Kreuzberg
Quarter of Berlin
Kreuzberg Engelbecken
Kreuzberg
Location of Kreuzberg in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Berlin
Coordinates	52°29′15″N 13°23′0″E / 52.4875°N 13.383333°E / 52.4875; 13.383333Coordinates: 52°29′15″N 13°23′0″E / 52.4875°N 13.383333°E / 52.4875; 13.383333
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
City	Berlin
Borough	Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
Quarter subdivisions	2 zones
Basic statistics
Area	10.4 km2 (4.0 sq mi)
Elevation	52 m  (171 ft)
Population	147,227  (30 June 2009)
- Density	14,156 /km2 (36,665 /sq mi)
Founded	1920
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	B
Postal codes	(nr. 0202) 10961, 10963, 10965, 10967, 10997, 10999, 10969

Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin. Kreuzberg, colloquially also known as X-Berg, is often described as consisting of two distinctive parts: the SO 36, home to many immigrants; and SW 61, roughly coterminous with the old postal codes for the two areas in West Berlin.^[1] Kreuzberg has emerged from its history as one of the poorest quarters in Berlin in the late 1970s, during which it was an isolated section of West Berlin^[2] to one of Berlin's cultural centers in the middle of the now reunified city.^[3][4]

Overview[link]

The borough is known for its very large percentage of immigrants and second-generation immigrants, many of whom are of Turkish ancestry. As of 2006, 31.6% of Kreuzberg's inhabitants did not have German citizenship.^[5] While Kreuzberg thrives on its diverse culture and is still an attractive area for many, the district is also characterized by high levels of unemployment and some of the lowest average incomes in Berlin.^[6]

The counterculture tradition 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 parliament.

Geography[link]

Layout[link]

Kreuzberg is bounded by the river Spree in the east. The Landwehrkanal flows through Kreuzberg from east to west, with the Paul Lincke Ufer running alongside it. Other characteristics are the old U-Bahn line of the present-day U1, the Görlitzer Park in SO 36 and the Viktoriapark in SW 61.

Subdivision[link]

Kreuzberg is divided into 2 zones (Ortslagen):

• Östliches Kreuzberg (Berlin SO 36)
• Westliches Kreuzberg (Kreuzberg 61)

History[link]

In contrast to many other areas of Berlin, which were villages before their integration into Berlin, Kreuzberg has a rather short history. It was formed on 1 October 1920 by the Greater Berlin Act providing for the incorporation of suburbs and the reorganisation of Berlin into twenty boroughs. The eastern Friedrichsvorstadt, the southern Friedrichstadt, the western and southern Luisenstadt and the Tempelhofer Vorstadt were merged into the new VIth borough of Berlin, first named Hallesches Tor. On 27 September 1921 the borough assembly of Hallesches Tor decided to rename the borough after the homonymous hill.^[7]Kreuzberg, literally meaning cross hill, is the point of highest elevation in the Kreuzberg locality, which is 66 m (217 ft) above sea level.^[8] The hill is traditionally a place for weekend trips. It received its name from the 1821 Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars by Karl Friedrich Schinkel within the Viktoriapark, built in commemoration of the Napoleonic Wars. Except for its northernmost part, the quarter Friedrichstadt (established in the end of the 17th century), today's "Kreuzberg" was a very rural place until well into the 19th century.

This changed when, in the 1860s, industrialization caused Berlin to grow rapidly. This called for extensive housing – much of which was built exploiting the dire needs of the poor, with widespread land speculation. Many of Kreuzberg's buildings originate from that time.^[9] Far into the 20th century, Kreuzberg was the most populous of Berlin's boroughs even in absolute numbers, with more than 400,000 people, although it was and still is geographically the smallest. As a result, with more than 60,000 people per square kilometer (155,000 people per square mile), Kreuzberg had the highest population density in Berlin.

Saarlandstraße (today's Stresemannstraße) looking towards "Askanischer Platz" with the ruin of Anhalt Station and the tower stump of the "Protestant Saint Luke's Church", after the air raids during World War II, photo taken by Abraham Pisarek.

In addition to housing, Kreuzberg was also one center of Berlin's industry. The "export quarter" along Ritter Street consisted of many profitable small businesses, and the "press quarter" along Koch Street (Friedrichstadt) was the home of most of Germany's large newspapers, as well as the Ullstein, Scherl, and Mosse book publishers.^[8]

Both of these industrial quarters were almost entirely destroyed by air raids during World War II, with the bombings of a single night from February 3, 1945. In remembrance of the old tradition, the Axel Springer press company erected its German headquarters at Kochstraße again, right next to the Berlin Wall.

