandau is a locality of Berlin
in the homonymous borough (Bezirk) of Spandau
. The historic city is situated, for the most part, on the western banks of the Havel
river. As of 2008 the estimated population of Spandau was 33,433.
in the south, Staaken
and Falkenhagener Feld
in the west, Hakenfelde
in the north as well as Haselhorst
, Siemensstadt
and Westend
(in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
district) in the east.
The city was founded at the confluence of the rivers Spree
and Havel. The settlement of the area can be traced back to the sixth century when the eastern territories of the Elbe river were populated by several Slavic
tribes. The history of Spandau begins in the 7th century or 8th century, when the Slav Hevelli settled in the area and later built a fortress there. It was conquered in 928 by the German
King Henry I, but returned to Slavic rule after the rebellion of 983. In 1156, the Ascanian
count Albert the Bear took possession of the region and is believed to have established a fortress here, from which the name Spandau originated. It was around this fortress that the city of Spandow developed, becoming the centre of the entire region.
1197 marked the first mention as Spandowe in a deed of Otto II, Margrave of Brandenburg
- thus forty years earlier than the Cölln
part of medieval Berlin. Spandau was given city rights
in 1232.
During the Ascanian Rule the construction of the Spandau Citadel
began, which was completed between 1559 and 1594 by Joachim II of Brandenburg. In 1558 the village of Gatow
became part of Spandau. During the Thirty Years' War
Spandau was surrendered to the Swedes
in 1634.
In 1806, after the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, French
troops under Napoleon took possession of the city and stayed there until 1807. In 1812, Napoleon returned and the Spandau Citadel was besieged in 1813 by Prussia
n and Russia
n troops.
From 1849 on the poet and revolutionary Gottfried Kinkel
had been an inmate of the Spandau town prison, until he was freed by his friend Carl Schurz
on the night of November 6, 1850
Before World War I
, Spandau was a seat of large, government, cannon foundries, factories for making gunpowder
, and other munitions of war making, it a centre of the arms industry
in the German Empire
. It was also a garrison
town with numerous barracks
, home of the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade and the 5th Foot Guards of the German Army
. In 1920, the independent city of Spandau (whose name had been changed from Spandow in 1878) was incorporated into Greater Berlin
as a borough.
After World War II
until 1990, when Berlin was divided into four sections administered by the victorious Allies, Spandau was part of the British
Occupation Zone in West Berlin
. The Spandau Prison
, built in 1876, was used to house Nazi
war criminals
who were sentenced to imprisonment at the Nuremberg Trials
. After the death of its last inmate, Rudolf Hess
in 1987, Spandau Prison was completely demolished by the allied powers and later replaced by a shopping mall
.
Spandau is served by the Berliner S-Bahn
lines S75
and S3
; and by the U-Bahn
line U7. The main railway station is Berlin Spandau
, one of the most important of the city.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in the homonymous borough (Bezirk) of Spandau
Spandau
Spandau is the fifth of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is the fourth largest and westernmost borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel, but the least populated.-Overview:...
. The historic city is situated, for the most part, on the western banks of the Havel
Havel
The Havel is a river in north-eastern Germany, flowing through the German states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a right tributary of the Elbe river and in length...
river. As of 2008 the estimated population of Spandau was 33,433.
Position
The locality is situated in the middle of its borough. It borders WilhelmstadtWilhelmstadt
Wilhelmstadt is a German locality of Berlin in the borough of Spandau.-History:In the year 1945 the allied armed forces from the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom accomplished an exchange of territory, among the area of Seeburg in Spandau...
in the south, Staaken
Staaken
Staaken is a locality at the western rim of Berlin within the borough of Spandau. In the west it shares border with the Brandenburg municipalities of Falkensee and Dallgow-Döberitz in the Havelland district. Buildings range from small detached houses in the west to larger 1960s and 1970s housing...
and Falkenhagener Feld
Falkenhagener Feld
Falkenhagener Feld is a German locality of Berlin in the borough of Spandau.-History:The project to build a residential complex in the rural area of west Spandau and close to the village of Falkenhagen, started in 1962 . The locality, situated at the borders of West Berlin with East Germany, was...
