Boroughs and quarters of Berlin

Quarters and many of their subunits, the neighborhoods (Ortslagen), typically have strong identities that sometimes predate their inclusion into the modern boundaries of Berlin.

This is in contrast to municipalities and counties in other German states, which are territorial corporations (Gebietskörperschaften) with autonomous functions and property.

The district office is in charge of most administrative matters affecting its borough's residents, but its decisions can be revoked by the Berlin Senate.

The number of quarters that form a borough varies considerably, ranging from two (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) to fifteen (Treptow-Köpenick).

After reunification, Berlin underwent a process of rapid transformation, as the city worked to rebuild and modernize its infrastructure and economy.

In the second tier, the boroughs enjoy a certain degree of autonomy, although in no way comparable to the German Landkreise districts or independent cities, nor even to the local government of a common municipality as a legal entity, as according to the Berlin Constitution the legal status of the city as a German state itself is that of a unified municipality (Einheitsgemeinde).

The power of the borough governments is limited, and their performance of assigned tasks is subject to regulatory supervision by the Senate.

It elects the members of the borough council, checks its daily administration, and is able to make applications and recommendations.

Most of these smaller localities are further subdivided into officially recognized neighborhoods (Ortslagen), but often amalgamated or extended by the populace with other inofficial zones and areas, in German usually called Kieze, Stadtteile, Stadtviertel or Orte.

[3] Note that the coats of arms shown for quarters in the tables below are historical and no longer in official use, having lost their validity upon incorporation into Greater Berlin or new boroughs.