Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Art Galleries

About Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

The Berlin borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg was created when the two boroughs once separated by the Berlin Wall merged together in 2001.

The Spree river courses through the center of this region and pedestrians can cross it on the Oberbaum Bridge, once used as a checkpoint for crossing the east-west border. This bridge also featured prominently on the coat of arms used by the borough.

The political atmosphere of this borough, and especially the Kreuzberg side, differs from the rest of the Berlin boroughs. There is a strong counterculture movement represented that boosted Green Party votes. The federal Bundestag's only Green Party politician is local MP Hans-Christian Ströbele. Kreuzberg also welcomes a higher percentage of immigrants than the Friedrichshain part, which has a higher age demographic as well. Gentrification has touched both quarters of the borough. The differences between the borough sides culminate in the yearly "vegetable fight" on the Oberbaumbrücke bridge.