in the west, Hakenfelde
Hakenfelde
Hakenfelde is a German locality of Berlin in the borough of Spandau.-History:The name Hakenfelde is derived a dairy-farm built in 1730 on the outskirts of Spandau. Part of the town of Spandau it merged into Berlin in 1920 with the "Greater Berlin Act"...
in the north as well as Haselhorst
Haselhorst
Haselhorst is a locality in the borough of Spandau in Berlin. It is located between Siemensstadt and the Old Town of Spandau and is separated from the Hakenfelde locality by the River Havel.-Overview:...
, Siemensstadt
Siemensstadt
The Siemensstadt Housing Estate is a nonprofit residential community in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district of Berlin. It is one of the six Modernist Housing Estates in Berlin recognized in July 2008 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.-Geography:...
and Westend
Westend (Berlin)
Westend is a locality of the Berlin borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf situated on the Spandauer Berg, the northern peak of the Teltow plateau between the river valleys of Spree and Havel...
(in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the fourth borough of Berlin, formed in the 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf.-Overview:Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf covers the western centre of the City of Berlin...
district) in the east.
Subdivision
Spandau proper is subdivided into 4 historic neighbourhoods (Ortslagen):- Altstadt SpandauAltstadt SpandauAltstadt Spandau is the historic centre of the borough of Spandau in the western suburbs of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It is one of the four zones of the locality of Spandau....
(Old Town) - Neustadt Spandau (New Town, the northern expansion)
- Stresow (east of the Havel)
- Kolk-Spandau
History
Spree
The Spree is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, and in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic...
and Havel. The settlement of the area can be traced back to the sixth century when the eastern territories of the Elbe river were populated by several Slavic
Polabian Slavs
Polabian Slavs - is a collective term applied to a number of Lechites tribes who lived along the Elbe river, between the Baltic Sea to the north, the Saale and the Limes Saxoniae to the west, the Ore Mountains and the Western Sudetes to the south, and Poland to the east. They have also been known...
tribes. The history of Spandau begins in the 7th century or 8th century, when the Slav Hevelli settled in the area and later built a fortress there. It was conquered in 928 by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
King Henry I, but returned to Slavic rule after the rebellion of 983. In 1156, the Ascanian
Ascanian
The House of Ascania was a dynasty of German rulers. It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest-held possession.The Ascanians are named after Ascania Castle, which is located near and named after Aschersleben...
count Albert the Bear took possession of the region and is believed to have established a fortress here, from which the name Spandau originated. It was around this fortress that the city of Spandow developed, becoming the centre of the entire region.
1197 marked the first mention as Spandowe in a deed of Otto II, Margrave of Brandenburg
Otto II, Margrave of Brandenburg
Otto II , called The Generous , was the third Margrave of Brandenburg from 1184 until his death.-Life:Otto II was born into the House of Ascania as the eldest son of Otto I and Judith, a daughter of the Piast Duke of Poland Bolesław III Wrymouth.After succeeding his father, he improved the defense...
- thus forty years earlier than the Cölln
Cölln
In the 13th century Cölln was the sister town of Old Berlin , located on the southern Spree Island in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Today the island is located in the historic core of the central Mitte locality of modern Berlin...
part of medieval Berlin. Spandau was given city rights
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1232.
During the Ascanian Rule the construction of the Spandau Citadel
Spandau Citadel
The Spandau Citadel is a fortress in Berlin, Germany, one of the best-preserved Renaissance military structures of Europe. Built from 1559–94 atop a medieval fort on an island created by the meeting of the Havel and the Spree, it was designed to protect the town of Spandau, which is now...
began, which was completed between 1559 and 1594 by Joachim II of Brandenburg. In 1558 the village of Gatow
Gatow
Gatow, a district of south-western Berlin is located west of the Havelsee lake and has forested areas within its boundaries. It is within the borough of Spandau. On 31 December 2002, it had 5,532 inhabitants.-History:...
became part of Spandau. During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
Spandau was surrendered to the Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1634.
