TODAY IN BERLIN: SAILING TO NEW HARBOURS
February 23 1888
On February 23, 1888 the decision to build a new inner-city harbour opened the way for the construction of what is today one of the best-known and best-loved spots in central Berlin - Urbanhafen.
The 1852 Schöneberger Hafen, built along the then brand-new Landwherkanal, was too small to deal with the volume of goods transported on this waterway. By 1873 30,000 barges (Kähne) passed the Oberbaum, the eastern lock separating the canal from the Spree, each year. Another canal meant as a “shortcut”, Luisenstädtische Kanal, which began where Urbanhafen is today and ran towards the Spree cutting through Wasstertorplatz and Engelbecken, turned out to be a flop (you can learn all about my favourite Berlin canal during an audio-walk I created and which is available through my Berlin Companion App).
Another harbour would have helped alleviate the problem. The location? Marshy, swampy grounds known as Urban (most likely from much older Urlake or Erlenlake) - grounds drained thanks to Landwehrkanal.
The new harbour, named after the area Urbanhafen, was 560 metres long and 145 metres wide would be used by over 30,000 delivery barges a year. It contained a nearly 300-metre long loading island and 22-metre wide side canal.
The harbour which opened in 1896 operated until the 1950s. The harbour-island canal was filled in 1963/64 and would be more or less where the drive leading to the new hospital built there to replace the much older site next door, the 1970 Krankenhaus am Urban, is today.
Fun fact for all Berlin-lovers: between 1936 and 1956 Urbanhafen was home to boat races, held there traditionally in June. Today traffic in the old harbour is much much more relaxed.
