The Prussian village Lichtervelde was founded in the 13th century by Flemish settlers. It witnessed considerable growth in the 19th century when the two "villa colonies" of Lichterfelde-West and Lichterfelde-Ost were founded: elegant settlements for wealthy Berliners consisting completely of villas or mansions. These settlements and the historical villages of |Lichterfelde and Giesensdorf were united in 1880 under the name Groß-Lichterfelde (Greater Lichterfelde).
Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt
Lichterfelde was chosen as the seat of the Prussian Main Military academy, the Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt, in 1882, and the district became the home to many famous families from the German nobility due to their connections with the Prussian Army. The world's first commercially successful electrified tram line, the Gross-Lichterfelde tramway, opened between the Lichterfelde-Ost railway station and the Hauptkadettenanstalt in 1881.
Lichterfelde West was developed as a settlement of mansions and is one of the wealthiest residential areas of Berlin. It is home to the Berlin Botanical Garden and embassies. The Teltow Canal geographically separates it from the eastern parts of Lichterfelde. Its 19th-century commercial area is centered around the Lichterfelde West railway station, which also serves nearby Free University of Berlin in neighboring Dahlem. Most of the commercial and residential buildings in Lichterfelde West are protected landmarks.
Lichterfelde Ost
Lichterfelde Ost, like Lichterfelde West, was also developed as a settlement of mansions, yet many of the estates were damaged in World War II. The Lichterfelde Ost railway station serves as a hub for regional rail and commuter rail and is surrounded by a large commercial area.
Lichterfelde Süd
Lichterfelde Süd was developed in the 1960s and 1970s and is large made up of suburban housing estates, being a significant architectural deviation from the older mansion settlements. The Otto Lilienthal Memorial Park with the artificial conical hill, from which he started many of his flight attempts, is located in Lichterfelde Süd.
Sights
Otto Lilienthal monument - the memorial plaque which is located in Schütte-Lanz-Straße 25, Berlin-Lichterfelde, was built in memory of Otto Lilienthal - a German pioneer of human aviation who became known as the Glider King. He was the first person to make successful gliding flights.
^ abMegargee, Geoffrey P. (2009). The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 1274–1275. ISBN978-0-253-35328-3.
External links
Media related to Lichterfelde at Wikimedia Commons