Greater Berlin Act

The creation of Greater Berlin on 1 October 1920 is one of the most significant events in Berlin's history, shaping the city's political, social, economic and cultural development to the present day.

Literally overnight, Berlin became a global metropolis and the third largest city in the world after London and New York.

In 2020, the founding of Greater Berlin 100 years ago was honoured with an anniversary. Among other things, the Historische Kommission zu Berlin e.V. organised a two-day symposium on the Greater Berlin Act. But what makes this event so important and so seminal that it still concerns us in the 21st century? Read the answers to the most important questions on the 100th anniversary of "Greater Berlin"

Greater Berlin: Questions & Answers

What was before Greater Berlin?

The merger of eight previously independent towns, 59 rural communities and 27 estates doubled the population of Berlin to around 3.8 million people. The area increased from 65.72 square kilometres (Old Berlin) to 878.1 square kilometres. This made Greater Berlin the second largest city in the world in terms of area after Los Angeles (Berlin's later twin city) in 1920, simply by law from one day to the next.

What did this fragmentation mean in practical terms?

It also meant a complicated and non-uniform structure beyond the area that would later become Greater Berlin. Some people spoke of "anarchy". City historian Herbert Schwenk: "Around 1900, the 151 towns and municipalities in the Berlin area had 43 different gas, 17 water and 15 electricity companies working side by side." In 1912, there were 16 different tram companies in the special-purpose association and therefore different tariffs. And he mentions:

"While Lake Tegel, for example, served Berlin as a drinking water reservoir, the municipalities of Reinickendorf and Tegel channelled their wastewater into the lake."

What was the effect of the creation of Greater Berlin?

Historian Thomas Flemming: "This laid the foundations for an extremely dynamic development of the metropolis of Berlin, which soon produced pioneering achievements in the fields of housing and urban development, transport infrastructure, education and cultural life, among others. Overall, the creation of Greater Berlin unleashed great energies that had previously been unable to unfold due to the political and administrative fragmentation of Greater Berlin."

All in all, it should be noted: Berlin as we know it today is the Greater Berlin of that time. This applies by and large right up to the definition of its borders to the outside and also within the city area, although they have of course been repeatedly changed in some places over the past 100 years.

The most important thing: with the creation of the administrative unit of Greater Berlin, Berlin finally embarked on the path to becoming a global metropolis, which it very quickly became in the 1920s.

How was the Greater Berlin Act passed?

Officially, the law was called the "Law on the Formation of a New Municipality of Berlin". It was a long road to its entry into force on 1 October 1920. The passing of the law on 27 April 1920 was preceded by decades of disputes. It involved conflicting political and economic interests.

For a long time, it looked as if middle-class conservative groups in the wealthy suburbs - such as Charlottenburg, Zehlendorf and Spandau - would be able to prevent the formation of Greater Berlin. The vote in the Prussian Constituent Assembly was close: the law was passed by 164 votes to 148 with five abstentions.

The Social Democrats (SPD), the Independent Social Democrats (USPD) and parts of the left-liberal German Democratic Party (DDP) were in favour, while the more bourgeois parties Deutschnationale Volkspartei (DNVP), Deutsche Volkspartei (DVP) and the Catholic Centre Party opposed it.

Why was the Greater Berlin Act passed by a Prussian Constituent Assembly?

On 9 November 1918, the monarchies in Germany had abdicated following the loss of the First World War and the November Revolution had paved the way for democratic conditions. In contrast to today, where the state of Berlin is an independent state of the Federal Republic of Germany, both the old Berlin and the newly formed Greater Berlin were then a municipality of Prussia, the most powerful and largest federal state of the Bismarck Empire and also of the Weimar Republic. At the time the Greater Berlin Act was passed, the Prussian Constituent Assembly was the elected Prussian parliament in office, which not only drafted the constitution of the "Free State of Prussia" but also made all other decisions.

What economic reasons played a role in the formation of Greater Berlin?

Berlin grew with the rapid industrialisation from the beginning of the 1880s to become the largest and most dynamic economic region in Germany. From 1871, it was also the capital of the German Empire founded by Otto von Bismarck. Parallel to the economic boom, the population grew by leaps and bounds: From 826,000 in 1871 to 1.677 million in 1895. The surrounding towns and municipalities also experienced enormous population growth during the period of high industrialisation.

Did the massive industrial growth have disadvantages for the original Berlin?

Yes, because the area of Old Berlin was too small. From 1885 onwards, more and more companies such as Borsig (mechanical engineering), Siemens and AEG (electrical engineering) relocated parts of their production to neighbouring communities. In the course of this "peripheral migration", new production facilities were established in Moabit and Lichtenberg, as well as in "Siemensstadt" between Charlottenburg and Spandau. This "peripheral migration" required the expansion of transport links in and around Berlin that had already begun, especially the suburban express railway. At the same time, the supply network (gas, water, sewage, electricity) was extended beyond the city limits. As a result of these developments, Berlin's links with the surrounding area became ever closer.

How did the administration keep pace with this development?

Historian Thomas Flemming: "However, the political and administrative reality in the metropolitan region was in stark contrast to this interdependence. While the economy, transport and supply infrastructure grew ever closer together, there was a pronounced political and administrative 'parochialism' in Greater Berlin around 1900, which increasingly proved to be a stumbling block for further development."

There was a lack of both administrative instruments and political decision-making powers to promote and organise the dynamic developments in the economy, urban development, infrastructure and social structure in a targeted manner.

Has any attempt been made to tackle these problems?

Yes, around 1890, the Berlin magistrate made the first attempts to eliminate the "administrative and political chaos" with comprehensive incorporations. But large neighbouring communities such as Charlottenburg and Schöneberg rejected this, as did the Prussian government in Potsdam.

