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Areas Overview

Treptow-Kopenick.

The borough was formed by merging the old boroughs of Treptow and Köpenick, the borough is located on the south east of the city. Although it was once one of the largest industrial zones in Berlin, cutbacks in industrial capacities after reunification hit the area particularly hard. Efforts have been made in recent years to redevelop and modernise the industrial base of the district with extra investment in the areas of science and technology.

Treptow-Köpenick stretches from the city center to the green suburbs and countryside. The borough has:

The borough has two distinct environments, in the north western city end of the borough most of the districts are characterised as urban while the districts to the south east are primarally green areas or waterways.

Re-development around Treptower Park emphasizes the modernization that has taken place in urban areas since re-unification.

The borough has Berlin's most wooded area, the superb tranquility and peacefulness of its forests and lakes creates the impression of being in the open countyside and produces fresh air for the whole city. The open green spaces and blue watews provide great recreational space for city residents.

The districts of Treptow-Köpenick are ; Alt-Treptow, Plänterwald, Baumschulenweg, Johannisthal, Niederschöneweide, Altglienicke, Adlershof, Bohnsdorf, Oberschöneweide, Köpenick, Friedrichshagen, Rahnsdorf, Grünau, Müggelheim and Schmöckwitz.

Alt-Treptow (pop 10,000) consits of the extreme north-east corrner of the borough and includes Treptower Park and some residential neighborhoods north of the park and the Treptowers development. The Treptower Allianz on the banks of the spree is the tallest office building in Berlin. The Treptowers complex consists of four buildings built in a glass and steel style and was completed in 1998. The residential area mostly consists of multi-family buildings based on the standard style from late 1890's, a main building to the front and a smaller rear wing on an inner courtyard. The Treptow ARENA is located on a corner of the district beside the Spree in an old bus depot dating from the 1920's. The ARENA is a venue for major events and theatrical performances.

Plänterwald (pop 11,000) in the north of the borough is a new district dating from 1997 and includes the park area bordering the spree, the district has a mix of old and new residential properties.

Baumschulenweg (pop 17,000) bordered West Berlin during partition and was the scene of some grim incidents where residents of East Berlin tried to cross "No Mans Land" to get to West Berlin and were killed.

Residential developments dating from the 1920's occurred around Baumschulenstraße in the north of the district, in the 1960's further residential development was carried out around Heidekampweg.

East of Johannisthaler Chaussee the district has quite a concentrated residential area up to the boundary with "Konogsheide" park and Johannisthal.

The second crematorium in Berlin was built in the district and this was replaced in 1999 by a stunning new building designed by Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank. At the end of the 19th century the area had the largest plant nursery in the world.

Johannisthal (pop 17,000) with Adlershof is steeped in aircraft history with rhe first flight here recorded in 1909 at the airport. it was the scene of a Zeppelin Airship crash in 1913. Manufacturing linked to the aircraft industry was based on the periphery of the airport up to the first world war. Development of "Plattenbauten" (Pre-Fabricated Concrete) buildings was begun in Johannisthal on the early 1950's.

Adlershof (pop 12,000) was originally home for chemical company "CAF Kahlbaum" in 1882 and by 1900 the population here had grown to over 8,000. The airfield, Johannisthal-Adlershof, was opened in September 1909 and two years later the first German flying school opened here. In the 1930's the "Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt" (DVL), the German Research Institute for Aeronautics, was established here, it was at the centre of all aircraft development in Pre-War Germany. This was one of the best resourced facilities in the world and had nearly 2000 people working here.

Research and production developments are panned for the north and east of the airport. This is one of the most successful high-tech locations in Germany. An integrated science, business and media centre has developed into a Science and technology Park. The park is home to approximately 400 companies and six scientific institutes of the Humboldt University of Berlin., the Science Park employs over 12,000 people in the areas of Science, Economy and Media. Within this area is a residential complex that provides living areas, shops, hotels, restaurants and a large landscaped park.

Niederschöneweide (pop 10,000) was originally an old grassland area on the banks of the spree which was drained in the 19th century. During the second world war a major "Forced Labour Camp" was located here, over 500,000 people were confined here to work on arms manufacturing during the war. The residential properties have been largely modernised in recent times with new recreational facilities and a lively market. Redevelopment of the former industrial area between Hasselwerder Str and the Spree is planned.

Bohnsdorf (pop 11,000) originally consisted of an old village square with an historic baroque church which is listed as an historic monument and contains a courtyard with original barn, stables and pigeon house.

In the 1920's Bruno Taut's Falkenberg Garden City was constructed. This development is characterised by contrasting colours of building elements such as, windows, shutters, cornices, balustrades, patios and balcony balustrades. This strong image is enhanced by the different colours of the building facades which combine within an overall artistic form.

