Wannsee () is a locality in the southwestern
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
of
Steglitz-Zehlendorf,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger ''
Großer Wannsee
The Großer Wannsee (, "Greater Wannsee", "See" means lake) is a bight of the Havel river near the locality of Wannsee and Nikolassee (in the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf), a south-western suburb of the German capital Berlin not far from Pots ...
'' (Greater Wannsee, "See" means lake) and the ''
Kleiner Wannsee Kleiner ( he, קליינר) is a German and Jewish surname, meaning "smaller":
* Alfred Kleiner, Swiss physicist
* Bruce Kleiner, American mathematician
* Krista Arrieta Kleiner, Filipino-American TV actress/singer and host
* Dick Kleiner, H ...
'' (Little Wannsee), located on the River
Havel and separated only by the Wannsee Bridge. The larger of the two lakes covers an area of and has a maximum depth of .
Geography
Overview
At the western rim of the Wannsee locality the
Glienicke Bridge
The Glienicke Bridge (german: Glienicker Brücke, ) is a bridge across the Havel River in Germany, connecting the Wannsee district of Berlin with the Brandenburg capital Potsdam. It is named after nearby Glienicke Palace. The current bridge, the ...
connects it with the city of
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...
. The late
neoclassical Glienicke Palace
Glienicke Palace (german: Schloss Glienicke) is a historic palace located on the peninsula of Berlin- Wannsee in Germany. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel around 1825 for Prince Carl of Prussia. Since 1990, Glienicke Palace and the p ...
as well as the
Pfaueninsel
Pfaueninsel (, "Peacock Island") is an island in the River Havel situated in Berlin- Wannsee, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf in southwestern Berlin, near the border with Potsdam in Brandenburg. The island is part of the Palaces and Par ...
are nearby. Since 1990 these palaces and parks have formed part of the
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (german: Schlösser und Gärten von Potsdam und Berlin) are a group of palace complexes and extended landscape gardens located in the Havelland region around Potsdam and the German capital of Berlin. The ter ...
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
The locality is centred on the ancient village of
Stolpe, known to exist in 1299. The locality also includes the districts of Kohlhasenbrück (named after the 1811 novella ''
Michael Kohlhaas'' by
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...
) and
Steinstücken
Steinstücken (, literally "Stone Pieces"), a small settlement with approximately 200 inhabitants, is the southernmost territory of the Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, belonging to Wannsee. From the division of Germany in 1949 until a co ...
, which in
Cold War days became famous as a tiny
exclave of
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
within the
GDR.
Großer and Kleiner Wannsee
Wannsee lake is well known as the number-one bathing and recreation spot for western Berlin, especially from a 1951
Schlager hit by
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
Cornelia Froboess
Cornelia Froboess (; born 28 October 1943) is a German actress and a teen idol of the 1950s and early 1960s. During that time, Froboess appeared in many West German and Austrian musical films, especially after the rock and roll wave had hit Germa ...
. The ''
Strandbad Wannsee'', an open-air lido with one of the longest inland beaches in Europe and a popular
nudist area, was built in 1929–1930 after a concept by architect
Richard Ermisch
Richard Ermisch (full name: ''Georg Friedrich Richard Ermisch'') (17 June 1885, Halle an der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt – 7 December 1960, Berlin) was a German architect, painter and graphic designer. From 1903 to 1906, he attended the 'Kön ...
. Situated on the eastern shore of the lake it is officially part of the
Nikolassee locality.
Subdivision
Wannsee is divided into 5 zones (''Ortslagen''):
* Am Sandwerder
* Heckeshorn
* Kohlhasenbrück
*
Steinstücken
Steinstücken (, literally "Stone Pieces"), a small settlement with approximately 200 inhabitants, is the southernmost territory of the Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, belonging to Wannsee. From the division of Germany in 1949 until a co ...
*
Stolpe
History
The history of Wannsee as an attractive suburb of Berlin began when "Great Elector"
Frederick William of Brandenburg
Frederick William (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 – 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is ...
ordered the construction of a hunting lodge, the
Jagdschloss Glienicke. The castle remained the hunting lodge of the
Hohenzollern family for generations, and was rebuilt and expanded several times. Today, the castle houses an institute for social education.
In 1793, the
Prussian
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
king
Frederick William II, a descendant of Frederick William, acquired the island Pfaueninsel (German: "
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
Island") in the
Havel river and had the Pfaueninsel castle built for himself and his mistress
Wilhelmine Enke in 1794–1797. Jagdschloss Glienicke and
Pfaueninsel castle are both part of UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (german: Schlösser und Gärten von Potsdam und Berlin) are a group of palace complexes and extended landscape gardens located in the Havelland region around Potsdam and the German capital of Berlin. The ter ...
.
On 21 November 1811, German writer
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...
shot himself on the shore of the ''Kleiner Wannsee'' and, at her bidding, his lover, Henriette Vogel. A memorial marks the site.
Glienicke Palace
Glienicke Palace (german: Schloss Glienicke) is a historic palace located on the peninsula of Berlin- Wannsee in Germany. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel around 1825 for Prince Carl of Prussia. Since 1990, Glienicke Palace and the p ...
