Archive: The Capital City of Berlin - Documentation

If the urban architectural developmental aims require, business operations and residents can be moved or displaced. It is thanks to the demand of the Berlin Senate to design the capital city in a socially acceptable way that the displacement of businesses and residents has remained a side issue in Europe's largest development measure. But even this sensitive approach to the city and its residents could not prevent displacement in some cases.

The Example of Apartment Block Luisenstraße

The grounds between the Spree and Luisenstraße, called Luisenblock-West, lay fallow for the most part. The only exception was an apartment block built in a prefabricated structure with 160 flats. Since this block was incompatible with the aim of accommodating governmental and parliamentary functions at this location, it had to be taken down in anticipation of the intended constructional expansion of the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus. In order to be able to offer the residents appropriate replacement living space, a special apartment market-exchange was operated during the course of the procedure. The Federation was the owner of the apartment block. It appointed the tenant advisory association SPAS with the task of preparing an individual social plan tailor-made for each apartment tenant, in order to eliminate or keep to a minimum negative consequences of the procedure. Finally, an agreement was reached with all the tenants - it was possible to dispense with clearance measures. The apartment block on Luisenstraße has remained the only example of displacement relocation of tenants in the development area.

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The Example of the Loose Car Service

During the period of the GDR, Wartburg, Trabbi or Skoda automobiles were repaired or used cars sold at the family firm of Loose. After the political change, the car service entered into a cooperation contract with Renault, forming a booming car business. Whether new or used - almost everyone wanted a "proper car", a "Western car". The small family operation grew into a market-orientated business, not least thanks to its favourable location on Luisenstraße near the Charité hospital. Then began the planning for the development measure in which the grounds were intended for governmental purposes and a long-term change in utilisation was confirmed. The clearing of the building field in the immediate vicinity of the car service and the new construction of the Marschallbrücke had serious consequences which limited traffic on Luisenstraße, sometimes even stopping it altogether. Through this, an existence-threatening situation without perspective had arisen for the operation. A displacement of the operation was unavoidable. In close agreement with the former Senate Departments for Economics and Operations (Committee for Persons Affected by Clearance) and for Construction, Residence and Traffic, the DSK developed a differentiated social plan safeguarded with expert reports. It intended a compensation of interests and was to make the further existence of the operation possible at a different location - the DSK helped intensively in the search for a new location. At the same time, a termination of thelease was negotiated with the owner of the property, the Federal Railway assets. Nonetheless, a new beginning never took place despite the material assurance from social planning means - the Loose family gave up due to aging and illness.