Rote Insel
Rote Insel (literally, Red Island) is the name colloquially given to a neighborhood in the Schöneberg district of the German capital, Berlin. As such, the Island is part of Berlin's 7th administrative borough, Tempelhof-Schöneberg.
Overview
On the Berlin city map, the neighborhood is easily located within a distinctive triangle bordered by railway lines in the southwestern corner of the city center. Owing to the large trenches dug to accommodate the tracks for trains and light-rail, the only way to access this part of Schöneberg is by crossing one of the many bridges that span the tracks, thus forming the area into an "island". Additionally, the comparative isolation from the adjoining parts of Berlin is also an important reason for the area's being considered insular. It is especially notable for its peculiar history, and is rather indicative of the sharp contrasts that modern German history since 1871 abounds with. Up until the end of World War I, roughly half of the Island's territory was marked by its extensive use by the Prussian army, whereas the other half was a distinctively working-class residential district, dominated by voters of left-wing parties (hence the "red").
As the Island survived the allied air raids during World War II virtually intact, it has managed to maintain a great deal of its distinctive flavor to the present day. It is nowadays a rather mixed neighborhood that is populated by residents from fairly varied ethnic backgrounds, with a certain unobtrusive Bohème charm to it, but lacking the slightly exalted mannerisms so typical for the "hipper" quarters of post-reunification Berlin.
The most famous celebrity associated with the neighborhood is Marlene Dietrich, who was born in Leberstrasse 65 (then called Sedanstrasse) on December 27, 1901. The actress and singer Hildegard Knef, lived in the same street where Dietrich was born, in Leberstrasse 33. To this day, both women are very much a part of the local folklore of the island. Alfred Lion, known among jazz aficionados as founder of the legendary Blue Note record label, was also born in the neighborhood.
Landmark and industrial monument: a gasometer
Birthplace of Alfred Lion
Birthplace of Marlene Dietrich
Extension of the "Cherusker Park" at the south end of Rote Insel.
