Berlin Celebrates 200 Years of Urban Planner James Hobrecht
Berlin is celebrating the 200th birthday of renowned urban air planner James Hobrecht with a four-part event series at Tempelhof Airport. The series, organized by the city in collaboration with the Friede Springer Foundation, will explore Hobrecht's work and influence from November 2025 to January 2026. Prof. Petra Kahlfeldt serves as the patron, while Prof. Dr. Harald Bodenschatz oversees the curation.
The event series will delve into various aspects of Hobrecht's career. It will highlight his vision for a bustling city center, his pivotal role in constructing Berlin's sewage system alongside physician Rudolf Virchow, and his relevance to contemporary urban development.
Born in 1825, Hobrecht's most significant work, the 'Development Plan for the Berlin Environs' (1862), laid the foundation for Berlin's modern structure. His design featured a clearly organized street network that continues to define the city today. He envisioned a compact, interconnected urban layout with residential, commercial, and public spaces seamlessly integrated.
In recognition of his contributions, Berlin's city council appointed Hobrecht 'Stadtältester' (Elder of the City) in 1897.
The event series at Tempelhof Airport aims to honor Hobrecht's legacy and inspire current and future urban planners. It will provide insights into his innovative ideas and their enduring impact on Berlin's development.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
