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Köpenick was a very necessary adjunct to East Berlin when the city was divided. It was all that the capital was not; it had ample gardens and lakes and still offered a small-town Germany that bombers and planners had destroyed in the town centre. The Royal Palace here was not an embarrassment but a welcome embellishment. Foreigners are still rare here, but doubtless numbers will increase when the Old Town is completely restored, which should be during 2004.

The S-Bahn station Köpenick is on the S3 line which starts at Ostbahnhof and the journey takes about 20 mins. However it is then necessary to take a bus or tram to the Old Town which is a good mile from the station. S-Bahn station Spindlersfeld is nearer, about half a mile from the Old Town and on a branch line from S-Bahn station Schöneweide which is served by several lines going into the town centre. In the summer, boats ply the Spree from Köpenick to the harbour at Treptow, close to the S-Bahn station of the same name.

Sights

Town centre

S-Bahn Spindlersfeld. There is also an S-Bahn station called Köpenick, but it is further from the Castle and Old Town.

The Schloss (Palace) is due to reopen in summer 2003 together with its Applied Arts Museum. Unjustifiably Köpenick has never received the interest and commitment that Potsdam has done, even though its Old Town has survived and all major styles of architecture can be enjoyed there. Köpenick is particularly proud of the fact that it is older than Berlin, tracing its foundation to 1209. It is also quite happy to enjoy the fame given to it by the play Captain of Köpenick. This is based on the 1906 escapade of a recently released prisoner who managed to loot the town hall treasury simply by dressing up in military uniform and demanding access to the funds.

The palace in fact had a longer life as a teacher training college during the 19th century than as a royal residence in the 18th century, but amazingly its acres of baroque in the interior survived many different tenants and uses. In 1950, when the Royal Palace in Mitte was torn down, the furnishings were fortunately saved and they now form the basis of this collection. The high point is the silverware, which formed the royal dining service. Much of the collection, however, pre-dates the palace, including some 11th- century jewellery and 14th-century panelling. Since reunification, some items have been housed at the Kulturforum.

Yet quite apart from the palace, Köpenick appeals to modern visitors as a German town which the 20th century has not ravaged. Its other sites, such as the neo-gothic Rathaus Town Hall were commonplace in the 1930s but are now sadly rare. Narrow streets and fishermen’s cottages are equally unexpected so close to Berlin.

In 1996 a statue to the "Captain" was unveiled in front of the Town Hall. Previous political regimes would not have dared to commemorate this affront to authority.

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