History Living

Until 1863 the Choriner Strasse carried the name "Hohlweg vor dem Schönhause Thor". With the construction of the tenement during the Industrialisation a typical Berlin working class district was created. Since the 1870s Berlin grew with breathtaking speed. In 1920 it was in the top three of cities with the highest inhabitant densities. When the Wall was built in 1961 the two close-knit districts of Wedding and Prenzlauer Berg were torn apart overnight. Unfortunately, under the East German regime the historical structural condition corroded over the years. This was the time when slowly this alternative flair emerged. Here, sub-cultures found enough space to thrive. This is where in the 1980s one of the main groups opposing the East German government was founded. After the reunification Prenzlauer Berg became one vast redevelopment area. Today, the largest quarter from Wilhelminian times in Europe is particularly attractive to Berlins young and creative elite.

The name "Choriner Strasse" is derived from a community in the Southern Uckermark, northwest of Berlin. There, the 750-years-old Cistercian monastery "Chorin" is found - one of the most important Gothic monuments in Northern Germany.

Prater
Oldest beergarden in Berlin. With its 800 seats it is one of the most popular places to meet particularly during summertime.
www.pratergarten.de

Konnopke
A famous snack point at the underground Eberswalder Strasse. It has been managed by the same family for four generations. Probably Berlin's best "Currywurst".
www.konnopke-imbiss.de

Synagogue Rykestrasse
Built in 1904 it is the largest in Germany. It provides room for 2000 people.

Jewish cemetery
Berlin's second oldest cemetery at the Schönhauser Allee. Last home to numerous Berlin characters of the 19th and 20th century.

Gethsemanekirche
Symbol for nonviolent resistance, former meeting place of the political opposition at the Stargarder Strasse.