(
German: ''Schloss Glienicke'') was designed in
neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...
by
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassic ...
for Prince
Carl of Prussia in 1826. It used to be the summer palace of the prince. Together with the Russian style ensemble ''Nikolskoe'' around the church
Ss. Peter and Paul (German: St. Peter und Paul) on the top of a hill on the banks of the
Havel river, it also belongs to the UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin
Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (german: Schlösser und Gärten von Potsdam und Berlin) are a group of palace complexes and extended landscape gardens located in the Havelland region around Potsdam and the German capital of Berlin. The ter ...
.
''Nikolskoe,'' consisting of the church, a cottage, a school and a cemetery, was established from 1813 to 1837 at the suggestion by the
Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the daughter of
King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...
. Her brother Prince Carl, constructor of Glienicke Palace, was buried in the church after his death. Today the church is especially popular for weddings and the cottage is housing a restaurant.
The
Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee, the second oldest
yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting.
Description
Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mar ...
in Germany, was established in October 1867 on a small wooden shack by River
Havel. In 1877 it moved to its present location at the edge of the lake.
In 1909,
Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...
, head of the
Berlin Secession
The Berlin Secession was an art movement established in Germany on May 2, 1898. Formed in reaction to the Association of Berlin Artists, and the restrictions on contemporary art imposed by Kaiser Wilhelm II, 65 artists "seceded," demonstrating ag ...
, had a villa built at the western shore of the Wannsee. His widow was forced to sell it to the ''
Deutsche Reichspost'' in 1940. Today, the property is a museum in honor of the painter. Especially worth seeing is the garden, which was a popular Liebermann motif.
In 1928, a large
shooting range was established in the
Düppel woods near the Berlin city limits. It was the site of the
shooting events of the
1936 Summer Olympics. A golf course hosted the running section of the
modern pentathlon at the same games. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, it was used by the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
as the "Rose Range" firing compound. In 1994, the shooting range was returned to Germany by the Allies, and is today used by the
DEVA institute.
On 20 January 1942, senior Nazi officials met at the
Wannsee Villa
Wannsee () is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger ''Großer Wannsee'' (Greater Wannsee, "See" means lake) and the ...
(built 1914–1915) to ensure the cooperation of the major government organizations in "the organizational, logistical and material steps for a
final solution
The Final Solution (german: die Endlösung, ) or the Final Solution to the Jewish Question (german: Endlösung der Judenfrage, ) was a Nazi plan for the genocide of individuals they defined as Jews during World War II. The "Final Solution to th ...
of the Jewish question in Europe" - the extermination of the Jews of Europe. The event, presided over by
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( ; ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust.
He was chief of the Reich Security Main Office (inclu ...
and conducted by
Adolf Eichmann, has since become known as the
Wannsee Conference. Today, the building serves as a memorial and education centre.
Transport
Wannsee is served by the
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn () is a rapid transit railway system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff area ''Berliner Stadt-, Ring ...
lines
S1, as terminus, and
S7, at the
Berlin-Wannsee railway station
Berlin-Wannsee station (in German ''Bahnhof Berlin-Wannsee'') is a railway station opened in 1874 which lies in the Wannsee district of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It is an important traffic junction in south-west Berlin that is served b ...
. It is also a stop of some long-distance trains as well as of
RegionalExpress and
RegionalBahn trains of
Deutsche Bahn and
Transdev Germany. Wannsee is also linked to
Kladow by
Berlin ferry line F10.
Education
The ''
Japanische Internationale Schule zu Berlin'', a
Japanese international school, is in Wannsee.
Home page
'' Japanische Internationale Schule zu Berlin''. Retrieved on 2 January 2014
People
* Philipp Franck, painter
* Götz George
Götz George (; 23 July 1938 – 19 June 2016) was a German actor, the son of actor couple Berta Drews and Heinrich George. His arguably best-known role is that of Duisburg detective Horst Schimanski in the TV crime series ''Tatort''.
Early lif ...
, actor, childhood in Wannsee
* Otto Erich Hartleben, writer
* Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...
, painter
* Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, resistance fighter, Tristanstraße 8–10
* Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair.
Despite ...
, resistance fighter
* Arthur Scherbius
Arthur Scherbius (30 October 1878 – 13 May 1929) was a German electrical engineer who invented the mechanical cipher Enigma machine. He patented the invention and later sold the machine under the brand name Enigma.
Scherbius offered uneq ...
, inventor, lived from 1924–1929 in Wannsee
* Arnold von Siemens
Arnold von Siemens (13 November 1853 in Berlin – 29 April 1918 in Berlin) was a German telecommunications industrialist of the Siemens family, one of the successors on his family's company Siemens.
Life
The eldest son of Werner von Siemens ...
(1853-1918), entrepreneur
* Hermann von Siemens
Hermann von Siemens (9 August 1885 in Berlin – 13 October 1986 in Munich) was a German industrialist of the Siemens family.
Life
He was the eldest son of Arnold von Siemens who himself was the eldest son of Werner von Siemens, the famous inve ...
(1885-1986), entrepreneur
See also
* Liebermann-Villa
* Isted Lion of Berlin
* Wannsee Conference
References
External links
1936 Summer Olympics official report.
Volume 2. pp. 817–36.
*
{{Authority control
Localities of Berlin
*
Venues of the 1936 Summer Olympics
Olympic modern pentathlon venues
Olympic shooting venues