Berlin - Barn Quarter

(Local Name: Scheunenviertal) To the north of Alexanderplatz in Berlin, on the other side of Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, lies the quarter known as Scheunenviertal, the main streets of which are Max-Beer-Strasse (formerly Dragonerstrasse) and Almstadtstrasse (formerly Grenadierstrasse). The quarter is so named because there were numerous barns and stables here in the 18th C. Until the Nazis came to power it was inhabited mainly by Jews from Eastern Europe, with many shops, hotels and synagogues. The only surviving restaurant is "Zum Weissen Elefanten," on the corner of Almstadtstrasse and Schendelgasse. On Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, on the edge of "Barn Quarter," can be seen the fine building of the Berlin Popular Theater (Volksbühne Berlin).