The original development has been extensively refurbished in recent years. The development has received a UNESCO World Heritage nomination. There have been additions to the original development in recent years.

Altglienicke (pop 26,500) is mostly developed with little green area, it was once known as a source of water for the city. The original centre dates from 1890 with further development of "workers" homes in the 1930's. In the 1980's, just before re-unification, there was a major residential development of "Plattenbauten" (Pre-Fab Concrete) builkdings following the same style as the other residential developments in East Berlin from the later period of partition. However, with the collapse of the wall, this scheme was radically altered with a dramativ change in the type of construction of the post re-unification buildings. The campanile building is an example of the more modern style of buildings that resulted. To the north of the district in parts of the old village centre there are plans in place for further re-development of the district.

Oberschöneweide (pop 17,500) consists of a riverside urban area squeezed between the "Spree" to the south and the "Volkspark Wuhlheide" to the north. Originally developed as a centre for the electrical industry and was the original home of AEG. These industrial areas suffered badly from poor investment and neglect under socialist rule. Following re-unification most former DDR industry collapsed due to its ageing industrial infrastructure and lack of competitiveness resulting in a lost of abandoned industrial properties in the district.

The focus recently has moved from industrial development to the development of academic institutions. Key areas of study based here are Design, Engineering, Computer Science, International Media Studies, Economics, Communications and Industrial Engineering. There is a developing cultural scene in the district with the newly created "Halls of Berlin" which contains a range of galleries and museums based in old industrial buildings. There has been some residential development in the district since 1995 which is created an attractive residential neighbourhood in the district.

Köpenick (pop 61,000) is one of the main residential areas in the borough and has a well preserved and charming historical old town. The old town centre is located on an island located at the meeting of the Spree and the Dahme, it is known as Berlin's "City on the Water". A fine residential neighborhood with grand villas and residences is located beside the "Wendenschloss" to the east of the island town centre. The district is seen as a good example of a mixed used area combining well, housing, retail, service companies, restaurants, cultural centres and the administrative institutions of the district.

Friedrichshagen (pop 17,000) includes part of "Grosser Müggelsee" and has a small, but relatively densely populated, residential area on the north shore of the lake. Historic buildings in the district are centred on Bölschestraße with this area known for the recent restorations providing some of the finest shops, restaurants and streets of Berlin.

Rahnsdorf (pop 9,000) was originally a fishing village on the Müggelsee who's character has been mostly preserved, elements of the village centre date from 1890.

During the middle of the 20th century the surrounding area developed as a location for attractive waterside properties. Fine Villas and country houses dating from the early 20th century set the character of New Rahnsdorf.

The village and the area around it are now classified as an historical monument. The traditional beach on the Müggelsee remains a popular amenity for the residents of Berlin.

Grünau (pop 5,500) has a large green area in the south east of the district with a small residential area in the north by the Langer See. This was the venue for the sailing, rowing and canoeing competitions of the 1936 Olympic Games. The residential area of the district is renowned for high quality residential neighbourhoods and idyllic surroundings, it is considered one of the best residential suburbs in the City.

Müggelheim (Pop 6,500) was originally seen as a working class colony on the periphery of the city. The district is like a small residential island amidst the wide open green spaces to the south of the "Grosser Müggelsee" and shares ownership of the lake with Friedrichshagen. The area is popular with cyclists and skaters who use the main cycle route on the southern shore of the Müggelsee.

Schmöckwitz (pop 4,000) is almost completely rural with a mix of green areas and waterways.

Around Alt Schmöckwitz there is still evidence of the old village with a number of historic buildings dating from 1800 around which the main urban area in the district is located.

There are many camp sites and recreation centres specialising in summer activities within the green areas of the district.

A detailed discussion on the range of properties in Berlin and issues relating to renovation and re-development is available in the Property Types section.

What's happening in Treptow-Kopenick?

Treptow-Köpenick is one of the late improving boroughs in the city and overall has not as of yet seen a significant increase in rents. Rents in the borough have a narrow spread (5.5 to 5.7 euro/m2) indicative of the limited range of property types available for rent. Treptow-Köpenick is one of five boroughs in the city where rents have "apparently" bottomed following many years of decrease. Growth in rents will probably be driven by the rise in rental rates in adjacent boroughs eventually pushing up the demand here with resulting increases in rents throughout the borough.

There are some neighbourhoods that are already experiencing noticeable improvements in their property markets. Local neighbourhoods that have improved are located in the attractive green areas of Treptow-Nord and close to the old district centre of Köpenicker Altstadt. Properties located around the former industrial locality at Schöneweide on the other hand have stagnated in recent years.

Alt-Treptow has recently seen the development of a self-contained residential housing scheme, service enterprises have developed in the area adding to the existing industrial base there. The science and technology centre in Adlershof is expected to expand to employ over 20,000 by 2010.

