Britz

Britz
Quarter of Berlin

Hufeisensiedlung
Britz

Coordinates: 52°27′00″N 13°26′00″E / 52.45000°N 13.43333°E / 52.45000; 13.43333Coordinates: 52°27′00″N 13°26′00″E / 52.45000°N 13.43333°E / 52.45000; 13.43333
Country Germany
State Berlin
City Berlin
Borough Neukölln
Founded 1273
Area
 • Total 12.4 km2 (4.8 sq mi)
Elevation 52 m (171 ft)
Population (2008-06-30)
 • Total 38,334
 • Density 3,100/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes (nr. 0802) 12347, 12359
Vehicle registration B
Website Official website

Britz ( German pronunciation ) is a German locality (Ortsteil) within the Berlin borough (Bezirk) of Neukölln.

History

The village of Britzig was first mentioned in 1273. It was incorporated by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act. It is known for being the site of the Hufeisensiedlung ("Horseshoe Estate"), part of the UNESCO Berlin Modernism Housing Estates World Heritage Site since 2008.[1]

Sights

Hufeisensiedlung

The subsidized housing estate was built on the fields of Britz manor between 1925 and 1933 according to plans by Bruno Taut and Martin Wagner. The project was initiated by a housing cooperative established to combat the shortage of affordable living space. Numerous blocks and terraced houses in New Objectivity style with colorful facades include more than 1,000 apartments, situated in spacious gardens designed by landscape architect Leberecht Migge.

Transmission facility

The transmission facility of the newly founded RIAS - present-day Deutschlandradio - was built on a site in Britz in 1946 by the American military administration. Several temporary structures were replaced in 1948 with the current, 100-metre high steel masts. These were later extended to heights of 160 m and 144 m.

Short-wave transmissions were made from Britz starting in 1949. In 1978 a medium-wave transmission aerial was added to allow better reception across the whole of the GDR's territory, especially at night.

Blub

The disused Blub ("Berliner Luft- und Badeparadies") water park is situated in Britz, near the Teltow Canal. It has become a site of interest to those interested in ruined architecture. It is due for redevelopment in the near future.

References

  1. ↑ (in German) Historical infos about Britz Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.

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