Background
The serial property comprises seven housing estates in Berlin built between 1910 and 1933, during a period of social, cultural, technical and political innovation, particularly under the Weimar Republic. UNESCO says they are outstanding examples of early 20th-century modernist planning, architecture and garden design by the leading architects of German Modernism, with new layouts, building types, flat roofs and technical solutions, applying new social and hygienic standards to improve housing for people on low incomes.
The seven subsidised estates were built mainly from 1919 to 1933, when Berlin was particularly progressive. The GoGo guide takes in Bruno Taut's Hufeisensiedlung, the Horseshoe Estate at Britz, the best known of them.
- 1913Gartenstadt Falkenberg, the first of the seven, is begun
- 1919–1933The Weimar Republic's housing reform estates
- 1925–1933Bruno Taut's Horseshoe Estate at Britz
- 2008Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1HufeisensiedlungTaut's Horseshoe Estate around its pond at Britz.
- 2Weiße StadtThe White City in Reinickendorf.
- 3SiemensstadtThe Ring estate by Scharoun, Gropius and others.
- 4Gartenstadt FalkenbergTaut's painted Paintbox Estate.
- 5Wohnstadt Carl LegienThe courtyard blocks in Prenzlauer Berg.
- 6Schillerpark and Onkel Toms HütteThe Wedding estate and the forest estate at Zehlendorf.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
The Horseshoe and the Centre
From the GoGo Berlin guide · Open the Berlin Guide ›
- 11:00Horseshoe Estate (Hufeisensiedlung)1 hrBruno Taut's 1920s estate.
- 14:00Berlin Wall Memorial1 hrBernauer Strasse.
- 15:30East Side Gallery1 hrThe painted Wall.
- 19:00Currywurst and a Beer Garden90 minBerlin street food.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: May–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Feb.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