In 1806, after the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
troops under Napoleon took possession of the city and stayed there until 1807. In 1812, Napoleon returned and the Spandau Citadel was besieged in 1813 by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n troops.
From 1849 on the poet and revolutionary Gottfried Kinkel
Gottfried Kinkel
Johann Gottfried Kinkel was a German poet also noted for his revolutionary activities and his escape from a Prussian prison in Spandau with the help of his friend Carl Schurz.-Early life:...
had been an inmate of the Spandau town prison, until he was freed by his friend Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
on the night of November 6, 1850
Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Spandau was a seat of large, government, cannon foundries, factories for making gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
, and other munitions of war making, it a centre of the arms industry
Arms industry
The arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. It was also a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
town with numerous barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, home of the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade and the 5th Foot Guards of the German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
. In 1920, the independent city of Spandau (whose name had been changed from Spandow in 1878) was incorporated into Greater Berlin
Greater Berlin Act
The Greater Berlin Act , in full the Law Regarding the Reconstruction of the New Local Authority of Berlin , was a law passed by the Prussian government in 1920 that greatly expanded the size of the German capital of Berlin.-History:...
as a borough.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
until 1990, when Berlin was divided into four sections administered by the victorious Allies, Spandau was part of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Occupation Zone in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. The Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine. The prison was near, though not part of, the Renaissance-era Spandau Citadel...
, built in 1876, was used to house Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
war criminals
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
who were sentenced to imprisonment at the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
. After the death of its last inmate, Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
in 1987, Spandau Prison was completely demolished by the allied powers and later replaced by a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
.
Places of interest
- Spandau CitadelSpandau CitadelThe Spandau Citadel is a fortress in Berlin, Germany, one of the best-preserved Renaissance military structures of Europe. Built from 1559–94 atop a medieval fort on an island created by the meeting of the Havel and the Spree, it was designed to protect the town of Spandau, which is now...
, a RenaissanceRenaissance architectureRenaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
fortress built in the 16th century (officially located in HaselhorstHaselhorstHaselhorst is a locality in the borough of Spandau in Berlin. It is located between Siemensstadt and the Old Town of Spandau and is separated from the Hakenfelde locality by the River Havel.-Overview:...
) . - St. Nikolai, a late GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
hall churchHall churchA hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
of the 14th century, where ElectorPrince-electorThe Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Joachim II HectorJoachim II Hector, Elector of BrandenburgJoachim II Hector was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg . A member of the House of Hohenzollern, Joachim II was the son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, and his wife Elizabeth of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden...
on November 1, 1539 attended a LutheranLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
service for the first time. This date is commonly regarded as the beginning of the Protestant ReformationProtestant ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in the Margraviate of BrandenburgMargraviate of BrandenburgThe Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
. The BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
spire was attached in 1744 and refurbished by Karl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
in 1839. (there is also a Nikolaikirche in Berlin-Mitte) - Spandau Old Town with medieval Gotisches Haus ("Gothic House") of the 15th century
- Rathaus SpandauRathaus SpandauRathaus Spandau is one of the terminals of the Berlin U-Bahn line U7 . It was opened on October 1, 1984 with the line's extension from Rohrdamm to Rathaus Spandau...
, the town hall finished in 1913.
Transportation
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
lines S75
S75 (Berlin)
S75 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Wartenberg to Spandau over:*a section of the Outer ring, completed in the early 1940s as part of the Outer freight ring,...
and S3
S3 (Berlin)
S3 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Erkner to Spandau over:*the Lower Silesian-Markish Railway, opened on 23 October 1842 and electrified in 1928,*the Stadtbahn, opened on 7 February 1882 and electrified on 11 June 1928 and...
; and by the U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
line U7. The main railway station is Berlin Spandau
Berlin-Spandau railway station
Berlin-Spandau is a railway station situated in the Spandau district of Berlin, Germany located at the western end of the S-Bahn lines and .-Overview:...
, one of the most important of the city.