tower in the background The original settlement of fishermen and other boatmen and their families was part of Cölln from 1237 on. The neighbourhood, which occupies approximately had many relatively well to do inhabitants, but during the 17th century it became a crowded neighbourhood of poor people and came to be known as the
Fischerkiez (fishing village). In 1709, Cölln united with Berlin, whose old centre lay on the east bank of the river. In the 18th century, boating professions became less important as the city industrialised. As a result, in the early 19th century, the Fischerinsel district stopped developing and became a neighbourhood which preserved the look of old Berlin, including the last gabled houses in the city. In the 20th century it became a tourist attraction. The neighbourhood and its high street, Fischerstraße, remained comparatively untouched after World War II. Like the rest of the borough of
Mitte, it fell into the Soviet Zone which became
East Berlin. In 1954, a plan was drawn up for the neighbourhood which emphasised conservation of the surviving buildings. Later plans envisaged replacement with low density housing (1957) and a perimeter development of tower blocks. However, in 1960 an overall plan was adopted for central Berlin which required demolition of all the buildings in the Fischerinsel area. This was done beginning in 1964, including 30 registered landmarks, and the ancient street plan was effaced. The painter
Otto Nagel, in the last years of his life, documented it in a series of pastels entitled
Abschied vom Fischerkiez (Farewell to the Fishing Village), after calling in vain for its preservation in 1955. Breite Straße was extended and beginning in 1967, five residential tower blocks were built; they were announced as the "first group of high-rise buildings in the capital", In 1971–73, the dramatic
Großgaststätte Ahornblatt (Great Maple Leaf Restaurant) was added to serve the neighbourhood, which ultimately also included the five 21-storey blocks, a double block with 18- and 21-storey sections, a swimming centre opened in October 1979, two kindergartens, and a supermarket. As a result of the redevelopment of the site, the old locations of Roßstraße, Petristraße, Grünstraße and Gertraudenstraße can be seen in places. Fischerinsel is today the seat of Historic port of Berlin (Historischer Hafen Berlin), a non profit association focused on renovating old ships and giving them new life. One of them, MS Heimatland, built in 1910, is a seat of
Hošek Contemporary, art residency and gallery. The gallery focuses primarily on site specific installations,
performing arts and experimental sound installations. ==Notable buildings==