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08.02.2019

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: The heart of West Berlin

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf boasts its charm, its expertise and the fact that it is home to more companies than any other district in Berlin. With the legendary Ku’Damm, the Memorial Church, the Zoo and Bikini Berlin, a different kind of shopping mall, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is a magnet for both tourists and Berlin residents. In addition, the prestigious district has two universities and a variety of academic institutions as well as both high-tech and more traditional companies. And with its multi-functional CityCube Berlin complex, built in 2014, the borough serves as hosts to around 100 trade fairs and 500 congresses every year.

Bikini Berlin tugged in between the Memorial Church and Berlin Zoo © Bikini Berlin

Tradition meets Modernity

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is a place where long-established traditional and family businesses rub shoulders with young entrepreneurs. The area around Campus Charlottenburg is teeming with a variety of young, successful startups that are expanding from here out into the world. These are complemented by more traditional, established companies – first and foremost the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur KPM. Established in 1763 it’s Berlin’s oldest still-operating handicraft enterprise.

The Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf © KPM-Welt

Learn more about Berlin Partner business support at the district level or get in touch directly with the local manager for Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

Hidden champion

Light and color measuring instruments, goniophotometers and other photometric equipment are shipped from Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf to countries around the world. LMT Lichtmesstechnik GmbH was founded here in 1974 with the goal of developing, manufacturing, delivering, and maintaining the world’s most precise measurement instrumentation. Customers include photonics engineers, the bulb and lighting industry, automobile manufacturers, as well as private and state testing laboratories.

The Fair-Trade Town

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf has been a Fair-Trade Town since 2011. The goal of the campaign is to take a concrete stance for a fairer world and promote the increased and ongoing use of fair-trade products. 17 countries now participate in the campaign, and there are roughly 550 Fair-Trade Towns. What a way to make an impact on the world’s environment in globally-thinking city.

Current international trade fairs

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is Berlin’s gateway to the world of trade, hosting around 70 international trade fairs at the iconic Messe Berlin every year: From innovations in electronics at the Consumer Electronics Unlimited Trade Fair (IFA), cutting edge transport technology at InnoTrans to Panorama Berlin and SelvedgeRun during Berlin Fashion Week and the International Green Week’s exhibition for agriculture, sustainability and the food industry. 

Panorama Berlin trade fair at Berlin Messe © Panorama Berlin

Learn more about Berlin Partner business support at the district level or get in touch directly with the local manager for Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

Campus Charlottenburg

About 35.000 students are currently studying at the Technische Univesität Berlin (TU Berlin) and the Berlin University of fine Arts (Udk). The former is one of the largest and renowned technical universities in Germany, the lattern is known as one of the largest and most diverse fine arts universities worldwide. With a total of 9,000 employees in research, teaching and administration, the two universities are also among the largest employers in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. 

Convert Hall of UdK © Mareike Blank

Fun Fact

Did you know that Berlin has 9 castles? The largest and most famous one is the former royal palace “Schloss Charlottenburg” with a delightful baroque garden on its grounds.Fun Fact

Watch this video about Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf:

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf at a glance:

  • Very good public transport network
  • Beautiful business and commercial locations
  • Skilled workforce opportunities
  • Various cultural programmes, including the famous Theater des Westens (Theatre of the West)
  • Campus Charlottenburg: two universities and numerous research
    institutes
  • Home to Berlin's biggest sports stadium, the Olympic Stadium
  • Multifaceted business landscape
  • Attractive residential environment
  • Numerous green areas, nature and landscape conservation areas,
    including in Grunewald

Learn more about Berlin Partner business support at the district level or get in touch directly with the local manager for Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

Header image: Nicole Hundertmark

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