Oranienplatz on Labour Day

Streets of Kreuzberg

After World War II, Kreuzberg's housing rents were regulated by law which made investments unattractive. As a result, housing was of low quality, but cheap, which made the borough a prime target for immigrants coming to Germany (and Berlin).^[10] Starting in the late 1960s, increasing numbers of students, artists, and immigrants began moving to Kreuzberg. Enclosed by the Berlin Wall on three sides, the area became famous for its alternative lifestyle and its squatters, especially the SO 36 part of Kreuzberg.^[11] Starting in 1987, there have been violent riots in SO 36 on Labour day.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg suddenly found itself in the middle of the city again. The initially cheap rents and high degree of 19th century housing made some parts of the borough more attractive as a residential area for a much wider (and richer) variety of people. Today, Kreuzberg has one of the youngest populations of all European city boroughs; statistically, its population has been swapped completely twice in the last two decades.

Berlin's 2001 administrative reform combined Kreuzberg with Friedrichshain to form the new borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Since the two areas are linked only by a single bridge over the Spree River, the Oberbaumbrücke, this combination seemed awkward to many residents.^{[citation needed]} The two areas not being able to agree on a common location for the future borough's city hall, the present location in Friedrichshain was decided by tossing a five-Mark coin.

Culture[link]

Kreuzberg has historically been home to the Berlin's punk rock movement as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany.^{[citation needed]} The SO36 club remains a fixture on the Berlin music scene. It was originally focused on punk music and in the 1970s was often frequented by Iggy Pop and David Bowie. In those days the club rivalled New York's CBGB as one of the finest new-wave venues in the world.^[12]

There has also been a significant influence stemming from African-American and hip hop culture on Kreuzberg's youth and the area has become a centre for rap and breakdance within Berlin. Though the majority of Kreuzberg's residents are of German or Turkish descent, some identify more with American or African-American culture.^[13] Hip hop was largely introduced to the youth of Kreuzberg by the children of American servicemen who were stationed nearby until the reunification of Germany.^[14]

Every year there is a big festival in Kreuzberg called the Carnival of Cultures where different cultures and heritages are celebrated in colourful street parades which include music, street entertainment, food, and art and craft stalls.^[15]

Kreuzberg has long been the epicenter of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer life and Arts in Berlin. Kreuzberg is home to the Schwules Museum which was established in the late 1980s. The museum is dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and discovering LGBTQ history, art and culture. The museum is composed of three main divisions: archives, library, and exhibitions.

Kreuzberg in literature and music[link]

• Turkish-German filmmaker Neco Celik, who portrays the American influence over the youth culture in Kreuzberg in his first film, Alltag, notes that "Kreuzberg is a kind of biotope where different nationalities live, but the environment determines their lives, not their nationalities."
• German musician Sven Regener's first novel, Berlin Blues, and third novel, Der Kleine Bruder, are set in the district of Kreuzberg.
• "Kreuzberg" is a song by English indie rock band Bloc Party on the album A Weekend in the City, which also mentions the East Side Gallery.
• American musician Stephen Malkmus mentions taking a "locomotive to Kreuzberg" in his song "The Black Book".
• Kreuzberg's bohemian way of life is reflected in the song Find the Time by English singer/songwriter Sam Duckworth's band Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly on the album Searching for the Hows and Whys.
• Kreuzberg-based Turkish/German rapper Killa Hakan mentions Kreuzberg in most of his songs, most notably in his 2007 single "Kreuzberg City".
• The acclaimed documentary Prinzessinnenbad by Bettina Blümner focuses on the lives of three young girls from Kreuzberg.
• Canadian musician Shotgun Jimmie's 2010 album Transistor Sister contains a song titled "The King of Kreuzberg", where in he sings about taking the train to Kreuzberg and "jump[ing] right into it".

Places and Buildings of Interest[link]

Heinrichplatz in Kreuzberg

Waterside of the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg

Bridges over the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg

Berlin U-Bahn station Görlitzer Bahnhof

Wrangelstraße with Tabor Church.