Wealthy suburbs feared financial disadvantages because they did not want to support poor Rixdorf-Neukölln, for example, through "financial equalisation". The Prussian government took a critical view of an expansion of Berlin, particularly because of the feared strengthening of the SPD. The SPD, on the other hand, was firmly in favour of "Greater Berlin", but had too little influence in the Empire.

Did nothing happen after 1890 in the direction of a "Greater Berlin"?

However, after the failure of the incorporation plans, a workable compromise was found. The result was the "Zweckverband Groß-Berlin". This loose association began work on 1 April 1912. The "Zweckverband" brought together the city districts of Berlin, Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, Rixdorf-Neukölln, Lichtenberg and Spandau as well as the districts of Teltow and Niederbarnim. Its most important tasks were the coordination of development plans, coordinated planning of public rail transport (with the exception of the state railways) and the acquisition and preservation of larger forests and green spaces.

Overall, the practical effectiveness of the special-purpose association remained limited. One of its lasting successes was the acquisition of extensive recreational areas: With the help of the special-purpose association, the Berlin magistrate bought the Grunewald forest in 1915 and made it accessible to the public. Berliners still benefit from this today.

Did the First World War influence Berlin's cooperation with its neighbours?

The war and its bitter side effects for the people fundamentally changed the situation. In view of the food shortage, it very soon became clear that many measures had to be taken to combat shortages and social hardship that went beyond the city limits. The introduction of the Greater Berlin Bread Card ("Brotkartengemeinschaft") in 1916 was decisive, as was the founding of the Food Association, the creation of a central price inspection centre and the Greater Berlin Coal Association. These were preliminary forms of joint administrative structures born out of necessity. These institutions were comparatively efficient, so that these institutions, which transcended the city boundaries, provided the supporters of "Greater Berlin" with additional arguments.

Were there initiatives to intensify cooperation during the First World War?

Yes, the Berlin magistrate under Lord Mayor Adolf Wermuth and the liberal majority of the city councillors took another initiative to create a Greater Berlin municipality as early as mid-1918. It was vigorously supported by the SPD. But the wealthy towns in the west, such as Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf and Spandau, persisted in their opposition. In Schöneberg, on the other hand, a change of position began to emerge under the liberal mayor Alexander Dominicus. Leading politicians there now saw more advantages than disadvantages in the formation of a Greater Berlin municipality, including for the town of Schöneberg itself.

What finally led to the breakthrough in the creation of "Greater Berlin"?

Only the fundamental shift in political power following the November Revolution in 1918 opened up the possibility of forming a large municipality of Berlin. There was a fierce debate about the concrete organisation. It was a question of whether a fully integrated "unified municipality" with a strong centre of government and administration or a more loose union as a "comprehensive municipality" should be created.

Those in favour of the tighter unified municipality of Greater Berlin had only had a narrow majority in the city council and in the ultimately decisive Prussian state assembly since 1919. The SPD and USPD as well as parts of the liberal DDP and above all the non-party Lord Mayor Wermuth were in favour of the unified municipality. Due to the narrow majorities, however, the supporters of the unified municipality of Greater Berlin were keen to find a consensus solution.

Which politicians were the decisive figures?

In addition to Lord Mayor Wermuth, the Prussian Minister President Paul Hirsch (SPD) and the liberal State Secretary of the Interior Friedrich Freund (DDP) played a leading role in the talks, which dragged on for months and finally led to a compromise that was acceptable to a majority. The most important concession to the opponents of Greater Berlin was the strong position of the districts with their own decision-making powers in certain areas, such as education. This basic decision has endured to this day in the two-tier administration of Berlin.

How was Greater Berlin governed during the 1920s?

The city's institutions were the mayor, the magistrate and the elected city council. Administratively, Greater Berlin was divided into 20 districts, some of which first had to be established. Each district had a district office and a district assembly. At first glance, this structure appears "federal", but the magistrate as the centre had extensive powers of intervention. For its part, the metropolis of Berlin continued to be under the supervision of the Prussian High President based in Potsdam in many areas within the Prussian state organisation. In 1931, Berlin received a modernised magistrate constitution.

Have other metropolises undergone similar processes?

Berlin was not alone in this metropolisation. Other European capital regions also underwent extensive incorporation during this period, such as Vienna (1890), London (County of London, 1889) and Prague (1920). In the Ruhr area, another industrial conurbation, there was only a loose amalgamation in the form of the "Siedlungsverband Ruhrkohlenbezirk" (Ruhr Coal District Settlement Association) founded in 1920.

Which Berlin mayors are particularly associated with the "Greater Berlin" project?

Mayor Adolf Wermuth pushed through "Greater Berlin" above all - Gustav Böß implemented it step by step in practice. Without Wermuth's perseverance, the formation of Greater Berlin would probably not have succeeded. His position as a leading politician with no party affiliation helped to bring together the almost incalculable number of diverging interests, primarily through factual arguments and diplomacy, and to jointly implement the new large structure with all those involved. This achievement was groundbreaking and correct. In Neukölln, Wermuthweg is named after him.

Wermuth was only in office for just over a year after the founding of Greater Berlin until 25 November 1920, so his successor Gustav Böß had to deal with the implementation of the organisation and practice of the new unified municipality during his term of office as Lord Mayor, which lasted from 20 January 1921 to 7 November 1929. The Gustav Böß open-air theatre in Jungfernheide Park commemorates him.

Does anyone still talk about "Greater Berlin" today?

No, the term has hardly any current meaning. If at all, it is still used in administrative language. But it should be noted that the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany of 23 May 1949 referred to "Greater Berlin". This reference disappeared after reunification in 1990. The city administration of East Berlin also called itself "Magistrat von Groß-Berlin" until 1977.