Hansaviertel

The Hansaviertel is a small locality (the smallest one among all the 95 Berliner Ortsteile) between Großer Tiergarten park and the Spree river within the central Mitte borough of Berlin. It was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but was rebuilt from 1957 to 1961 as a housing estate project of international master architects like Alvar Aalto, Egon Eiermann, Walter Gropius, Oscar Niemeyer etc., called Interbau. The whole ensemble, including two churches (St. Ansgar and Kaiser-Friedrich-Gedächtniskirche ), is now protected as a historic monument.

The quarter received its name for its streets named after Hansa cities, with the Hansaplatz in the centre. This square contains a small shopping arcade, a library and the Grips-Theater. The Hansaplatz subway station was already built in 1957, though the U9 line did not open before 1961. Some Gründerzeit buildings remained north of the Stadtbahn railway. The Altonaer Straße, named after Altona, leads to the Victory Column. Schloss Bellevue, the residence of the German President is nearby.

Right besides the U-bahn train station is Hansaplatz square. Now a non-discernible traffic junction, this was an active plaza before the war. Led by Kolleg X students from the Bauhaus in Dessau, there is an active movement to reclaim this Plaza as a community space and share it with the cars and bicycles that currently dominate.