Histories of the Street Names in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is shaped by social movements, division and reunification, migration, squatting, post-colonial and colonial histories, and much more. Yet the names of the streets hardly reflect this diversity.
The area that is now the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg experienced a huge surge in growth from 1871 onwards. The names of the newly created streets served as a guide for finding one’s way around. However, by honouring figures from the military, culture and academia, they also served to represent the German Empire and the emerging middle classes.
Spanning two floors, the exhibition ‘Rename?!’ explores the history and present-day reality of street names in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Berlin.
On the 3rd floor, five thematic modules show how street names have contributed to the construction of a national identity in various forms since the 19th century.
On the second floor, the ‘WERKSTADT – Activism, Criticism and Actions on Street Names’, organised by the Straßenlärm Berlin e.V. association, focuses on recent renamings, activism and debates surrounding street names.
The exhibition demonstrates that renaming streets is not a new phenomenon and forms part of the city’s history.
‘Rename?!’ is part of a joint exhibition series organised by Berlin’s twelve boroughs and the Aktives Museum Faschismus und Widerstand e.V.
Additional information
Opening hours:
Tue–Thu: 12 noon–6 pm | Fri–Sun: 10 am–8 pm
Free admission
Exhibition in German and English
Accessibility
- wheelchair accessible
