Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg


Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is the second borough of Berlin, formed in 2001 by merging the former East Berlin borough of Friedrichshain and the former West Berlin borough of Kreuzberg. The historic Oberbaum Bridge, formerly a Berlin border crossing for pedestrians, links both districts across the river Spree as the new borough's landmark.
The counterculture tradition especially of Kreuzberg led to a plurality of votes for the Green Party, which is unique among all Berlin boroughs. The local MP Hans-Christian Ströbele is the only Green politician directly elected to the federal Bundestag. While Kreuzberg is characterised by a high number of immigrants, the share of non-German citizens in Friedrichshain is much lower and the average age is higher. The merger between the distinct quarters is celebrated by an annual anarchic "vegetable fight" on the Oberbaumbrücke. Both parts have to deal with the consequences of gentrification.

Subdivision

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is divided into 2 localities, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg.

Politics

As of May 2018, the following parties were represented on the borough council:

Twin towns – Sister cities

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is twinned with:

  • San Rafael del Sur, Nicaragua since 1986
  • Kiryat Yam, Israel since 1990
  • Szczecin, Poland since 1996
  • Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey since 1996
  • Oborishte, Sofia since 1999