Nikolassee

The river Havel runs along the north-eastern border of Nikolassee, separating it from the localities of Gatow and Kladow. The eastern half of the Wannsee lake is also in Nikolassee. The district is an affluent residential suburb where hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to in the summer, to “Strandbad Wannsee”, Europe's largest inland beach. Slightly up-river is the island of Schwanenwerder, where mansions of the extravagantly rich can be found. Yachting is a popular sport around here; small ships, boats and ferries are a frequent sight along the Havel.

The border between Nikolassee and East Germany contains a checkpoint, “Bravo”, located on the Federal Autobahn A115. This is one of the few highways that allow travel from West Berlin to West Germany.

The mansions in Nikolassee are easily the largest, most ostentatious residential homes in Berlin. Safety is not an issue here; the streets are well-lit and even at night there are people out and about. The hordes of tourists are usually “not from around here” and contribute to a low sense of community. The wealthy locals keep to themselves, preferring to relax in their private marinas and beaches—anything to keep away from the riff raff.

## Locations

### **Grunewald—Schlachtensee**

The southern chain of lakes of the Grunewald resides in Zehlendorf. The lakes are linked together by a canal; from Grunewaldsee, the canal flows to a small lake Riemesterfenn, before continuing on to Krumme Lanke and the largest lake, Schlatensee. The lakes are home to different kinds of fish, and shifts between turqouise and teal blue due to the algae population. The trees of the Grunewald surround the lakes.

Schlachtensee curves like a ribbon around the southern edge of the Grunewald. It is an old lake formed by glacial movements, deep and narrow, with steep basin walls and a trough-like bottom. A green recreational park (“Paul-Ernst-Park”) is adjacent to the lake; it runs down a slope and extends half a kilometre around the southern shore.

#### **Schlachtensee Student Village**

Blocks of apartments here provide housing for the students of the Free University of Berlin. The buildings are relatively modern and feature clean geometric shapes and simple designs. Central to the student village is the meeting hall, the shops, the library, and the canteen. The housing buildings are four to five stories and have private and shared living spaces for the students. A communal kitchen is available in each building. The hallways are bright and open with interior glazing and large floor-length windows.

A student self-administration was established due to the Student Movement of ’68. This representation acts on behalf of the students in the Studentenwerk, a department under the Berlin Senate responsible for student welfare.

### **Schwanenwerder**

Every grain of sand on this island is premium real estate. It has pristine beaches, undisturbed by tourists, facing the sparkling blue waters of the Havel. It only has one main road, connecting from the mainland with a small bridge and then looping around the island. The residents tend to moor their boats on a small marina north east of the island; the mooring fees alone cost an arm and a leg.

The list of residents read like the who’s who of Berlin. Back in the day, bankers, entrepreneurs, owners of large department store chains, and even one baroness Goldschmidt-Rothschild lived here. Joseph Goebbels lived here too, after they drove out all the Jews and forced them to sell their real estate for cheap. In recent years, the old mansions are gradually being torn down and replaced by modern buildings. The roadside in Schwanenwerder is planted with dense trees, providing privacy to the residences there.

#### **Swan Court**

“Schwanenhof”, as it is called in German, is the house built by the first developer of the island, Wilhelm Wessel. The main gate of the estate can be accessed from the road. It is a tall, wrought iron construction with a stone frame and a stone arch across its top edge. The roofline of the estate is visible from behind trees and shrubbery, planted to obscure most of the estate from view.

A secluded, well-trodden path leads from the main gate to the mansion. Swan Court is a vast, late 19th century mansion built with pale yellow bricks and slate roof, and octagonal turrets rising up from the sides. The trees in the garden are allowed to grow free with minimal trimming, with the exception of the hedges, resulting in a natural landscape.

#### ***Swan Court—Ballroom***

The white wooden front doors lead to an entrance hall, which then leads to spacious grand ballroom. This was a place for hosting exclusive parties and high society events. About a dozen chandeliers hang from the ceiling, illuminating the cavernous room. The floors are a polished walnut wood laid in a herringbone pattern. The wall panels have clean and elegant designs, finished off with curling stucco mouldings to lend a bit of flair. The lighting is enhanced with softly glowing wall sconces lined up along the walls.

### **Strandbad Wannsee**

* FP 2

Strandbad Wannsee is a beach on the eastern shores of the Greater Wannsee lake. This long stretch of fine golden sand is one of the largest inland lidos in Europe. Tourists flock here in the summer to swim and sunbathe, numbering up to the tens of thousands. The waters are a brilliant blue, rolling up the sand in gentle waves. Visitors relax on beach towels or deck chairs, or under a German construction known as a “Strandkorb”, which is a box-like chair with a built-in sun awning, seating up to two people. As is typical in Germany, there is also a separate nudist section.

Parallel to the shoreline are four large two-storeyed buildings, arranged in a row, and constructed out of sand-coloured clinker bricks. The facilities were built for the tourist boom during the interwar era, with bathrooms, equipment rental facilities, a restaurant, and a beachfront cafe all provided for. A closed-roof colonnade connects the four buildings. The rooftop balconies are outfitted with deck chairs and provide an excellent view of the lake.

### **Villenkolonie Nikolassee**

Nikolassee started as a mansion colony, built around lake Nikolassee by the wealthy seeking respite from a busy urban lifestyle. The mansions in Nikolassee are easily the largest, most ostentatious residential homes in Berlin. They were built in a variety of architectural styles, with a mix of modern homes and buildings preserved from before the war. The roads are cobblestone and most of them curve into dead ends or cul de sacs. The properties are protected with tall iron gates and security systems.

#### **Checkpoint Bravo**

A checkpoint on the Bundesautobahn 115, leading from West Germany to West Berlin. The road is 170km long and takes roughly 2 hours, starting from Checkpoint Alpha in Marienborn, West Germany, to Checkpoint Bravo in West Berlin.

The checkpoint is a bridge building that permits passage of cars underneath it. About a dozen white booths have been erected under the bridge, manned by border control officers. Congestion is a regular occurrence due to the high volume of traffic.