The cranes will soon be turning here: Siemens is building the new corporate campus here in the west of Berlin for 600 million euros – including 3,000 apartments. It is made for a lot of money a new S-Bahn line. And a lot more is happening here: Wasserstadt, Gartenfeld Island (with the Flying Steps), TXL – endless apartments. This corner is one of Berlin’s boom regions.
Christian Fessel is someone who looks back, 55. He is the “man with the hat” and leads through Siemensstadt and Haselhorst – because the history is no less exciting. His website is therefore also called: MannMitHutTouren.de. I presented it in the Spandau newsletter from Tagesspiegel – it’s available in full here at leute.tagesspiegel.de.
Dear Mr. Fessel, where can I get hold of you at the moment? “I’m sitting in the shade under the Stößensee bridge.”
… and are you really wearing a hat now? “No. The hat is just a trademark – but a very effective one. My wife once wanted me with a hat. And since 80 percent of the content of my tours takes place during the Weimar Republic, that fits – pardon me: the – of course perfectly: At that time I would have been noticed as a man without a hat, today with. “
How many hats do you have? “I usually have a summer hat and a winter hat. Usually, because I always manage to let it blow off my head and away. My new summer hat is floating somewhere on the Spree. “
What can I call you? “Please, quite simply city guide or architecture guide. In a non-fiction book I was recently called an architecture mediator. Of course, I learned something completely different: cameraman, yes, really ‘state-approved’. Then there was fine art and architecture photography with workshops – and so at some point I left my comfort zone behind the viewfinder. “
They guide tourists and curious Berliners through Spandau. Which neighborhood do you prefer to show? “The beautiful, northern area at the end of the ‘Siemensstadt 1.0’ tour.”
And where are you still working? “Except in Siemensstadt and Haselhorst you can with me for a long time or soon Charlottenburg (with” -Nord “), Charlottenburg (without” -Nord “), Wilmersdorf (exclusively for the Wilmersdorfer mosque), and the center of Mitte (Unter den Linden) – but also Venice and London. Not to forget: the normally inaccessible former studio of Hans Scharoun.
[Viele Tipps, viele Typen: Den kompletten Spandau-Newsletter gibt es jetzt hier: leute.tagesspiegel.de]
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Also on the way to Kladow or Gatow by bike or boat? “I’m more interested in the supposedly small things and the stories behind them: Jaczoturm, Zeppelin Tower, Siemenswerder. But also interesting building projects that have never been realized or have disappeared. The list is extremely long. “
What is it about Spandau that attracts you? “Spandau has so many different unique selling points: the different garden cities, the architectural modernity, the industrial culture, the citadel, the Elektropolis buildings and even a Unesco world cultural heritage.”
Can you be booked? “Of course, that’s the actual business model: tours for groups with special content. In the meantime, word of this has got around well among architects, town planners and student groups throughout Germany and internationally. Other requests are: the special birthday present, the unusual company outing, employee motivation, school classes, private individuals who want to treat themselves to “something special”. Sometimes also linked to photography. “
[Schon 250.000 Abos: Suchen Sie sich Ihren Tagesspiegel-Bezirksnewsletter raus! Jetzt hier kostenlos leute.tagesspiegel.de]
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The hot summer holidays are here: As a neighborhood connoisseur, do you have a refreshing tip for families? But please do not say “Eiskeller”! “As our child will soon be celebrating its 21st birthday, I am probably no longer up to date with such family outings. Still an attempt: by bike or bus to the small bathing area Gatow to refresh in the water and enjoy the view. Maybe even include the nearby Vierfelderhof as a supplement? “
What do you have in private with Spandau, sorry, in your hat? “Between us: nothing at all.”
Your favorite puzzle quiz question for Spandauer? “Where does Siemensstadt say on it, but it’s almost all Charlottenburg? This is where it began for me with the regular tours in Berlin: the Unesco world cultural heritage “Siemensstadt housing estate”. More than 70 percent of this area monument is located on Charlottenburger Grund. Then why this title? Why is it sometimes called the ring settlement? And why is there a Spandau exclave in it? “
And? “There are guided tours for that.”
[Für echte Spandau-Experten hier: Kennen Sie die 15 höchsten Häuser im Berliner Westen? Hier zeige ich Ihnen die Liste]
And here you will find the current topics in the Tagesspiegel newsletter for Berlin-Spandau
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– Trouble at the dog beach: What’s going on in Pichelswerder?
– Noise on the techno island: Who is making so much noise in Lindwerder? City councils, neighbors in Gatow and the managing director of the island register in the newsletter
– Was the fireworks allowed on the Scharfe Lanke? Children cried, dogs ran away. Neighbors and the city council talk in the newsletter.
– Facebook and Twitter channel from the town hall? Now the mayor is talking
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– New problem in the water polo arena: The kids are too small – does a lifting platform help?
– Film producer in the newsletter interview: “How I imagine the weekly market in Kladow”
– Rain masses and DLRG frustration: News from the Glienicker See
– Aldi, schools, bike annoyance: There are new ways for cyclists – and prompt criticism
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– The doctor and artist from Stresow S-Bahn station
– Imchen Island: Game commissioner about the secrets of the island off Berlin-Kladow
– The next kade plays for Hertha BSC
– Kiez news from the Spectepark, Falkenhagener Feld and Co.
Once a week I send you the Spandau newsletter by email – bundled and compact, with lots of exclusive information and news, with exciting people who not only complain, but want to make a difference. With personal tips and lots of links and appointments. Try out the newsletter! I look forward to meeting you.
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