Boroughs and quarters of Berlin

File:Berlin, administrative divisions (+districts +boroughs -pop) - de - colored.svg

Boroughs and quarters of Berlin

Berlin is divided into boroughs or administrative districts (). In Berlin, the term is officially shortened to (districts). The boroughs are further divided into quarters (). These smaller localities are officially recognised, but have no administrative bodies of their own. Quarters and many of their subunits, the neighborhoods (), typically have strong identities that sometimes predate their inclusion into the modern boundaries of Berlin. Both the boroughs and the quarters function differently to other subdivisions in Germany due to Berlin's dual status as an independent city () as well as a federated state of Germany () in its own right.

Since 2001, Berlin has been made up of twelve boroughs, each with its own administrative body. However, because Berlin is a single municipality (), its boroughs have limited power, acting only as agencies of Berlin's state and city governments as laid out in the Greater Berlin Act of 1920. The boroughs are financially dependent on state donations, as they neither possess any taxation power nor own any property. This is in contrast to municipalities and counties in other German states, which are territorial corporations () with autonomous functions and property.

Each borough is administered by an assembly of borough representatives (), directly elected by proportional representation, and a district office () led by a borough mayor (), elected by the borough representatives. The district office is in charge of most administrative matters affecting its borough's residents, but its decisions can be revoked by the Berlin Senate. The borough mayors form a council of mayors (), led by the city's governing mayor, and the council advises the Berlin Senate.

History

File:West & East Berlin (1945-1990).png

Berlin boroughs (borders as of 1987) over the four occupation sectors of Berlin (1945-1990)

File:Berliner Bezirke vor 2001.png

The 23 former boroughs of Berlin (1990–2000)

File:Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner ohne Migrationshintergrund in Berlin am 31. Dezember 2020 nach Bezirken.svg

Residents without a migration background in Berlin on 31 December 2020 by district

Each borough is made up of several officially recognized smaller districts or quarters (). The number of quarters that form a borough varies considerably, ranging from two (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) to fifteen (Treptow-Köpenick). Most of Berlin's quarters are further composed of even smaller so-called (neighborhoods), officially called . The number of officially recognized neighborhoods in Berlin's quarters also varies greatly, ranging from two (Kreuzberg) to many more in older quarters, for example nine in Mitte, with many more unofficial neighborhoods and neighborships having formed over the decades. The quarters of Berlin and many of their neighborhoods typically have a historical identity as former independent cities, villages, or rural municipalities that were united in 1920 as part of the Greater Berlin Act, forming the basis for the present-day city and state. Berliners often identify more with the quarter where they live than with the borough that governs them, and in larger or older quarters, the smaller neighborhoods have often become the defining social spheres for their residents. The quarters do not have their own governmental bodies, but for urban planning and statistical purposes, the quarters are officially recognized and further subdivided into statistical zones and (lifeworld-oriented regions). These areas correspond roughly, but not exactly, with the official and unofficial social and historical neighborhoods recognized by residents.

When Greater Berlin was established in 1920, the city was organized into twenty boroughs, most of which were named after their largest component quarter, often a former city or municipality; others, such as Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg, were named for geographic features. Minor changes to borough boundaries were made in 1938. After World War II, Berlin was divided into four sectors, with the Western sectors controlled by the United States, Britain, and France, and the Eastern sector controlled by the Soviet Union.

In 1961, the SED built the Berlin Wall to divide the city, effectively separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany. Three new boroughs were created in East Berlin: Marzahn was split off from Lichtenberg in 1979, Hohenschönhausen from Weißensee in 1985, and Hellersdorf from Marzahn in 1986. In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and the city was reunified. This marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era in Berlin's history.

After reunification, Berlin underwent a process of rapid transformation, as the city worked to rebuild and modernize its infrastructure and economy. Many new businesses and cultural institutions were established, and the city became a center of creativity and innovation.

By 2000, Berlin comprised twenty-three boroughs, as three new boroughs had been created in East Berlin. Today Berlin is divided into twelve boroughs, reduced from twenty-three boroughs by Berlin's 2001 administrative reform.

Boroughs

An administrative reform in 2001 merged all but three of the existing boroughs into the current 12 boroughs, as listed below. The three boroughs that were not affected were Spandau, Reinickendorf and Neukölln, as the population of each was already exceeding 200,000.

