Young People in a "Problem Area" of West Berlin’s Kreuzberg Neighborhood (1980)

The poor West Berlin neighborhood of Kreuzberg was regarded as a “problem area.” Approximately 57% of all neighborhood buildings had been built before 1900, 50% of residences had no bathroom and almost 70% still had stove heating. Rents were cheap as a result, and Kreuzberg attracted population groups with low incomes, above all immigrants and unemployed youth. In order to provide better occupational prospects for neighborhood youth, the Berlin Senate created a “Kreuzberg Vocational Training Center.” This program afforded young people the opportunity to acquire vocational credentials while renovating neighborhood houses.

print version     return to image list

previous image      next image

Courtesy of the German Information Center