Landherrenallee

The Breskengasse side street as viewed from the Landherrenallee at night in 2018

Landherrenallee at the Gerhard-Schuhmacher-Platz in Köpenick

The Landherrenallee (Hesurian: [ˈlantˌhɛʁn̩ʔaˌleː]; often nicknamed der versaute Herr (“the messed up Lord” (also “mister” or “master”, in reference to the street name) and Sündenallee (“sin avenue”) is a street and the entertainment and red-light district of Königsreh’s borough of Ahndau, being a centre of the city’s nightlife. It is internationally recognized for its number of bars, night clubs, discotheques, restaurants, as well as its brothels and sex shops, which has given it an infamous reputation. The street is around three kilometres long and runs from the metro station Gerhard-Schuhmacher-Platz facing north-west to the Neckentor, where it diverts into the Kaiserin-Anneliese-Straße.

Attractions

Culture and gastronomy

The attractions of the Landherrenallee include the various night clubs, bars and discotheques. These include the café and restaurant Kost Klähr, the esoteric pub Flachfrau with its own brothel and boxing arena, and a wide range of localities that are located in the Landherrenallee's side streets, such as from the Agnoliaplatz diverging Tholstenstraße. Theatres are clustered around the Fackplatz which runs parallel to the street and also hosts landmarks such as the most famous Mascyllary police station, the Elliswache, the Erotic Arts Museum, the only one of its kind in Mascylla, the Ahndau-Süd-Theater, Neues Theater Nord, and the Sexuality Museum.

Since 1977, the Landherrenallee is the location of the Volldröhn, a concert and celebration event occuring annually each June. Other yearly events include the Landherrenallee-Festival in April and other national holidays.

Sexual activites

The street is home to various famous erotic establishments and localities dealing with sexual affairs.

Social life

Märgelstraße side street apartments in the local Kiez (2018)

Since the 1970s there has been frequent discussion about the remodeling of the central Fackplatz and the larger Kiez of the Landherrenallee to increase livablity and quality of life, which has seen severe downgrading in the early beginnings of the red-light district. At first, two pavillons were erected on the plaza in the 1974 and planning of a possible shopping mall had commenced. Many different fast food restaurants, clubs, recreational activity areas, and smaller shops for clothing and souvenirs settled there in preparation for the mall's construction. However, the location proved to be unadvantageous due to its lack of space and low density of sanitary services and infrastructure aswell as souring crime rates led to shops quickly closing again and them not being able to sell their rental space off. The construction of the shopping mall was finally cancelled in 1976 and the project never resumed.

Due to the neighbourhood's localities and sex industry, it is a hotspot of criminal activity and drug consumption. The street has seen some of the highest crime rates in Mascylla and is infamous for its gang rivalries and forced prostitution. This has led to larger Police presence and an emigrating population. Discussions about whether adults can legally live with children in the area are ongoing. Extensive measures such as large screens blocking the view into brothel side streets, street prostitution being confined to designated areas and frequent police raids to uncover illegal activities have been introduced.

The Fackplatz devolved into a eyesore of the city. In 1990, the pavillons were demolished and the subsequent open area remained unused. After numerous proposals by inhabitants and the city government, in 1997 it was decided that a new metro station Fackplatz will be constructed on the 500 square metres area; several elderly and locals have expressed their dismay over the decision, fearing the diminishing of the neighbourhood's character in favor of practicability and "forced prettyness". The Kiezrat Landherrenallee oversees the gentrification of the area.

Traffic connection

Landherrenallee traffic and street sign