Märkisches Viertel

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  A woman with a dog on a leash walks in front of a residential building in the Märkisches Viertel in Reinickendorf.

• Buildings of Märkisches Viertel

• Märkisches Viertel

• A characteristic high-rise residential building of Märkisches Viertel

The large housing estate Märkisches Viertel is located in the east of Reinickendorf, embedded in fields, woods and meadows.

The Märkische Viertel housing estate is a large satellite town built in the 1960s. It comprises 17,000 apartments and space for up to 50,000 people. This neighborhood in the east of Reinickendorf, called "MV" for short, was one of the largest but also one of the most controversial new housing developments in Germany at the time.

The Changing Image of Märkisches Viertel

In the beginning, the neighborhood Märkisches Viertel had a bad reputation because of its poor infrastructure, sheer size, and the resulting anonymity. Through conversions, the expansion of infrastructure, and various neighborhood and community initiatives, the housing estated has recovered socially. The strong local ties of its residents led to its separation into an independent local district: until 1999 the Märkisches Viertel still officially belonged to Wittenau.

Märkische Zeile and Märkisches Zentrum

The shopping mile Märkische Zeile was extended in the year 2000 to include the shopping mall Märkisches Zentrum and is now the largest shopping center in the north of Berlin. In its immediate vicinity are the neighborhood's municipal swimming pool, the cultural center "Fontane-Haus", the citizens' registration office, and a park with the Seggeluchbecken basin, an artificial lake that was originally created to drain the neighborhood.

High-Rise Buildings and Green Surroundings

The housing estate with its multi-storey buildings is surrounded by fields, meadows, allotment gardens, and some detached houses. There is a starl contrast to the more village-like surrounding neighborhoods of Lübars, Rosenthal, or Wittenau. Nevertheless, many of the residents of Märkisches Vietel have lived here for a long time, often even in the same apartment, and do not want to leave.