This is part in the article series Streets and Squares that provide some background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in!
This time we target Berlin which became the capital of the unified Germany exactly 27 years ago, June 20th 1991. Strasse - or straße like they write that double s in German - means of course street, and there are quite a few eponymous streets - and squares and parks - in Berlin. The word eponymous means - in case you didn’t know it already - (of a thing) “named after a particular person or group” or (of a person) “giving their name to something”. And Platz means square.
As always, clicking on the address will take you to Google Maps, and clicking on the name to Wikipedia.
ALEXANDERPLATZ - Alexander I (1777-1825), the Russian Emperor, visited Berlin in 1805, and King Frederick III of Prussia decided to rename the square in his honor. StreetView
ANNA-LOUISA-KARSCH-STRAẞE - Anna Louisa Karsch (1722-1791) was a German autodidact and poet, who became the first German woman to “live from the proceeds of her own literary works.” StreetView
BEBELPLATZ - August Bebel (1840-1913) was a socialist politician, writer and orator who co-founded the Social Democratic Party. StreetView
BEN-GURION-STRAẞE - David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel. StreetView
ERNA-BERGER-STRAẞE - Erna Berger (1900-1990) was a Dresden-born German coloratura lyric soprano.
FRIEDRICHSTRAẞE - Friedrich Wilhelm (1620-1688) Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia. Gave Prussia a strong position, setting it up for elevation from duchy to kingdom. StreetView
HANNAH-ARENDT-STRAẞE - Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), German-born American political theorist who as a Jew fled Nazi Germany in 1933. StreetView
IFFLANDSTRAẞE - August Wilhelm Iffland (1759-1814) was an actor and dramatic author. Born in Hanover, Holy Roman Empire. StreetView
LUDWIG-BECK-STRAẞE - Ludwig Beck (1880-1944), general and Chief of the German General Staff during the early years of the Nazi regime in Germany before World War II - never a member of the Nazi Party though. StreetView
MARLENE-DIETRICH-PLATZ - Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), the actress and singer who maintained popularity by continually reinventing herself. Born in Berlin, she had a successful film career in America, and became U.S. citizen in 1939. StreetView
PAUL-LÖBE-ALLEE - Paul Löbe (1875-1967) German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as President of the Reichstag. StreetView
A to Z FROM BERLIN
i.e. a list of people born in Berlin. Just another fun way to know something more about the city. We pick a couple of people for each alphabet, if possible. The numbers you see at the end of each line indicate the year of birth. This list is updated from time to time. And last but not least: the flag of the city, down below!
A - Sophie Charlotte Ackermann* (b Bierreichel) actress (1714) & Franz Karl Achard* biologist/chemist/discovered the production of sugar from sugar beet – Berlin (1753) & Else Ackermann* physician/ pharmacologist/ politician (1933)
B - Carsten Bresch* geneticist/physicist (1921) & Jerome Boateng* football player (1988)
C - Leo von Caprivi* general/statesman/ Chancellor of Germany (1831)
D - Marlene Dietrich* singer/actress (1901) & Eberhard Diepgen* mayor of West Berlin (1941) - Bella Dayne* German actress (1988)
E - Carl Ludvig Engel* architect (1778) & Natascha Engel* British politician (1967)
F - Lucian Freud* German-British painter/ draftsman/grandson of Sigmund Freud (1922)
G - Bettina Gilois* German-American screenwriter/author (1961)
H - Alexander von Humboldt* polymath/ geographer/explorer (1769) & Paul Heyse* writer/translator/N (1830)
I -
K - Judith Kerr* British writer/illustrator (1923) & Nastassja Kinski* actress (1961)
L - Paul Landers* guitarist (Rammstein) (1964) & Christian Lorenz* musician (Rammstein) (1966)
M - Heinrich Gustav Magnus* experimental scientist (1802) & Tom Maschler* British publisher/writer (1933) & Dominic Monaghan* English actor/outdoors filmmaker (1976)
N - Mike Nichols* (b Peschowsky) film and theater director (1931)
P - André Previn* German-American pianist/ conductor/composer (1929) & Jürgen Prochnow* actor (1941)
R - Hans Richter* painter/ avant-gardist/filmmaker (1888) & Leni Riefenstahl* film director (1902) & Hans Rosenthal* radio and television host (1925)
S - Heinrich August Wilhelm Stolze* teacher/founder of stenography (1798) & Helene Bresslau Schweitzer* medical missionary/ linguist/wife of Albert S. (1879) & Coco Schumann* jazz musician/Holocaust survivor (1924) & Christoph Schneider* drummer/ Rammstein (1966)
T - Ulf Timmermann* athlete (shotput)/OG (1962)
W - Adolf Windaus* chemist/N (1876) & Alfred Wegener* polar researcher/ geophysicist/meteorologist (1880)
Sources:
Berlin.de - The Naming of Berlin - Wikipedia (Alexanderplatz) -
PS. Congratulations Marcus, or anyone else born that day - or celebrating their birthday today! And congrats Berlin!
Updated 19.3.2023
