Intercultural city: Berlin Neukölln, Germany

Neukölln is one of the largest boroughs of Berlin and one of the poorest regions in Germany with a very weak social infrastructure. These difficult general conditions mark the ‘hard case’ that Neukölln is and have a very strong impact on the opportunities for citizenship on a local level. They are a hard benchmark for promoting intercultural integration, which is constantly in conflict with social, educational, integrative and economic problems.

Despite the already listed social problems that Berlin-Neukölln has to face, 40,2 % of Neukölln’ citizens work on a voluntary basis in order to improve the living conditions in their neighbourhood. Their engagement implicates that citizenship education and intercultural integration represent significant influencing factors on a very local level. There are a variety of committed partners in Berlin-Neukölln who play a crucial role in the effort to support and practice intercultural integration on a local level.

Population diversity

Neukölln is the most diverse district of the German capital. Of its 305 000 inhabitants, 67 500 originate from 160 countries (and do not hold German nationality): 53 000 Europeans (25 000 Turks, 6 800 Polish, 5 700 Serbian, 1900 Bosnian), 6 800 Asians, 2 300 Africans, 1 400 Americans. An estimated 10 000 are illegal residents.

In the most densely populated district in the north (ca. 150 000 people) immigrants represent more than 50%. The proportion of pupils whose mother tongue is not German in northern Neukölln: in elementary schools: 79,7 % (up to 95 % in some schools), in "Secondary schools" (Haupt- und Realschulen) ca. 80 %, and in high schools (Gymnasien) between 55 and 88 %.

There are several schools where up to 98 % of the students have no German origin. 30 % of the adults have not attained graduation. Out of the migrant population nearly 50 % finish school without a school-leaving certificate. The unemployment rate in Neukölln ranges from 23,4 % on the average, up to 38 % in the north with a high proportion of migrants and educationally marginalised groups. 88 300 people depend on social welfare. 23,7 % of Neukölln’s citizens fall into the poverty level based on the average of the population.

Profile and activities

Intercultural profile