Indian Summer in Siemensstadt Wincor Nixdorf moves into a new ...

Guided tours through Siemensstadt
Karl Bienek offers walks through this Spandau quarter that is rich in history – and has much to tell about it.
Herr Bienek knows a lot
about Siemensstadt. When
he talks about it, the old times
round the present Siemens
Technopark come back to life.
Then the old factory buildings
that stood more than 100 years
ago on the present Technopark
site appear in the mind’s eye
and the disused railway lines
seem suddenly to start working
again. When Karl Bienek
talks about the old Siemens times,
about the goings-on on
the site, the revival of industrialization,
the last century
moves within reach.
Yet Karl Bienek does not
only know a lot about the old
Siemensstadt, he also shares
his knowledge with anyone
who would like to hear it. “For
about two years I have been offering
guided tours through
Siemensstadt,” says Bienek.
If for example you go up
the 71 metre high clock tower
with Karl Bienek, the 67-yearold
retired engineer will tell
you that this tower once stood
in the middle of the former
measuring instruments factory
complex. “But it was not
erected as a watch tower,” admits
Bienek. In its day it was
constructed more as an exhaust
tower for the integrated
power station and was in addi-
Information about Siemensstadt
Siemensstadt, since 1914 named after
its initiator, is a district of Spandau
and is characterized by seven resi-
dential areas and Siemens production
plants. Until 1897 there was nothing
here except boggy meadows of the
Spree, woodland and a few farms
– an area belonging to the then towns
of Charlottenburg and Spandau. As
Charlottenburg was keener on plan-
ning sophisticated suburban villas on
this spot than factories – Siemens built
its fi rst factory from 1897 on Spandau
land – the Westend cable works. Since
then a prospering local community
has been developing here with pro-
duction facilities, residential proper-
ty, roadways and leisure facilities.
tion a good place for meteorological
measurements. “Moreover
Siemens tested its water
measuring devices here,” explained
Bienek.
Once up there, you have a
wonderful view over the Technopark,
Siemensstadt and far
beyond. At the cue Siemensstadt,
the town guide has so
much information to hand
that you cannot take all the
dates in. Yet it is a real delight
to fi nd out how everything began
here exactly 110 years ago
– in autumn 1897, or how the
Siemens Company committed
itself to the wellbeing of its
staff beyond the call of work.
“Siemens built accommodation,
even whole estates for its
employees so that they did not
have such a long way to work,“
related Bienek, even though
the company of course did not
act altruistically. “When Siemens
put its fi rst factory into
operation on this spot on 1
August 1899 – Siemensstadt’s
‘birthday’ - lot of people wanted
to work here but the area
was so far away from Berlin
that many did not want to take
on the long, diffi cult journey,”
stated Bienek. So accommodation
had to come here and they
The Technopark is not only interesting as a site for all types of businesses.
With its 100 year history it also offers enough material for entertaining themes.
In this section you will learn more about it.
Report Service
The distant view from the Siemens clock-tower clearly shows the extent of the 110-year-old Siemensstadt.
were fi rst built in 1904/1905.
And while Bienek is lecturing
on building the accommodation
and the architect entrusted
with it, you are right in the
middle of modern housing development
at the beginning of
the 20th century. “Karl Janisch
and Hans Hertlein here created
a unique and for its time very
progressive residential neighbourhood
without narrow back
yards and with street planning
that still endures today,“ explains
Bienek. “More and more
people came to Siemens and to
Siemensstadt. In 1914 scarcely
7000 people lived there and almost
32000 were employed at
Siemens,” says Bienek.
And Siemensstadt continued
to grow. In the thirties numerous
residential properties
in the innovative Bauhaus style
were added. “Yes, then architects
such as Scharoun, Gropius,
Bartning, Häring, Forbat
and Henning came and put up
the large Siemensstadt housing
estate,” tells Karl Bienek
and leads his audience past
four-storey residential blocks
that still seem creative today
and leave no doubt that this
type of living must have been
a completely new experience
for most people. Suddenly
everything was light and airy
and the children could play in
green spaces and there was no
trace of the noise and lack of
space of Berlin.
Yes, Karl Bienek can tell you
a lot about Siemensstadt but
after about two hours he has
told you the most important
bits, led his audience through
the streets of the residential
estate and receives fi ve Euros
from each participant - that is
not a lot for such a lot of information.
And it has given quite
a few the desire for another
tour. Bienek continues to offer
them – for groups between minimum
4 to maximum 25 participants.
Information/booking:
Tel. 381 75 07
or E-Mail info@bnktxt.de
Typical Siemens buildings since 1897
Rohrdamm 7
Tel. 030 386-27670
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 16
Tel. 030 386-24944
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 5
Tel. 030 386-27062
Mo - Su 5:15 – 22:30 h
V.i.S.d.P. Thorsten Kuhfeld,
GF Siemens Technopark Berlin
GmbH & Co. KG
Redaktion: Heike Cremer
Text: Silke Edler
Layout: Armin Knoll
Fotos: Wolfgang Chodan
(soweit nicht anders angegeben)
Erscheinungsweise: Vierteljährlich
Aufl age: 5000
Anzeigen: Für Anfragen bitte E-Mail an:
redaktion@parknews.de
10 11
Impressum
Siemensdamm 62
Tel. 030 386-27272
Mo - Su 6:00 – 20:00 h
Nonnendamm 43
Tel. 030 386-28085
Mo - Fr 06:00 – 17:30 h
Contact at Siemens Technopark Berlin
Geschäftsführung
Thorsten Kuhfeld
Tel. 030 386-41590
Fax 030 386-31155
thorsten.kuhfeld@siemens.com
Sekretariat
Heike Cremer
Tel. 030 386-27821
Fax 030 386-31155
heike.cremer@siemens.com
Here you can obtain any information to do with the Berlin Technopark site.
Contact, opening times, phone numbers ...
Opening times of receptions
Siemens Technopark Berlin GmbH & Co. KG · Wernerwerkdamm 5 · 13629 Berlin
Facility Management, Vermietung
Christoph Maus
Tel. 030 386-29228
Fax 030 386-31155
christoph.maus@siemens.com
Projekte
Joachim Duda
Tel. 030 386-26918
Fax 030 386-31155
joachim.duda@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Mark Radünz
Tel. 030 386-22882
Fax 030 386-31155
mark.raduenz@siemens.com
Technische Leitung
Simone Kastner
Tel. 030 386-31621
Fax 030 386-31155
simone.kastner@siemens.com
24 hour Service Telephone, Hochtief Facility Management: Tel. 030 386 119
You will fi nd this issue of ParkNews as a PDF Download in
German and Englisch on our Website: www.parknews.de
Haus 16, Parkplatz
Rohrdamm 7
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Haus 4, Ost
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Haus 4, Parkplatz Ost
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Potsdam
Spandau
Opening times of turnstiles
Do You have any suggestions for
interesting themes?
Send us Your Feedback.
Tegel
115
Hauptbahnhof
Tempelhof
Schönefeld
Siemensdamm 62
Parkplatz Haus 25
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Wernerwerkdamm 10, Reisstr.
Mo - Su 0:00 – 24:00 h
Kfm. Leitung
Christian Sawade
Tel. 030 386-29735
Fax 030 386-31155
christian.sawade@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Yvonne Groneberg
Tel. 030 386-26430
Fax 030 386-31155
yvonne.groneberg@siemens.com
Kfm. Aufgaben
Gabriele Hieber
Tel. 030 386-20683
Fax 030 386-31155
gabriele.hieber@siemens.com
111
100
E-Mail: redaktion@parknews.de
or call Mrs. Cremer:
030 386-27821