So lebte man wirklich 1237 in Berlin – Die Gründung Berlins

What was everyday life really like in Berlin in 1237? In this historical documentary by the Dr. Friedrich Richter Channel, we travel back to a time when Berlin didn't yet have a name – when two small villages of fishermen, farmers, and merchants sprang up in the marshy Spree Valley: Berlin and neighboring Cölln. Through a meticulously researched and scientifically grounded reconstruction, we examine the daily lives of ordinary people along the Spree: their wooden and clay houses with thatched roofs, the ringing of church bells that divided the day into Prime, Terce, Sext, and Vespers, their diet of fish and beer, the trade at the river crossing, and the feudal order in which they lived. Furthermore, we explore the origin of the name Berlin, the region's Slavic roots and the German eastward expansion, the significant event of its first written mention in 1237—a single sentence in a church document—the constant dangers of fire and flooding, and the later unification of Berlin and Cölln into the twin city that would become one of Europe's most important metropolises. This is not fiction, but an objective historical account based on contemporary sources and academic research. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction — A Swamp That Became a City 02:36 The Land by the Water — The North German Plain 04:13 The Slavs on the Spree and the German Eastward Expansion 08:26 The Document of 1237 — Berlin's First Mention 10:33 Where Does the Name Berlin Come From? 12:40 Houses, Smoke, and the Sound of Bells 15:48 Food and Drink — Fish and Beer 17:51 Fishermen, Farmers, Merchants — Who Lived Here 20:02 The Market and the Feudal Order 24:12 Faith, Death, and Medicine 28:21 Fire, Floods, and the Dangers of Everyday Life 30:26 The Unification of Berlin and Cölln 31:29 Festivals, Colors, and the Joy of Life 33:37 Why Berlin? 36:43 From Village to Metropolis — The Sentence That Changed Everything 40:53 Conclusion / Outro Recommended Literature and Sources: Schich, Winfried: Economy and Cultural Landscape. Collected Contributions to the History of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the Middle Ages. Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin 2007. Escher, Felix / Ribbe, Wolfgang (eds.): History of Berlin. Two volumes. C.H. Beck, Munich 1987. Materna, Ingo / Ribbe, Wolfgang (eds.): Brandenburg History. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 1995. Subscribe to the Dr. Friedrich Richter channel for further in-depth insights into the uncensored everyday history of the past.