Köpenick

Köpenick (Slavonic Kopanica) is a historic town and locality (Ortsteil) that is situated at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree in the south-east of the German capital city of Berlin. It was formerly known as Copanic and then Cöpenick, only officially adopting the current spelling in 1931. It is known for the famous imposter Hauptmann von Köpenick.

Prior to its incorporation into Berlin in 1920, Köpenick was an independent town. It then became a borough of Berlin, with an area of 128 km² (49 sq mi), making it Berlin's largest borough. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform, the borough of Köpenick was merged with that of Treptow to create the current borough of Treptow-Köpenick.

Geography

Overview

A large percentage of Köpenick's area is covered with forests and water, most notably the Müggelsee lake. The historic town lies in the centre of the Berlin Urstromtal meltwater valley at the confluence of the rivers Dahme and Spree. Shortly before its conflux with the Spree, the Schlossinsel lies on the Dahme, a small island with Köpenick Castle.