Abriss des Scheunenviertels

**Abriss des Scheunenviertels** (*Demolition of the Scheunenviertel*) is a successful series that stretched over two seasons and documented the demolition of the Scheunenviertel and the development of the Platz in its present-day sense.

* 1906-1908: First season, creation the Platz
* 1934-1935: Second season, creation of the Nazi-Bauten
* A third season was planned for 1989, but canceled at short notice because everyone suddenly wanted to watch a different program

### Relay overview

#### Prequel

The first efforts to continue the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße began in 1861. With the demolition of the *Königsmauer*, a field of ruins emerged in the immediate vicinity that was seen as downright unworthy of the residence that Berlin was at that time. In an urban design by August Orth, a fork in the road could already be recognized, but it was placed around the then Victoria Theater a few meters further south from the eventual Platz. The project was rejected, among other things because the land up to Hirtenstraße was too close to the possible street extension.  A draft submitted by private entrepreneurs in 1894, which called for the demolition of all the houses between Lothringer Straße, Hirtenstraße, Alte Schönhauser Straße and Prenzlauer Allee, also failed.

In 1874 the city of Berlin was granted the right to regulate the narrow streets by buying up the associated land. In 1889 another law was passed that guaranteed the expropriation of land if it serves to improve the street scene. Expropriations to create new escape lines were now easier.

On November 24, 1900, an application submitted by the civil engineering administration was approved by the municipal administration, in which the streets of Alte Schönhauser Strasse and Prenzlauer Allee were to be cabled with Lothringer Straße before their congested intersection. The creation of the triangular area was thus decided.

In 1902 the final permit to demolish the Scheunenviertel was granted. The government granted 13.3 million marks production value for the spectacle. The city had already started buying up the affected land two years earlier. First of all, however, it had to be ensured that all people living there would also find accommodation elsewhere. All lawsuits filed by local residents and residents were dismissed. This further delayed the demolition. Meanwhile in the municipal administration, the commissioning of a private company was considered.

On May 23, 1905, the city councilor Borgmann again urged a *vigorous approach* to regulate the district and create a radial system, since the tension on the housing market had meanwhile subsided.

#### First season (1906–1908)

In 1905 the Berlin magistrate commissioned the Scheunenviertelkommission to handle the demolition.

The area would now bee gradually razed to the ground:

* January 1906: 6 houses in Amalienstraße, Koblankstraße and Weydingerstraße
* September 1906: 8 more houses
* October 1906: 3 houses in Linienstraße, Lothringer Straße No. 109, 110, 111, 112

At the end of 1906, the demolition had already been completed on 30 properties. The last expropriations were carried out in 1907. On June 29, 1908, it says: "After the Scheunenviertel was demolished, the following streets: Amalienstraße, Füsilierstraße, Koblankstraße and Weydingerstraße ceased to exist".

During the broadcast of the last episodes in April 1908 the murder of Hermann Blechert occured. The perpetrator weighed down the corpse (or a package of five) with a stone that the investigators were able to quickly assign to a demolition house on the corner of Kleine Alexanderstraße and Linienstraße. The search then focused on the other demolished plots. In a half-standing kitchen room in the former Koblankstraße, for example, there was a pool of blood that initially caused a stir. A short time later, however, feathers were discovered and it was assumed that someone there had tried to prepare a broiler and was simply very inexperienced. Even if the actual crime scene was later determined a few hundred meters from the area, the center of the Murder Victims life during his time in Berlin was mostly the new fallow area, which made him the silent hero of the first season of the demolition .

In total, the area of ​​the first demolition consisted of 44544 square meters and included 119 pieces of land. Around a third of the landowners were expropriated. The rent for the plots already moved in was waived at 25%.

Linienstraße, view direction Grenadierstraße, lunch break on building siteCleared building site with a view from Füsilierstraße to Linienstraße

#### Second season (1934-35)

In 1934 it was decided to demolish the houses between Volksbühne and Lothringer Straße. The purchase of the land began in September of that year.

The demolition was divided into two stages:

* 1st phase 1934: Demolition site on Linienstraße 72 from before 1914 with new construction of 72 apartments (274 living rooms), costs 609,000 RM without Reich subsidies.

* 2nd phase 1935: Demolition of 15 residential buildings (616 living rooms) and 21 shops and businesses. Age between 60 and 150 years.

The Nazi-Bauten are aiming for less dense living. Above all, the number of commercial units had been greatly reduced. Especially in the *Pappschachteln* on Linienstraße, there were no longer any retail apartments after the new construction.

The total costs for the second demolition and the rebuilding amounted to 2,066,000 RM.

## Links

* J.F. Geist & K. Kürvers: "Das Berliner Mietshaus II. 1862-1945", Prestel Verlag GmbH + Co., Munich 1989

## References

1. ↑ http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:109-1-8902471
2. ↑ https://digital.zlb.de/viewer/image/16329664\_1882\_1888\_1/68/
3. ↑ http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:109-1-11088588. 117 built-up plots with an area of ​​around 42,970 square meters had to be acquired for the implementation of the project.
4. ↑  http://nbn-resolving.de / urn: nbn: de: kobv: 109-1-8781305
5. ↑ p. Steglich, P. Kratz: The false Scheunenviertel., Oliver George Verlagbuchhandlung, Berlin 1994
6. ↑ http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:109-1-11589698
7. ↑ Stenographic negotiation reports on the consultations with the councilors of the Reichshauptstat Berlin edition 1.1934 No. September 2, 27, 1934
8. ↑ H. Bodenschatz, space free for the new Berlin, studies on modern planning history, Transit 1987.
  **The Episodes**

1906–08: Demolition (Season 1)
1908: Boy murder
1913–14: Birth
1931: Showdown
1934–35: Demolition (Season 2)
1919–37: Raids
1973: Festival
1973/74: Spectacle
1989: Women's Congress
2016–2018: Intendantenwechsel