Spandauer Vorstadt
HACKENSCHE HÖFE, HACKENSCHEN MARKT, SPANDAUER VORSTADT, JEWISH CEMETERY, SOFIENSTRASSE, DICKSENSTRASSE

Hackensche Höfe:

This is a complex of courtyards at the square Hackenschen Markt in Spandauer Vorstadt in the city center. At this creation from the early 20the centry, you can find special design stores, crafts and restaurants at the courtyards. The upper floors are for residential use. There are totally 8 courtyards, all connected with passages. Especially at evenings it is very popular to dwell here. Hackensche Markt has its own S-bahn train station.

The jugend exterior of the Die Hackenschen Höfe. From the exterior at Rosenthaler Strasse and Hackensche Markt you cannot see the complex of courtyards inside.

The entrance to the most impressive courtyard.

Courtyard no 1. This is the most impressive of the courtyards, with its jugend (art nouveax) style.

At this yard you can find most of the open air restaurants, and a theater.

The first courtyard, with its beautiful jugend patterns, was designed by August Endell. But the whole complex was created by the architect Kurt Berndt.

The courtyard Rosenhöfe.

This tile store is one of several specialized design stores in the courtyard complex.

Mr Ampelmann is a popular traffic light symbol in Berlin...

That is why there is a special Ampelmann shop.

This is how most of the traffic lights look in Berlin. Mr Ampelmann wears a hat.

Apartments inside the courtyard.

Greenery at one of the more "normal" courtyards.

Hackensche Markt and Dircksenstrasse:

This is a square between Hackensche Höfe courtyard complex and Hackensche Höfe train station. There are a number of outdoor restaurants here.

Hackensche Markt.

Fernsehturm and Alexanderplatz seen from Hackensche Markt.

Dircksenstrasse goes from Hackensche Markt to Alexanderplatz. It is parallel to the U-bahn. On the street you can find a mix of nice restaurants...

...and graffiti and posters. This mix is typial Berliner style!

Typical steakhouse in Berlin.

Sophienstrasse and Grosse Hamburger Strasse:

These streets lies in the area Spandauer Vorstadt in central Berlin, near Hackensche Höfe and not very far from Alexanderplatz.

Der Grossen Hamburger Strasse.

Sophienkirche. Its foundation stone was laid by Frederick I of Prussia. The church was built in 1713 and this baroque tower was added in 1734.

S. Hedwigs-Hospital at Grosse Hamburgerstrasse.

Sophienstrasse, one of the few streets in Mitte (city center) with old fashioned buildings.

Berliner Hendwerker Verein at Sophienstrasse.

Sophienstrasse.

The Jewish Cemetery (Der Jüdische Friedhof):

A year after the first Jewish families arrived from Vienna, the first Jewish cemetery was consecrated here in 1672. This site was used for burials until 1827. Supposedly 12,000 people were buried here. In 1943 the cemetery was desecrated and destroyed by the Nazis on the order of the Gestapo. Today at this site you see only a small park. A memorial stone commemorates Moses Mendelssohn, the great scholar and forerunner of the enlightenment. Source: http://www.berlin-juedisch.de/jewish-berlin/info-jewish_cemeteries.html

The Jewish cemetery at Hamburger strasse.

This monument outside the Jewish Cemetery is both sad and beautiful.