Kreuzberg, a part of the combined
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of
Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin. Kreuzberg, colloquially also known as
X-Berg, is often described as consisting of two distinctive parts: the
SO 36, home to many immigrants; and
SW 61, roughly coterminous with the old
postal codes for the two areas in
West Berlin. Kreuzberg has emerged from its history as one of the poorest quarters in Berlin in the late 1970s, during which it was an isolated section of
West Berlin to one of Berlin's cultural centers in the middle of the now reunified city, known around the world for its alternative scene and
counterculture.
