Spandau (locality)

Spandau
Quarter of Berlin
Old Town (Altstadt Spandau)
Spandau
Location of Spandau in Spandau district and Berlin
Coordinates: 52°32′10″N 13°12′12″E / 52.53611°N 13.20333°E / 52.53611; 13.20333Coordinates: 52°32′10″N 13°12′12″E / 52.53611°N 13.20333°E / 52.53611; 13.20333
Country	Germany
State	Berlin
City	Berlin
Borough	Spandau
Area
• Total	8.03 km2 (3.10 sq mi)
Elevation	35 m (115 ft)
Population (2008-06-30)
• Total	33,433
• Density	4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	(nr. 0501) 13403, 13407, 13409
Vehicle registration	B

Spandau is a locality (Ortsteil) of Berlin in the homonymous borough (Bezirk) of Spandau. The historic city is situated, for the most part, on the western banks of the Havel river. As of 2008 the estimated population of Spandau was 33,433.

The locality is situated in the middle of its borough. It borders Wilhelmstadt in the south, Staaken and Falkenhagener Feld in the west, Hakenfelde in the north as well as Haselhorst, Siemensstadt and Westend (in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district) in the east.

Spandau proper is subdivided into four historic neighbourhoods (Ortslagen):

The city was founded at the confluence of the rivers Spree and Havel. The settlement of the area can be traced back to the 6th century when the eastern territories of the Elbe river were populated by several Slavic tribes. The history of Spandau begins in the 7th or 8th century, when the Slav Hevelli settled in the area and later built a fortress there. It was conquered in 928 by the German King Henry I, but returned to Slavic rule after the rebellion of 983. In 1156, the Ascanian count Albert the Bear took possession of the region and is believed to have established a fortress here, from which the name Spandau originated. It was around this fortress that the city of Spandow developed, becoming the centre of the entire region.