• Anhalter Bahnhof (station)
• Checkpoint Charlie
• Checkpoint Charlie Museum
• Engelbecken
• Peter Fechter Memorial, one of the first lethal victims of the Berlin Wall
• Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany)
• Friedrichstraße
• German Museum of Technology (Berlin)
• Gleisdreieck (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Görlitzer Bahnhof (station)
• Hermannplatz (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Hotel Excelsior
• Jerusalem's Church
• Jewish Museum Berlin
• Kochstrasse (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Kottbusser Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Kreuzberg (Tempelhofer Berge)
• Landwehr Canal
• Luisenstadt Canal
• Martin-Gropius-Bau
• Mehringdamm (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Mehringplatz
• Moritzplatz (Berlin U-Bahn)
• National Monument for the Liberation Wars
• Niederkirchnerstraße
• Oberbaumbrücke (bridge over the Spree)
• Platz der Luftbrücke (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Prinzenstrasse (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Saint Thomas Church (Berlin)
• Schlesisches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)
• Schönleinstraße (Berlin U-Bahn)
• SO36 quarter
• Tabor Church
• Topography of Terror
• U1 (Berlin Underground line)
• Viktoriapark
• Wilhelmstrasse

See also[link]

• Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - Prenzlauer Berg East (electoral constituency)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kreuzberg

• friedrichshain-kreuzberg.de, the website of the combined borough (in German)
• The SO36 Club
• Photos of Kreuzberg
• A photowalk through Kreuzberg
• (English) Carnival of Cultures

v t e Districts and localities of Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Charlottenburg Charlottenburg-Nord Grunewald Halensee Schmargendorf Westend Wilmersdorf Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Friedrichshain Kreuzberg Lichtenberg Alt-Hohenschönhausen Falkenberg Fennpfuhl Friedrichsfelde Karlshorst Lichtenberg Malchow Neu-Hohenschönhausen Rummelsburg Wartenberg Marzahn-Hellersdorf Biesdorf Hellersdorf Kaulsdorf Mahlsdorf Marzahn Mitte Gesundbrunnen Hansaviertel Mitte Moabit Tiergarten Wedding Neukölln Britz Buckow Gropiusstadt Neukölln Rudow Pankow Blankenburg Blankenfelde Buch Französisch Buchholz Heinersdorf Karow Niederschönhausen Pankow Prenzlauer Berg Rosenthal Stadtrandsiedlung Malchow Weißensee Wilhelmsruh Reinickendorf Borsigwalde Frohnau Heiligensee Hermsdorf Konradshöhe Lübars Märkisches Viertel Reinickendorf Tegel Waidmannslust Wittenau Spandau Falkenhagener Feld Gatow Hakenfelde Haselhorst Kladow Siemensstadt Spandau Staaken Wilhelmstadt Steglitz-Zehlendorf Dahlem Lankwitz Lichterfelde Nikolassee Steglitz Wannsee Zehlendorf Tempelhof-Schöneberg Friedenau Lichtenrade Mariendorf Marienfelde Schöneberg Tempelhof Treptow-Köpenick Adlershof Alt-Treptow Altglienicke Baumschulenweg Bohnsdorf Friedrichshagen grünau Johannisthal Köpenick Müggelheim Niederschöneweide Oberschöneweide Plänterwald Rahnsdorf Schmöckwitz Districts > Localities > Zones Greater Berlin Act Former boroughs

v t e Boroughs of Berlin (1920–2000) West boroughs (1920–2000) Charlottenburg Kreuzberg Neukölln Reinickendorf Schöneberg Spandau Steglitz Tempelhof Tiergarten Wedding Wilmersdorf Zehlendorf East boroughs (1920–2000) Friedrichshain Hellersdorf (1986) Hohenschönhausen (1985) Köpenick Lichtenberg Marzahn (1979) Mitte Pankow Prenzlauer Berg Treptow Weissensee

Miss Platnum
Background information
Birth name	Ruth Maria Renner
Born	1980 Timişoara, Romania
Genres	Pop, Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Four Music
Associated acts	Seeed
Website	missplatnum.com

Miss Platnum, moers festival 2010

Miss Platnum (born Ruth Maria Renner in 1980), formerly known as Platnum, is a Romanian-German singer, songwriter and musician, currently signed to Four Music.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Platnum was born in Timişoara, Romania in 1980. At the age of eight her family relocated to Berlin where she went to school in Berlin-Lichterfelde. Later on she took lessons in singing with Jocelyn B. Smith and worked as a background singer for Moabeat.

