Construction Project - Orange Square Overpass in Berlin, Part 8: Highway Intersection Development
In the heart of West Berlin, the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 had a profound impact on the development of the Kreuzberg neighbourhood. The wall placed Kreuzberg in a peripheral location, effectively slowing down and eventually halting the further construction of the city autobahn and the realization of the "South tangent" in Kreuzberg.
Before the wall, the drawings of a 1956 brochure titled "We are building the new city" showed a vision for Kreuzberg that included overcoming the stucco facades and the dense proximity of churches, restaurants, and schools. However, the wall changed the course of development for Kreuzberg, leading to a different, urban and cultural evolution.
The Kreuzberg neighbourhoods between the Engelbecken, Kottbusser Tor, and Hermannplatz took a unique path. The historical square in the heart of Kreuzberg is the Oranienplatz, located between Moritzplatz, Engelbecken, and U1 Viaduct. An overhead view of the area around the Oranienplatz reveals the interchange that was planned to be built directly on the square, a testament to the large-scale traffic planning envisioned by city planners.
The urban development policy of the 1950s and 1960s led to the demolition of the magnificent Anhalter Bahnhof and other well-preserved pre-war buildings. The plans for the realization of the A106, which would have led to a multi-lane city autobahn through the dense neighbourhoods, were not taken up again after the fall of the wall.
The Bundesautobahn A100 was planned to run through Kreuzberg in West Berlin, with an intersection near Oranienplatz with the A102. However, these plans were never realised.
The "Berlin's Castles in the Air" series, which includes articles on the "Olympiahalle 2000" in Mitte, the new construction of the Gedächtniskirche, and the "Werkbundstadt" project, among others, serves as a reminder of the unrealized dreams and plans of the city's past.
Today, the spirit of Kreuzberg remains, a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the city and its people in the face of change and adversity.
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