Borough	Bundestag constituency	Population 31 December 2023	Area in km2	Density per km2	Map
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf	Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (excluding Charlottenburg-Nord and the neighbourhood of Kalowswerder)	343,081	64.72	5,301	The 12 Bezirke of Berlin
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg	Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg – Prenzlauer Berg East	293,454	20.16	14,556
LichtenbergTemplate:Efn	Berlin-Lichtenberg	311,881	52.29	5,964
Marzahn-HellersdorfTemplate:Efn	Berlin-Marzahn-Hellersdorf	291,948	61.74	4,728
Mitte	Berlin-Mitte	397,134	39.47	10,062
Neukölln	Berlin-Neukölln	330,017	44.93	7,345
PankowTemplate:Efn	Berlin-Pankow (excluding Prenzlauer Berg east of Prenzlauer Allee)	424,307	103.01	4,119
Reinickendorf	Berlin-Reinickendorf	268,792	89.46	3,005
Spandau	Berlin-Spandau – Charlottenburg North	257,091	91.91	2,797
Steglitz-Zehlendorf	Berlin-Steglitz-Zehlendorf	310,446	102.50	3,029
Tempelhof-Schöneberg	Berlin-Tempelhof-Schöneberg	355,868	53.09	6,703
Treptow-KöpenickTemplate:Efn	Berlin-Treptow-Köpenick	294,081	168.42	1,746

Coats of arms

File:Mural crown of the coat of arms of the Berlin boroughs.svg

The mural crown of the coats of arms of Berliner

All coats of arms of Berlin's boroughs (the current as of the ones in the period 1990 to 2001) have some common attributes: the shield has a Spanish form, and the coronet is represented by a mural crown, three towers in red bricks with the Berlin's coat of arms in the middle.

Most of the boroughs' current coats of arms have changed some elements in their fields. Some display a fusion of themes of the merged (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Lichtenberg, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg); others have modified their themes taken from one of the two (or more) former merged boroughs (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Mitte and Treptow-Köpenick). Only the unchanged boroughs of Neukölln, Reinickendorf and Spandau have not changed their fields. Pankow's coat of arms was created with a new design in 2008, having been the only borough without a coat of arms for seven years.

File:Coat of arms of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.svg Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

File:Coat of arms of borough Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.svg Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

File:Coat of arms of borough Lichtenberg.svg Lichtenberg

File:Coat of arms of borough Marzahn-Hellersdorf.svg Marzahn-Hellersdorf

File:Coat of arms of borough Mitte.svg Mitte

File:Coat of arms of borough Neukoelln.svg Neukölln

File:Coat of arms of borough Pankow.svg Pankow

File:Coat of arms of borough Reinickendorf.svg Reinickendorf

File:Coat of arms of borough Spandau.svg Spandau

File:Coat of arms of borough Steglitz-Zehlendorf.svg Steglitz-Zehlendorf

File:Coat of arms of borough Tempelhof-Schoeneberg.svg Tempelhof-Schöneberg

File:Coat of arms of borough Treptow-Koepenick.svg Treptow-Köpenick

Administration and politics

The borough government is part of the two-tier administration of the Berlin city-state, whereby the Senate and its affiliated agencies, institutions, and municipal enterprises form the first tier of the so-called (central administration). In the second tier, the boroughs enjoy a certain degree of autonomy, although in no way comparable to the German districts or independent cities, nor even to the local government of a common municipality as a legal entity, as according to the Berlin Constitution the legal status of the city as a German state itself is that of a unified municipality (). The power of the borough governments is limited, and their performance of assigned tasks is subject to regulatory supervision by the Senate.

Nevertheless, the twelve self-governing boroughs have constitutional status, and are themselves subdivided into two administrative bodies. Each is governed by the assembly of borough representatives (, BVV) and a full-time council at the borough's district office (), consisting of five councilors () and headed by a borough mayor (). The BVV is directly elected by the borough's population and therefore acts as a borough parliament, though it is officially part of the executive. It elects the members of the borough council, checks its daily administration, and is able to make applications and recommendations. The twelve borough mayors regularly meet in the Council of Mayors (), led by the city's Governing Mayor; the council answers to and advises the Senate.

The boroughs' quarters have no local government bodies, and the administrative duties of their former representatives, the , were taken over by the borough mayors.

State election party votes by constituency

People who live in the former West Berlin tend to vote for the CDU and the SPD, While voters in the former East Berlin tend to vote for Linke and the AfD.

Quarters

As of 2012, the twelve boroughs are made up of a total of 97 officially recognized quarters (). Most of these smaller localities are further subdivided into officially recognized neighborhoods (), but often amalgamated or extended by the populace with other inofficial zones and areas, in German usually called or . The largest quarter () is Köpenick (), the smallest one is Hansaviertel (). The most populated quarter is Prenzlauer Berg (168,947 inhabitants in 2024), the least populated is Malchow (450 inhabitants in 2008).

