Friedrichshain is one of Berlin’s best-known districts, rivalled only by Kreuzberg.
From our hostel, it’s about an 8-minute walk to Möckernbrücke U-Bahn station. From here you can take the famous U1 towards Warschauer Straße and soak up some great impressions – this stretch is an elevated line with fantastic views!
Before reunification: labour and industry
During the GDR era, Friedrichshain was a purely working-class neighbourhood. It was on the Soviet side, with Kreuzberg as its neighbour on the other side of the Wall. Thanks to the nearby East Harbour, Friedrichshain was a very important economic area.
After 1989: storm and stress
After the fall of the Wall, many of the old buildings in the neighbourhood suddenly stood empty, structures collapsed, and many houses were occupied by activists. This culminated on 14 November 1990 in raids by the authorities and then long street battles between more than 500 activists and 4,000 police and special forces officers.
The neighbourhood today: Kieze and corners worth exploring
Simon-Dach-Straße
One of the best-known party streets is Simon-Dach-Straße, including its many side streets. The turnover of pubs and bars here is huge. Simon-Dach-Straße is part of the Boxhagener Kiez, which many currently call the “Kreuzberg of the 90s”. Very popular in the Boxhagener Kiez is the “Boxi”, Boxhagener Platz, which hosts a great Saturday market.
Karl-Marx-Allee
Living in a neoclassical style, living in a listed cultural monument, with lots of greenery and wide pavements? Around Karl-Marx-Allee you’ll find buildings up to 13 storeys high, reminiscent of the Stalinist era and also known as “wedding-cake buildings”. At 90 metres wide, the street is wider along its entire length than the Champs-Élysées.
Samariterkiez
The Samariterkiez is best known for the notorious Rigaer Straße, one of the centres of the squatter movement. Many houses here are still colourful and recall the “wild years”. Along the street you’ll find some of Berlin’s most alternative pubs.