Works[link]

After her minorly successful debut album Rock Me which was released on January 31, 2005 on the Berlin-based Indie label Sonar Kollektiv, Platnum released her second album Chefa in May 2007, under her new artist name Miss Platnum. Produced by Die Krauts, it distinguished itself through a mixture of hip-hop, soul, R&B, pop and Romanian Musical elements. Its lead single, "Give Me the Food" reached the top 20 of the Romanian single charts, and debuted at #63 on the German Media Control chart.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Miss Platnum

• Official website
• Miss Platnum on Myspace
• Four Music artist page (as Miss Platnum)
• Sonar Kollektiv artist page (as Platnum)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (June 2010)

Oliver Pocher
Oliver Pocher in 2010.
Born	(1978-02-18) 18 February 1978 (age 34) Hanover, Germany
Nationality	Germany
Years active	1999 - present
Genres	Stand-up comedy, Observational comedy
Spouse	Alessandra Meyer-Wölden (m. 2010) «start: (2010-09-25)»"Marriage: Alessandra Meyer-Wölden to Oliver Pocher" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Oliver_Pocher)
Notable works and roles	Rent a Pocher (2003-2006) Schmidt & Pocher Die Oliver Pocher Show
Website	Official Website

Oliver Pocher (born 18 February 1978 in Hanover) is a German actor, stand-up comedian and television host.

Biography[link]

Early life and professional training[link]

Pocher is the son of Gerhard and Jutta Pocher and grew up in Hanover. His parents are Jehovah's Witnesses and he too was raised as one. In 2007, Pocher stated that, unlike his parents, he had no contact with the organization anymore as he claimed "not to have agreed with their rules“.^[1]

The general predication that Pocher attended a Waldorf school was denied by his management.^[2] Pocher successfully completed his training as an insurance broker at Signal Iduna Bauspar AG.

During the time of his apprenticeship he had some part-time jobs at various radio stations and as a DJ in clubs and during family celebrations. He also appeared in the comedian group Holla-Bolla and as an entertainer at Birte Karalus, a German chat show. After his apprenticeship he worked for the Swiss life insurance "Schweizerlebensversicherung und Rental AG" (today: SwissLife) and the "HDI Lebensversicherung AG" (HDI life insurance).

Career[link]

Pocher's first television appearance was on 28 October 1998 at the afternoon chat show of Bärbel Schäfer. Pocher was given 5 minutes to make the audience laugh.^[3]

On 29 September 1999 he presented the show Chart Surfer Trash Top 100, Was geht ab, Planet Viva and finally 2002 his own show Alles Pocher, ... oder was?.

Between January 2003 to 14 April 2006 he presents the show Rent a Pocher on ProSieben.^[4]

In 2006 he recorded the single "Schwarz und Weiss," a song dedicated to the 2006 world cup. A music video was made, featuring Oliver as several pressbox speakers, as well as him performing the song in front of fans dressed in Team Germany attire.^[5]

From October 2007 to April 2009, Pocher joined established late night host Harald Schmidt's show on the Das Erste television channel, with the show being called Schmidt und Pocher.

In 2008 his third single "Bringt ihn heim“ (engl.: bring him home) was released. It is a song for the European Football Championship of 2008. The original version is Baschi's number one hit (Switzerland) “Bring en hei“^{[citation needed]} He acted as a co-trainer of the European Team during the DEL All Star Game in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Pocher's contract was not renewed after April 2009, so he was hired by Sat.1 instead to present his own late night show, Die Oliver Pocher Show. The show's ratings were always below the station's average and even slipping over the course of the run until it was cancelled in March 2011.

Criticism and Scandals[link]

Oliver Pocher is widely criticised for his jokes at the expense of others. After he recommended plastic surgery to a woman of the audience of the Wetten, dass..? ("Wanna Bet..?") episode on the 22nd of January in 2005, he was sued for damages of 25,000 Euros.^[6] Although he apologized to her on the phone and repeated this apology in public during one of his shows, he was not able to solve this conflict out of court. On the 11th of January Pocher was sentenced by the district court of Hanover to pay a fine of 6000 euros. The judge in charge called Pocher’s statement (“You look quite old for your age”) a “very insulting comment”. The public insulting continued in January 2008 during the TV show "Johannes B. Kerner" when Pocher once again made fun of this woman’s appearance and mocked the verdict. As a result another suit was filed against the entertainer. The victim’s lawyer explained that the woman was insulted and that the topic is repeatedly brought up by people whom she meets during her work. Pocher did not comment on this.^[7] Statements as those made by Pocher could be legal in the future, as the Council of Europe is advising to decriminalize insults.^[8]

Pocher caused a scandal in July in 2005 during the ZDF (German broadcasting station) – show "Gottschalk & Friends" when he first insulted Mariah Carey and later accidentally spat water onto her.^[9] For this action he has been harshly criticised by some newspapers and by the broadcast station in charge. Gottschalk himself kept calm and commented upon the incident: "Of course I do not want to have jokes at the expense of others during my show and I do not want dead bodies having been carried away from the battle field afterwards. If you invite Pocher to your show, however, you should expect a different atmosphere than with, for example, Alfred Biolek."

