Up on the Kreuzberg in Berlin’s Viktoriapark

Berlin and mountains? It’s hard to believe, but Berlin’s Kreuzberg, the city’s highest inner-city elevation, is located in Viktoriapark.

The Kreuzberg is 66 meters high and marks the transition from Berlin’s glacial valley to the Teltow plateau to the south. For a long time, the elevation was known as Tempelhofer Berg or Runder Weinberg.

A monument on the hill

Vines were grown on the slope for many years – hence the name “Round Vineyard”. In 1818, the foundation stone for a national monument was laid at the highest point of the hill. Karl Friedrich Schinkel was commissioned to design a monument to commemorate the victory of the alliance against Napoleon in the Wars of Liberation.

This order of merit founded by Napoleon, which was also designed by Schinkel, was the highest Prussian award. It could be awarded regardless of social status. On the occasion of the inauguration of the monument in 1821 in the presence of King Frederick William III and the Russian heir to the throne Nicholas I, Tempelhof Hill was given its new name Kreuzberg.

Figures around the National Monument to the Wars of Liberation

I had to take a closer look at the 12 figures around the monument. I had previously read that they were very unusual and was quite curious to see what special things had been created by the artists Christian Daniel Rauch, Christian Friedrich Tieck and Ludwig Wichmann.

First of all, each figure symbolizes a decisive stage of the Wars of Liberation. For example, reference is made to the battles of Großgörschen in May 1813, Leipzig on October 18, 1813, Paris in March 1814 and Belle-Alliance (Waterloo) on June 18, 1815.

So I take a closer look at the figures. In the middle stands a genius in ancient Greek armor, crowned with a crown of rays, his hands resting on a shield with the coats of arms of the three allies Prussia, Austria and Russia. It is intended to commemorate the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. The face of the sculpture is that of William of Prussia, the brother of the king at the time. Coincidence? Probably not. Other figures bear the heads of King Frederick William III, Charlotte of Prussia (daughter of Frederick William III, wife of Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich), Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, for example.

A short story about Berlin’s madness

Until the 1870s, the National Monument to the Wars of Liberation was the highest point in Kreuzberg. When, in the course of urban expansion, higher buildings were to be erected nearby, the police intervened and prevented the construction. The building owner clearly did not put up with this and took legal action against the measure. The Prussian Higher Administrative Court handed down the “Kreuzberg ruling”. It declared the police ordinance invalid. The argument put forward was that the building police were only responsible for averting danger. However, they were not allowed to intervene when it came to aesthetic issues. This ruling made it clear that urban planning design was not part of the police’s remit and severely restricted the police’s scope of action.

Yes, and now? Kaiser Wilhelm I decided that the monument should nevertheless remain the highest point. He arranged for the 200-ton monument to be lifted hydraulically, creating an 8-metre-high platform underneath the monument. At the same time, the alignment was changed by 21 degrees. It was now aligned with the axis of Großbeerenstraße. From up there you have a great view over the district.

What hardly anyone knows is that there is a huge artificial cavity with other monuments under the pedestal. At the back, I discover some ventilation slits and an iron door. Behind it is a brick vault. Around 400 bats hibernate here every year. It is one of the largest winter quarters in Berlin. When the bats have flown out in summer, people are allowed to enter the rooms under the monument again. Numerous reliefs, friezes, statues… are said to be stored here and you can probably also see the “skeleton” of the monument. There are guided tours that offer an insight into the base. More on this when I have seen the place live.

The Viktoriapark around the Kreuzberg is being built

There it was, the national monument to the Wars of Liberation on the hill in a barren and sandy environment. Schinkel had planned that this place should be designed appropriately for the memorial. But nothing happened at first.

It was not until 70 years later, from 1888, that a park was built according to plans by the city garden director Mächtig. He also came up with the idea of a waterfall flowing down from the Kreuzberg along the axis of Großbeerenstraße.

The waterfall

The landscape designers created a deceptively real-looking mountain landscape in Viktoriapark with the Wolf Gorge. It is said to be modeled on the Zackel Falls in the Giant Mountains, but there is no evidence of this. The water has to be pumped up the Kreuzberg to ensure a constant flow of water in the waterfall. This involves overcoming a height difference of 24 meters and moving 3,000 liters of water per minute. The pumping system was completed in October 1893 and was officially inaugurated. From summer 1894, the waterfall was then in operation for 8 hours a day.

The water has been flowing downhill between rough rocks ever since. When the weather is nice, visitors to the park sit on the rocks and dangle their feet in the water. There is a small pond at the foot of the waterfall in Viktoriapark. Here stands a bronze sculpture (1896 by Ernst Herter) depicting a mermaid in a fisherman’s net.

The mountain around the waterfall is densely overgrown and winding, steep paths lead up to the start of the artificial watercourse.

Why is the park called Viktoriapark?

Emperor Frederick III was only emperor for a very short time. He died after a reign of just 99 days and is therefore also known as the 99-day emperor. The idea for the park came from him, so it is not surprising that his English wife Victoria gave the park its name.

Changes in the park

In the years 1913-1916, the grounds were extended to the west around the former parade ground. Here the park consists of a gentle, slightly hilly terrain, which was designed as a landscape park. Visitors to the park find plenty of space and the meadow areas are popular for recreation.

The considerable damage caused by the Second World War took some time to be completely repaired. The park was placed under a preservation order in 1980.

Today, there is a children’s playground, an animal enclosure and a sports field in the western section of Viktoriapark. Anyone entering the park on Dudenstraße will find the “Golgatha” beer garden there.

Incidentally, the animal enclosures were not part of the original plans. The enclosures were created around 1925 when a fawn was reared. The breeding was successful and more and more deer were brought there for breeding. Other animals followed later and a small zoo was created. After 1945, there were no more animal enclosures in the park and it was not until 1952 that they were reopened.

Viticulture also returned to Viktoriapark. At the end of the 1960s, vines were planted again on the northern slope of the Kreuzberg. The harvest is small and the wine with the name “Kreuz-Neroberger” cannot be bought. The district office gives the bottles away to selected guests.

Visitor information

Address

Kreuzbergstr. 15
10965 Berlin