The Bronx of Berlin
Oranienstraße – the soul of the colourful scene district of Kreuzberg in the former postcode area SO 36, popular with tourists and hardcore Berliners alike. It is the world’s only street with its own online magazine and, with its countless facets, is probably one of the most famous and unique miles in the German capital.
Starting as a continuation of Wiener Straße at the Görlitz railway station, it leads in an east-west direction via Hein
richplatz, Moritzplatz and Oranienplatz to the intersection Lindenstraße/Axel-Springer-Straße, where it is continued in Rudi-Dutschke-Straße not far from Checkpoint Charlie.
Contrasts over contrasts
There is probably no other place in Berlin where contrasts collide as mercilessly and unembellished as here. Throughout Germany, the street, which is regarded as one of the centres of the left-wing autonomous and left-wing liberal scene in Berlin, is known to a wider public, especially as the scene of street battles between policemen and demonstrators on 1 May. The descendants of Turkish guest worker families, who continue to intensively cultivate their traditions and customs for decades after their arrival in the capital, live next door to international young entrepreneurs, the start-up scene and traditional corner bars. This is where scene punk and picture book hipster come into their own.
Culture and nightlife united