When Pocher mocked the personal life of singer Sarah Connor and her reality show, Connor sued Pocher. While the exact outcome of the lawsuit is not known, Pocher did apologize to Connor.^[10]

In January 2009, during the TV show “Schmidt & Pocher“, Pocher spoofed the Hitler assassin Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who is portrayed by Tom Cruise in “Operation Walküre“. He had to face negative feedback for this and thereafter the broadcasting commission examined this incident.^[11]

Shows[link]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2007: It's my life - Aus dem Leben eines B-Promis

Singles[link]

• 2006: "Schwarz und Weiß"
• 2007: "Ich kann nix dafür" (with Nena & Stephan Remmler)
• 2008: "Bringt ihn heim" (Germany: 68th best-selling single of 2008 ^[12])
• 2009: "Kennst du die Stars" (Bushido feat. Oliver Pocher)
• 2010: "Wir gehen nur zurück um Anlauf zu nehm’"

DVDs[link]

• 2005: Best of Pocher: Aufstieg & Fall eines B-Promis (2 DVDs)
• 2007: It's my life - Aus dem Leben eines B-Promis (2 DVDs)
• 2008: Best of Schmidt & Pocher (2 DVDs)
• 2009: Gefährliches Halbwissen - Die Weltrekord Live-Show (2 DVDs)

Awards[link]

2004[link]

• Golden Bravo Otto in the category „Comedy“

2005[link]

• Golden Bravo Otto in the category „Comedy“
• Comet in the category „Beste Live-Comedy“
• Deutscher Comedypreis for „Beste Comedy-Show“
• Jetix Kids Award in the category „Coolster TV-Star“

2006[link]

• Goldene Schallplatte for over 45.000 sold DVDs
• Golden Bravo Otto in the category „Comedy“
• Radio Regenbogen Comedy Award
• Goldene Schallplatte for more than 220.000 sold Cd's of „Schwarz und Weiss“

2008[link]

• Preis der beleidigten Zuschauer (Award of the offended viewers)

Filmography[link]

• 2005: Durch die Nacht mit Moritz Bleibtreu und Oliver Pocher (TV)
• 2006: 7 Zwerge – Der Wald ist nicht genug
• 2006: Hui Buh – Das Schlossgespenst
• 2007: Vollidiot
• 2009: Alarm für Cobra 11
• 2010: Hanni & Nanni

References[link]

External links[link]

• [2] Stephen Colbert about Oliver Pocher (14. February 2008)

Johannes Martin Smith (17 March 1933 - 5 August 2008), affectionately known as Smithie, was a Namibian journalist, editor and publisher.^[1] He was first reporter at, then the editor of, the Windhoek Advertiser until 1978 when he and Gwen Lister founded the Windhoek Observer, the country's only Saturday paper at that time. He remained the owner and editor of the Observer until his death.

Personal[link]

Smith was born in Grootfontein, Otjozondjupa Region on 17 March 1933. His parents were Angolan boers that participated in the Dorsland Trek.^[2] A White Namibian, Smith was known for being a muckraker^[3] and anti-establishment journalist that took on both the apartheid government of South Africa and the post-independence government of the Republic of Namibia, especially President Sam Nujoma.

1959 Old Location Controversy[link]

In August 2003, President Nujoma and Smith became involved in a conflict regarding the events which are called the Old Location Massacre. Nujoma wrote in his autobiography, Where Others Wavered: The Autobiography of Sam Nujoma that wounded blacks were denied medical treatment by white medical staff, including those at the small Red Cross Society clinic. Smith, a young reporter in Windhoek at the time of massacre, refuted that claim, stating that he had personally witnessed Black Namibians receiving treatment. Nujoma hit back at Smith, accusing him of blackmail and of lying.^[4]

See also[link]

• Old Location

References[link]

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