Rathaus Schöneberg

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Rathaus Schöneberg

Rathaus Schöneberg is the city hall for the Borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg in Berlin.

It was constructed between 1911–1914 for Schöneberg, at that time an independent city not yet incorporated into Berlin.

After World War II, with Berlin divided, the Rote Rathaus (Red City Hall), the traditional seat of the Berlin government, was off limits to West Berlin. As a "temporary" measure Rathaus Schöneberg on Rudolph-Wilde-Platz became the city hall for West Berlin.

After re-unification, Rathaus Schöneberg reverted back to its original purpose of being Schöneberg Borough Town Hall. In 2001, after a re-organisation of the Berlin Boroughs, Rathaus Schöneberg became the town hall for the newly constituted borough of Tempelhof - Schöneberg.

Rathaus Schöneberg on Rudolph-Wilde-Platz is the location where U.S. President John F. Kennedy held his famous speech in June 1963, proclaiming "Ich bin ein Berliner". The square was renamed John-F.-Kennedy-Platz on 25 November 1963, three days after Kennedy's assassination.

It is also the permanent home to an exhibition of the life of Willy Brandt (1913–1992), Mayor of West Berlin from 1957 to 1966, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of West Germany 1969–1974.

The clock tower contains the Freiheitsglocke (Freedom or Liberty Bell) which was donated by the people of the United States to Berlin.