Kiez
Encyclopedia
Kiez (ˈkiːts) is a German
word that refers to a city
neighbourhood
, a relatively small community
within a larger town. The word is mainly used in Berlin
and northern Germany.
in the Middle Ages into Slavonic
territories, when in many places both communities existed side by side. The word is of Slavonic
origin (chyza meaning hut or house) and referred to a Slavonic settlement (typically of fishermen) near a German town. Some placenames are reminiscent of this meaning, for example Küstrin-Kietz
or the Kietz of Berlin-Köpenick.
In Berlin
the term usually has a positive connotation, as inhabitants often identify with the "Kiez" they live in. There are approximately 20 unofficial "Kiez"-areas in Berlin, most often in and around the city center. A Berliner "Kiez" usually consists mainly of pre-war buildings and upholds its own commercial and cultural infrastructure.
In Hamburg
, der Kiez refers to the area around the Reeperbahn
in the St. Pauli
quarter, which is the city's nightlife
and red-light district
. It is the most well known "Kiez" in Germany and is sometimes mistakenly considered to be the first or original "Kiez". In other towns, such as Hannover, red-light districts are sometimes referred to as the "Kiez" following Hamburg's example.
Outside Berlin, "Kiez" may be considered by some as somewhat slangy. The more standard term for neighborhood in the sense of "where one lives" is "Viertel" (quarter).
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word that refers to a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
, a relatively small community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
within a larger town. The word is mainly used in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and northern Germany.
Original Meaning and Etymology
The word originated in the time of the eastward expansion of German settlersOstsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
in the Middle Ages into Slavonic
West Slavs
The West Slavs are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. They include Poles , Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Sorbs and the historical Polabians. The northern or Lechitic group includes, along with Polish, the extinct Polabian and Pomeranian languages...
territories, when in many places both communities existed side by side. The word is of Slavonic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
origin (chyza meaning hut or house) and referred to a Slavonic settlement (typically of fishermen) near a German town. Some placenames are reminiscent of this meaning, for example Küstrin-Kietz
Küstrin-Kietz
Küstrin-Kietz is a small village located in the German state of Brandenburg, at the Oder river and the border with Poland. Since 1998 it is part of the Küstriner Vorland municipality.-Overview:...
or the Kietz of Berlin-Köpenick.
Modern Meaning
A Kiez is never originally defined by the municipality or government, but rather by the inhabitants, and therefore doesn't necessarily coincide with administrative divisions. In some cases, however, such definitions have been picked up in official documents, this including State legislation.In Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
the term usually has a positive connotation, as inhabitants often identify with the "Kiez" they live in. There are approximately 20 unofficial "Kiez"-areas in Berlin, most often in and around the city center. A Berliner "Kiez" usually consists mainly of pre-war buildings and upholds its own commercial and cultural infrastructure.
In Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, der Kiez refers to the area around the Reeperbahn
Reeperbahn
The Reeperbahn is a street in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, one of the two centres of Hamburg's nightlife and also the city's red-light district...
in the St. Pauli
St. Pauli
St. Pauli , located in the Hamburg-Mitte borough, is one of the 105 quarters of the city of Hamburg, Germany. Situated on the right bank of the Elbe river, the Landungsbrücken are a northern part of the port of Hamburg. St. Pauli contains a world famous red light district around the street Reeperbahn...
quarter, which is the city's nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
and red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. It is the most well known "Kiez" in Germany and is sometimes mistakenly considered to be the first or original "Kiez". In other towns, such as Hannover, red-light districts are sometimes referred to as the "Kiez" following Hamburg's example.
Outside Berlin, "Kiez" may be considered by some as somewhat slangy. The more standard term for neighborhood in the sense of "where one lives" is "Viertel" (quarter).