Wrangelkiez

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  Wrangelstraße

• Wrangelstraße

• Mural by Natalia Rak in Görlitzer Straße 49.

• A woman jogs along the Görlitzer Ufer in the Wrangelkiez.

• An underground train passes in front of an entrance to Görlitzer Park in Kreuzberg.

• Passengers board a bus at Schlesisches Tor station.

• The Watergate Club in Kreuzberg. The club will close at the end of 2024.

Wilhelminian-style buildings, green courtyards and small shops are typical of the Wrangelkiez in Kreuzberg. In between, there are more and more bars and trendy pubs.

The famous Kreuzberg mix still exists in the Wrangelkiez neighborhood. Small craft shops, cultural institutions, playgrounds, green spaces and traffic-calmed streets alternate between the old buildings from the Wilhelminian era. But things are changing here too.

Location of the Wrangelkiez in Kreuzberg

Wrangelkiez is a densely populated residential Kiez in the east of Kreuzberg, right on the border with Friedrichshain and Treptow. The Kiez is bordered by Skalitzer Strasse and Görlitzer Park, the Landwehr Canal and the River Spree. The approximately 13,000 residents mainly live in apartment blocks from the Wilhelminian era, some of which have several, often leafy backyards. Wrangelkiez has only had its name since the late 1980s, when it was named after General Friedrich von Wrangel. Before that, the neighborhood was called Schlesisches Viertel.

Living and going out in the Wrangelkiez

For a long time, the Wrangelkiez was a rather simple, not particularly affluent neighborhood with a young, multicultural population. To a certain extent, this is still the case today. They characterize the neighborhood - also in culinary terms. Restaurants, snack bars and bistros with international specialities can be found mainly in Wrangelstraße, but also in Görlitzer Park and the smaller side streets. More upmarket cuisine can be found in the restaurants on Flutgraben.

More and more artists, hipsters and students are mingling with the long-established residents. With them come hip cafés for lunch and brunch, record shops, vintage shops, bars, bookshops, galleries and agencies - especially in Schlesische Straße. Clubs such as Watergate and Lido can be found on the banks of the Spree. Stylish bar and practical Späti, Turkish café and techno club, seitan chicken, lamb curry and falafel: Wrangelkiez has (almost) everything, right next to each other.

Infrastructure and civic engagement

Anyone who takes a look at the associations, initiatives and facilities located in the Wrangelkiez will understand it better. In addition to the schools and local daycare centrer, there are also many Kinderläden - private kindergartens - that were founded on the initiative of parents. Numerous projects and initiatives in the socio-cultural field are as much a part of the Wrangelkiez as the old buildings and the graffiti on their doors.

They testify to the social cohesion in the neighborhood and the common desire to support those who have a low income, are socially disadvantaged or even homeless. Projects and associations offer counselling and help. The services include German courses for migrants, training centers for young people, soup kitchens and much more. Life is not easy for many people in the Wrangelkiez. This is not simply accepted.

Recreational areas and landmarks

Residents and visitors to the Wrangelkiez can take a deep breath in one of the many small green spaces between the houses, as well as on the Heckmannufer or in Görlitzer Park. On the waterfront you can watch the boats sailing past, in Görlitzer Park with its sunbathing lawns, sports fields and playgrounds and the children's farm you can watch the people and animals. If you have a little more time, walk over to Lohmühleninsel, Schlesischer Busch or to the large Treptower Park with its old trees, flower beds, footpaths, carp pond and pubs.

You can also find peace and quiet in the Taborkirche or the Liebfrauenkirche right in the neighborhood. Together with the Schlesisches Tor railway station, they are among the landmarks of the Wrangelkiez. The Oberbaumbrücke, which starts at the northern tip of the Kiez and leads across the Spree to Friedrichshain, is not part of the Wrangelkiez.

Night-time peace also applies in the Wrangelkiez

The Wrangelkiez is transforming into a trendy neighborhood. But here, too, please be considerate of local residents after 10 pm and adjust your noise level accordingly.