Wannsee

For the railway station, seeBerlin Wannsee. For the lakes, seeGroßer Wannsee andKleiner Wannsee.

Wannsee (German pronunciation:[ˈvanˌzeː]^ⓘ) is a locality in the southwesternBerlin borough ofSteglitz-Zehlendorf,Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the largerGroßer Wannsee (Greater Wannsee, "See" means lake) and theKleiner Wannsee (Little Wannsee), located on the RiverHavel and separated only by the Wannsee Bridge. The larger of the two lakes covers an area of 2.7 km² (1.0 sq mi) and has a maximum depth of 9 m (30 ft).

Wannsee
Quarter ofBerlin
The beach of Wannsee (Strandbad Wannsee)
Location of Wannsee in Steglitz-Zehlendorf and Berlin
Wannsee Show map of Germany Wannsee Show map of Berlin
Coordinates:52°25′00″N13°09′00″E / 52.41667°N 13.15000°E /52.41667; 13.15000
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
City	Berlin
Borough	Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Founded	1870
Subdivisions	5 zones
Area
• Total	23.7 km² (9.2 sq mi)
Elevation	103 m (338 ft)
Population (2023-12-31)^[1]
• Total	10,237
• Density	430/km² (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	14109
Vehicle registration	B

The municipality is the location of the compound where the mass-extermination of Europe's Jewish population, known as the "Final Solution", was planned and approved in early1942 by the Nazi Party's highest ranking officials, includingReinhard Heydrich andAdolf Eichmann.^[2]

Geography

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Overview

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At the western rim of the Wannsee locality theGlienicke Bridge connects it with the city ofPotsdam. The lateneoclassical Glienicke Palace as well as thePfaueninsel are nearby. Since 1990 these palaces and parks have formed part of thePalaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.

The locality is centred on the ancient village ofStolpe, known to exist in 1299. The locality also includes the districts of Kohlhasenbrück (named after the 1811 novellaMichael Kohlhaas byHeinrich von Kleist) andSteinstücken, which inCold War days became famous as a tinyexclave ofWest Berlin within theGDR.

Großer and Kleiner Wannsee

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Main articles:Großer Wannsee andKleiner Wannsee

Wannsee lake is a bathing and recreation spot for western Berlin. TheStrandbad Wannsee, an open-air lido with one of the longest inland beaches in Europe and anudist area, was built in 1929–1930 after a concept by architectRichard Ermisch. Situated on the eastern shore of the lake it is officially part of theNikolassee locality.

History

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Jagdschloss Glienicke at theHavel river

The history of Wannsee as an attractive suburb of Berlin began when "Great Elector"Frederick William of Brandenburg ordered the construction of a hunting lodge, theJagdschloss Glienicke. The castle remained the hunting lodge of theHohenzollern family for generations, and was rebuilt and expanded several times. Today, the castle houses an institute for social education.

In 1793, thePrussian kingFrederick William II, a descendant of Frederick William, acquired the island Pfaueninsel (German: "Peacock Island") in theHavel river and had the Pfaueninsel castle built for himself and his mistressWilhelmine Enke in 1794–1797. Jagdschloss Glienicke andPfaueninsel castle are both part of the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.

On 21 November 1811, German writerHeinrich von Kleist shot himself on the shore of theKleiner Wannsee and, at her bidding, his lover, Henriette Vogel. A memorial marks the site.

Glienicke Palace

Glienicke Palace (German:Schloss Glienicke) was designed inneoclassical style byKarl Friedrich Schinkel for PrinceCarl of Prussia in 1826. It used to be the summer palace of the prince. Together with the Russian style ensembleNikolskoe around the churchSs. Peter and Paul (German: St. Peter und Paul) on the top of a hill on the banks of theHavel river, it also belongs to the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.

Nikolskoe, consisting of the church, a cottage, a school and a cemetery, was established from 1813 to 1837 at the suggestion by aRussian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the daughter ofKing Frederick William III of Prussia. Her brother Prince Carl, constructor of Glienicke Palace, was buried in the church after his death. Today the church is especially popular for weddings and the cottage is housing a restaurant.

TheVerein Seglerhaus am Wannsee, the second oldestyacht club in Germany, was established in October 1867 on a small wooden shack by RiverHavel. In 1877 it moved to its present location at the edge of the lake.

In 1909,Max Liebermann, head of theBerlin Secession, had a villa built at the western shore of the Wannsee. His widow was forced to sell it to theDeutsche Reichspost in 1940. Today, the property is a museum in honor of the painter. Especially worth seeing is the garden, which was a popular Liebermann motif.

Wannsee Villa at 56–58 Am Grossen Wannsee, where theWannsee Conference was held

In 1928, a largeshooting range was established in theDüppel woods near the Berlin city limits. It was the site of theshooting events of the1936 Summer Olympics. A golf course hosted the running section of themodern pentathlon at the same games. AfterWorld War II, it was used by theUS Army as the "Rose Range" firing compound. In 1994, the shooting range was returned to Germany by the Allies, and is today used by theDEVA institute.

On 20 January 1942, senior Nazi officials met at theWannsee Villa (built 1914–1915) to ensure the cooperation of the major government organizations in "the organizational, logistical and material steps for afinal solution of the Jewish question in Europe" - the extermination of the Jews of Europe.^[3] The event, presided over byReinhard Heydrich and conducted byAdolf Eichmann, has since become known as theWannsee Conference. Today, the building serves as a memorial and education centre.