The Borough of Spandau

Spandau is the westernmost district of Berlin. The town itself is situated at the confluence of the Spree and Havel rivers. Once a town in its own right, Spandau is one of the oldest in the Berlin area and still retains much of its own unique character, having been spared the worst of the Allied bombing in the Second World War that so devastated the rest of the city. The center of the town is formed by a dense network of medieval streets and a market square, still retaining a large number of timber-framed buildings. See our borough maps.

Spandau Prison was the military prison in which Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess was imprisoned after the 1946 Nuremberg trials until his death in 1987. The prison was then demolished by the local government.

The history of Spandau begins in the 7th or 8th century, when the Slav Heveller first settled in the area and later built a fortress there. It was conquered in 928 by the German King Henry I, but returned to Slavic rule later in the 10th century.

In 1156, the Ascanian Earl Albrecht von Ballenstedt ("Albrecht the Bear") took possession of the region. Spandowe was first mention in a 1197 deed of Otto II, Margrave of Brandenburg - some forty years before the Cölln part of Berlin. Spandau was given city rights in 1232.

The Individual Localities (Ortsteile) of Spandau:

Ortsteile: Falkenhagener Feld, Gatow, Hakenfelde, Haselhorst, Kladow, Siemensstadt, Spandau, Staaken, and Wilhelmstadt.

Popular Places to Visit in Spandau:

  • Zitadelle Spandau - A fortress built 1560-1590 on the site of a 12th century castle.

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