Future Trends

(Anecdotal based rather than data based).With the lowest unemployment rate in Berlin underpinning demand in the borough and the recent trend in Berlin towards the southern boroughs it should benefit from above average growth in the middle to long term. With property sales prices ranging from 1000 to 1400 Euro/m2 it is slightly below the Berlin average but has slightly above average vacancy rates.

The neighborhood of Schöneweide is one of the least changed old East Berlin parts of the city, street facades still show the raw image reminiscent of these areas during partition. There are many remnants of the old socialist industrial past in the area and it remains one of the largest redevelopment opportunities in the city. Any development in this area is liable to be high quality due to its great location on the Spree and still quite close to the city centre. The area has good transport links and with the imminent removal of aircraft flight paths from Tempelhof Airport the existing properties in this area may be a good tern-around play.

With an "Owner Occupancy" rate of nearly 20% it is one of a group of four boroughs (Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Reinickendorf, Treptow-Köpenick and Marzahn-Hellersdorf) which have noticeably higher owner occupancy rates than elsewhere in the city. The common geographic locations of these four boroughs, stretching out to the rural periphery of the city boundaries, is indicative of higher owner occupancy rates in more rural neighbourhoods which have higher levels of single family properties.

The high rate of owner occupancy in districts with more singly family homes is likely to maintain and possible increase the premium on property values that these higher rates generally bring to their neighbourhood. For more information on "Owner Occupancy Rates" and other general analysis data visit our Graphs of Economic Performance page.

Landmarks and Attractions

In Treptow-Köpenick. The Arena-Konzert und Kulturhalle in the north of Treptow beside the Spree is one of the most announced culture locations of Berlin. In a reorganized industrial monument (Originally a bus depot designed by Franz Ahrens) are concert, theatre and exhibition spaces (The art stage "glasshouse" and the club ship "Hoppetosse").

At the rapid-transit station, Treptower Park, is located the highest office building of the capital "The Treptowers" which is the most visible new landmark of the district.

Adjacent to the tower is the "Molecule Man" an impressive giant standing metal sculpture from the American sculptor Jonathan Borofsky.

The Treptower Park, with Plaenterwald, is the second largest public park in Berlin. Originally opened in 1877 it contains a distinctive "English style" landscape park with numerous avenues.

In the park are the landschaftlichen frameworks for the port Treptow, the Soviet Soldier Memorial (the largest soviet monument remaining in Germany), the Archenhold observatory (with the largest refracting telescope in the world) and the "Abteiinsel" (abbey island - an artificially creation) connected later by the first reinforced concrete bridge in Germany. Sea-Planes based here offer round trip flights over Berlin. Heimatmuseum Treptow is an Historical Urban Museum and archive which periodically acts as an exhibition venue.

Stadt für Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft und Medien (WISTA) is one of the largest and most successful high technology parks of Europe. With over 360 technology-oriented enterprises employing approximately 3,500 technologists in both non-university research establishments and a selection of scientific institutes of the Humboldt University Berlin. It is home to over 7,000 registered students. Schlossplatz connects Köpenick with the Koepenicker old part of town and was the first market place of the city Köpenick. Recognised as an important monument in recent time it now serves as the tourist information office for Treptow-Köpenick.

In Kopenick The Alter Markt forms the core of the historical old part of the town of Köpenick where numerous buildings have been listed with monument protection and have recently been restored or are currently being restored.

Straße Freiheit, whose name originates from the initial tax exemption of the religious refugees who settled here, was the location for the development of important workshops for textile production and other thriving small businesses. An important synagogue was destroyed here during the Pogroms of 1938.

Anderson'sches Palais This palace was constructed in 1750 and contains a particularly beautiful wood stairs with carved railing. It is one of the most beautiful listed monuments in the borough.

Berliner Bürgerbräu "lime tree brewery" established in 1869 is considered the oldest brewery of Berlin. The main building is a listed monument and is particularly attractive from the water side.

The Mueggelsee is with 766,7 hectares of surface (4.5 km long, 2.5 km broad and 11 m deeply) the largest lake in Berlin. The Spree flows through the lake and represents one of the largest waterway areas of Berlin.

The unique water statue "Molecule Man" was designed by Jonathan Borofsky and is located adjacent to the Treptowers Development, it rises 30 feet high from the waters of the Spree.

Neighbourhood Areas of Pankow

Alt-Treptow, Plänterwald, Baumschulenweg, Johannisthal, Niederschöneweide, Altglienicke, Adlershof, Bohnsdorf, Oberschöneweide, Köpenick Friedrichshagen, Rahnsdorf, Grünau, Müggelheim, Schmöckwitz.