Note that the coats of arms shown for quarters in the tables below are historical and no longer in official use, having lost their validity upon incorporation into Greater Berlin or new boroughs.

(01) Mitte

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:DEU Berlin-Mitte (district) COA.svg (0101) Mitte	10.70	79,582	7,445	File:Berlin Mitte.svg
File:Sin escudo.svg (0102) Moabit	7.72	69,425	8,993
File:Sin escudo.svg (0103) Hansaviertel	0.53	5,889	11,111
File:Coat of arms de-be tiergarten 1955.png (0104) Tiergarten	5.17	12,486	2,415
File:DEU Wedding COA.svg (0105) Wedding	9.23	76,363	8,273
File:Sin escudo.svg (0106) Gesundbrunnen	6.13	82,729	13,496

(02) Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coat of arms de-be friedrichshain 1991.png (0201) Friedrichshain	9.78	114,050	11,662	File:Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.svg
File:DEU Kreuzberg (district) COA.svg (0202) Kreuzberg	10.40	147,227	14,184

(03) Pankow

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:DEU Prenzlauer Berg (Bezirk) COA.svg (0301) Prenzlauer Berg	11.00	142,319	12,991	File:Berlin Pankow.svg
File:DEU Weißensee (district) COA.svg (0302) Weißensee	7.93	45,485	5,736
File:Sin escudo.svg (0303) Blankenburg	6.03	6,550	1,086
File:Sin escudo.svg (0304) Heinersdorf	3.95	6,580	1,666
File:Sin escudo.svg (0305) Karow	6.65	18,258	2,746
File:Sin escudo.svg (0306) Stadtrandsiedlung Malchow	5.68	1,166	205
File:Coat of arms de-be pankow 1987.png (0307) Pankow	5.66	55,854	9,868
File:Sin escudo.svg (0308) Blankenfelde	13.40	1,917	144
File:Coat of arms de-be buch 1987.png (0309) Buch	18.20	13,188	727
File:Coat of arms de-be buchholz 1987.png (0310) Französisch Buchholz	12.00	18,766	1,560
File:Coat of arms de-be niederschoenhausen 1987.png (0311) Niederschönhausen	6.49	26,903	4,145
File:Coat of arms de-be rosenthal 1987.png (0312) Rosenthal	4.90	8,933	1,823
File:Sin escudo.svg (0313) Wilhelmsruh	1.37	7,216	5,267

(04) Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:DEU Charlottenburg (district) COA.svg (0401) Charlottenburg	10.60	118,704	11,198	File:Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.svg
File:DEU Wilmersdorf (district) COA.svg (0402) Wilmersdorf	7.16	92,815	12,963
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0403) Schmargendorf	3.59	19,750	5,501
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0404) Grunewald	22.30	10,014	448
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0405) Westend	13.50	37,883	2,800
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0406) Charlottenburg-Nord	6.20	17,327	2,795
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0407) Halensee	1.27	13,966	10,997

(05) Spandau

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0501) Spandau	8.03	33,433	4,164	District map of Spandau
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0502) Haselhorst	4.73	13,668	2,891
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0503) Siemensstadt	5.66	11,388	2,012
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0504) Staaken	10.90	41,470	3,810
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0505) Gatow	10.10	3,908	386
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0506) Kladow	14.80	13,628	922
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0507) Hakenfelde	20.40	26,337	1,292
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0508) Falkenhagener Feld	6.88	34,778	5,056
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0509) Wilhelmstadt	10.40	37,080	3,558

(06) Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:DEU District Steglitz COA.svg (0601) Steglitz	6.79	70,555	10,391	File:Berlin Steglitz-Zehlendorf.svg
File:DEU Berlin-Lichterfelde COA.jpg (0602) Lichterfelde	18.20	78,338	4,300
File:Coa Germany Town Berlin-Lankwitz.svg (0603) Lankwitz	6.99	40,385	5,778
File:Coat of arms de-be zehlendorf 1956.png (0604) Zehlendorf	18.80	57,902	3,075
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0605) Dahlem	8.36	14,966	1,784
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0606) Nikolassee	19.61	15,899	811
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0607) Wannsee	23.68	9,044	382
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0608) Schlachtensee	4.05	10,573	2,611

