Berlin: On the Path to Becoming a Metropolis. Historical Walking Tour in Prenzlauer Berg｜Germany

Berlin's growth is legendary. While the city had around 172,000 inhabitants in 1800, by 1900 the population had already reached 1,800,000. In a hundred years, the population had increased more than tenfold. Berlin was undergoing an explosive transformation. The city expanded for miles into the surrounding area.

Where there had previously been fields and meadows, land was developed, streets and buildings were built, and trams, omnibuses, and later the subway roared through the city. As early as 1900, this was viewed both positively and negatively. Some spoke of a vibrant, pulsating life; others spoke of the anonymity of the big city, the housing crisis, and the noise.

This tour takes you through Prenzlauer Berg. It provides an insight into the development of this district. The tour also discusses how the new environment changed the residents who moved there. How did they become the kind of city dwellers who, as early as 1900, were said to never have time, to always be in a hurry, and to interact with their surroundings in a cool, curt, and brusque manner?