The district of Moabit is bounded by waterways; the Berlin-Spandau Ship Canal to the north and east, the Charlottenburg Canal to the west, and the River Spree to the south. Moabit is a working class district home to institutions like the Kriminalgericht (Central Criminal Court) of Berlin and Moabit Prison. The two towers, Baroque architecture, and grey stone facade of the Kriminalgericht is meant to make an impression to visitors. This massive building spans a whole block, and situated behind it is Moabit Prison. The compound is marked off by barbed wire and heavily fortified walls. It was used for a time by the Gestapo as a detention centre before serving its main purpose today of housing pre-trial detainees.
The residential areas, such as “red Beusselkiez" and the neighbouring "Rostock Kiez”, are known for their Communist activity during the Nazi era. Communism has died down somewhat over the years, but in Moabit one can still find the distribution of Marxist literature, and people gathering in labour unions and political after-work groups.
Moabit's reputation for being the location of Berlin's criminal court and prison is not exactly a draw to residents. It is accessible and relatively safe for an inner city district. Although major crime is uncommon, the presence of the Kriminalgericht is not enough to deter petty crime and misdemeanours. The lawyers, judges and police officers who work here prefer not to actually live here. The community spirit is lacking, as everyone seems to operate with a general air of apathy. The legal systems generates an inordinate amount of paperwork for those with the means to access it.
Location[]
Beusselkiez[]
This residential district is located west of Beusselstrasse, and is comprised of five to six-storey high density apartment buildings. Known as “red Beusselkiez”, the district was one of the Communist strongholds during the Nazi era. This area was first built as a worker's housing district for the nearby Loewe factories. The streets are grey and bare, reflecting the austere quality of life common among lower-class workers. Communism has died down somewhat over the years, but in Moabit one can still find literature Marx, and people gathering in labour unions and after-work groups with Communist sympathies.
Turmstrasse[]
Turmstrasse is one of the main streets of Moabit, and is so-called because the towers of the Sophienkirche (Sophia Church) and St. Nikolai Church are visible at both ends of the street. The most prominent building in Turmstrasse is the Kriminalgericht, the Criminal Court of Moabit. The building sports two towers and an expansive wing, with a grey, stony facade decorated with curling Baroque motifs. The main entrance is an ornate gate made of cast iron, upon which the bust of a blindfolded Justice presides over all who enter.
“Moabit” is sometimes synonymous with the criminal justice system of Berlin. Close by is the Moabit Prison, Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit—simply abbreviated as J.V.A. Moabit. The building has a distinctive star-shaped layout designed according to the concept of a panopticon. Built by the Prussians, it became a much-feared prison run by the Nazi Gestapo, before serving its purpose today as a jail or a pre-trail detention centre.
Krankenhaus Moabit[]
- Medicine 3
- Status: Health
Krankenhaus Moabit is a run-down hospital on the brink of closure, housed in a large red brick building on Turmstrasse. Unsuccessfully, the city has been moving to shut it down for years. It is run by a skeleton staff of admins, doctors and nurses, who are doing just enough to keep about one-fifths of its beds occupied. The hospital has severely outdated equipment and materials shortage. Some rooms and hallways looked as they did forty years ago, only with water damage and mold setting into the walls and ceiling tiles. The hospital was once quite reputable in Berlin as it was the place that Robert Koch pioneered his sterilisation techniques and treatment of tuberculosis patients. Now the hospital is maze of empty wards, labs and operating theatres, unused since the war and collecting dust.
Blood Clinic
- FP 3: Racks
The hospital has a haematology clinic on its basement floor, open 24 hours, with an after-hours entrance from the parking lot. The local Red Cross runs a blood drive which sees people turning up at odd hours of the night to (presumably) give blood. A lot of the volunteers are simply charitable people or the homeless looking for a cup of coffee and a hot meal. The blood donors are checked for blood-type and presence of disease, and their personal details and medical history taken and recorded on file. The patients sit in a dimly-lit reception room with a few dozen chairs, before they are ushered in to one of the clinical rooms out the back. Patients may also be sent down here for a blood test. On a usual day, there may be one or two doctors or phlebotomists on duty.
Kriminalgericht[]
- Politics 3
- Status: Legal
The most prominent building in Turmstrasse is the Kriminalgericht, the Criminal Court of Moabit. The building sports two towers and an expansive wing, with a grey, stony facade decorated with curling Baroque motifs. The main entrance is an ornate gate made of cast iron, upon which the bust of a blindfolded Justice presides over all who enter.
The entrance hall has a high vaulted roof supported by stone arches; a central grand staircase faces the gate and leads to a landing where more staircases diverge up to the upper floors. The balustrades are carved out in stone in sweeping, intricate designs. Visitors and the accused are usually lead up the main entrance to be suitably impressed. The judge and prosecutors usually reach the courtrooms through a series of back passages, to minimise contact with the accused.
The court building has 21 courtrooms and a countless number of offices for the District Court of Berlin and the public prosecutor's office. The basement is a repository where items related to the cases are stored; thousands of exhibits leave the room each year at the weekly auction, after they have fulfilled their purpose.
Moabit Prison[]
- Intimidation 4
- Status: Legal
Moabit Prison, Justizvollzugsanstalt Moabit—simply abbreviated as J.V.A. Moabit—is located behind the courthouse facing the street of Alt-Moabit. The building has a distinctive star-shaped layout designed according to the principles of the panopticon. Built by the Prussians, it became a much-feared prison run by the Nazi Gestapo, before serving its purpose today as a jail or a pre-trail detention centre. Most detainees here are on short-term stay or relatively light offenders. Perhaps because of its past, there is little interest in reviving the prison to its full capacity use. Many of the jail cells are unused and entire building wings sit abandoned. The compound is quiet, stark, and isolated. Prisoners can be seen during visiting hours and by appointment if one has the right credentials.
U-Bahnhof Turmstrasse[]
This underground station opened in 1961. The walls have cold blue tiles and the station is still relatively new and clean.