(07) Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coat of arms de-be schoeneberg 1956.png (0701) Schöneberg	10.60	116,743	11,003	District map of Tempelhof-Schöneberg
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0702) Friedenau	1.65	26,736	16,204
File:DEU District Tempelhof COA.svg (0703) Tempelhof	12.20	54,382	4,458
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0704) Mariendorf	9.38	48,882	5,211
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0705) Marienfelde	9.15	30,151	3,295
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0706) Lichtenrade	10.10	49,451	4,896

(08) Neukölln

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Stadt-rixdorf.gif (0801) Neukölln	11.70	154,127	13,173	District map of Neukölln
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0802) Britz	12.40	38,334	3,091
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0803) Buckow	6.35	38,018	5,987
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0804) Rudow	11.80	41,040	3,478
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0805) Gropiusstadt	2.66	35,844	13,475

(09) Treptow-Köpenick

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coat of arms de-be treptow 1992.png (0901) Alt-Treptow	2.31	10,426	4,513	District map of Treptow-Köpenick
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0902) Plänterwald	3.01	10,618	3,528
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0903) Baumschulenweg	4.82	16,780	3,481
File:Coat of arms de-be johannisthal 1987.png (0904) Johannisthal	6.54	17,650	2,699
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0905) Niederschöneweide	3.49	10,043	2,878
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0906) Altglienicke	7.89	26,101	3,308
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0907) Adlershof	6.11	15,112	2,473
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0908) Bohnsdorf	6.52	10,751	1,649
File:Coat of arms de-be oberschoeneweide 1987.png (0909) Oberschöneweide	6.18	17,094	2,766
File:DEU Köpenick (district) COA.svg (0910) Köpenick	34.90	59,201	1,695
File:Coat of arms de-be friedrichshagen 1987.png (0911) Friedrichshagen	14.00	17,285	1,233
File:Coat of arms de-be rahnsdorf 1987.png (0912) Rahnsdorf	21.50	8,891	414
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (0913) Grünau	9.13	5,482	600
File:Wappen Müggelheim (Berlin).png (0914) Müggelheim	22.20	6,350	286
File:Coat of arms de-be schmoeckwitz 1987.png (0915) Schmöckwitz	17.10	4,117	240

(10) Marzahn-Hellersdorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coat of arms de-be marzahn 1992.png (1001) Marzahn	19.50	102,398	5,240	District map of Marzahn-Hellersdorf
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1002) Biesdorf	12.40	24,543	1,973
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1003) Kaulsdorf	8.81	18,732	2,126
File:Coat of arms de-be mahlsdorf 1987.png (1004) Mahlsdorf	12.90	26,852	2,075
File:Coat of arms de-be hellersdorf 1992.png (1005) Hellersdorf	8.10	72,602	8,963

(11) Lichtenberg

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coat of arms de-be friedrichsfelde 1987.png (1101) Friedrichsfelde	5.55	50,010	9,011	District map of Lichtenberg
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1102) Karlshorst	6.60	21,329	3,232
File:Coat of arms de-be lichtenberg 1987.png (1103) Lichtenberg	7.22	32,295	4,473
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1104) Falkenberg	3.06	1,164	380
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1106) Malchow	1.54	450	292
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1107) Wartenberg	6.92	2,433	352
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1109) Neu-Hohenschönhausen	5.16	53,698	10,407
File:Coat of arms de-be hohenschoenhausen.png (1110) Alt-Hohenschönhausen	9.33	41,780	4,478
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1111) Fennpfuhl	2.12	30,932	14,591
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1112) Rummelsburg	4.52	17,567	3,887

• Codes 1105 and 1108 (this one to former Hohenschönhausen locality) are not assigned

(12) Reinickendorf

Locality	Area in km2	Population as of 2008	Density inhabitants per km2	Map
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1201) Reinickendorf	10.50	72,859	6,939	District map of Reinickendorf
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1202) Tegel	33.70	33,417	992
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1203) Konradshöhe	2.20	5,997	2,726
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1204) Heiligensee	10.70	17,641	1,649
File:Wappen-frohnau.jpg (1205) Frohnau	7.80	17,025	2,183
File:WappenvoHermsdorf.jpg (1206) Hermsdorf	6.10	16,503	2,705
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1207) Waidmannslust	2.30	10,022	4,357
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1208) Lübars	5.00	4,915	983
File:Coat of arms de-be wittenau 1905.svg (1209) Wittenau	5.87	22,696	3,866
File:Coats of arms of None.svg (1210) Märkisches Viertel	3.20	35,206	11,002
File:Coat of arms de-be Borsigwalde.jpg (1211) Borsigwalde	2.03	6,432	3,168

See also

• Politics of Berlin
• Berlin Police

External links

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