Who was allowed to vote — and to run for office — has changed dramatically over time. Join us on a journey through the history of voting rights in Donaukiez.
By Eric Friedewald
1908 – Old, white men with lots of money rule Rixdorf
Many people probably think of politicians from the imperial era as old men with mustaches, cigars, tailcoats and top hats. This image is no coincidence. The City Assembly (today the BVV) of Rixdorf (later Neukölln) could only be elected by tax-paying men aged 25 and older. Women, young people, the poor, and soldiers were excluded from the right to vote. Consequently, only about 15% of Rixdorf’s residents were eligible to cast a ballot. And that was not all: the remaining eligible voters were divided into three classes based on the amount of taxes they paid. A small number of wealthy individuals in the first two classes constituted only 20% of eligible voters. 80% of eligible voters belonged to the third class. However, each class elected one-third of the city representatives—a system that heavily favored the wealthy and kept the SPD, as the party of the working class, out of power.
1918/20: A Revolution in Voting Rights
During the Weimar Republic, voting rights in Berlin—as elsewhere—underwent a revolution. The minimum voting age was lowered to 20; non-taxpayers—and, crucially, women—were permitted to participate in elections for the very first time. The three-class voting system was abolished, and every vote was now given equal weight. Nevertheless, certain significant groups remained excluded from the electoral process: people in detention (including those in pre-trial custody) or residing in sanatoriums and care facilities were unable to vote. Active soldiers were also excluded from voting. This was intended to limit the army’s influence on the state after the First World War.
After the transfer of power to the National Socialists, the last elections until the end of the Nazi dictatorship took place in Berlin: the Reichstag elections on March 5 and the elections for the city and district assemblies on March 12, 1933. These elections were already characterized by massive restrictions and overt terror. In Neukölln, the NSDAP secured one-third of the votes in the elections for the District Assembly (BVV).
Elections after the war
One and a half years after the end of the war, in October 1946, the first and, for the time being, last city-wide elections took place in all four occupation sectors of Greater Berlin. One year after the war, individuals with ties to the Nazi regime were barred from participating in the elections. Under no circumstances were they permitted to be elected, and in many cases, they were also prohibited from voting themselves. This restriction applied, in particular, to members of the NSDAP, SS, Gestapo, SD, and other National Socialist organizations.
In the wake of this election, Berlin saw the appointment of its first female Lord Mayor—Louise Schröder—in 1947; meanwhile, Neukölln—thanks to the left-wing majorities—gained „Karl-Marx-Straße,“ a renaming of the former Berliner Straße and Bergstraße. By 1948, elections for the city and district assemblies could only be held within the Western sectors of Berlin.
**1969: Voting Age Lowered to 18**
In 1969, the voting age was lowered to 18. By 1990, the minimum age for holding office (passive suffrage) had also been gradually reduced from 25 to 18.
**1990: West Berlin Votes (Again)**
The first elections for the German Bundestag did not take place in Neukölln until 1990. But wait—wasn’t Neukölln part of West Berlin? Yes, but the city had a special status under the control of the Allies of the Second World War. The laws of the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) applied only indirectly to West Berlin, and Berliners were not permitted to participate in elections for the German Bundestag. Instead, there existed merely a delegation of representatives elected by the (West) Berlin House of Representatives—a group that, however, possessed only speaking rights in Bonn, but no voting rights. Incidentally, in the 1990 federal and state parliamentary elections, the CDU was the strongest political force in the Donaukiez district.
1994/1995: Voting Rights for EU Citizens
Since 1995, EU citizens in Berlin have been entitled to vote in elections for the District Assemblies (BVV). This right is based on the Maastricht Treaty, which was subsequently incorporated into German law. In the Donaukiez, this means that for the upcoming elections, approximately 1,200 people are eligible to vote. Unlike elections for the European Parliament, no one here is required to actively register in the electoral roll; anyone officially registered as a resident in Neukölln is entitled to vote.
2019: Inclusive voting rights
2019 marked the end of a long and sad tradition of exclusion from voting rights. Until that time, many people with disabilities were barred from voting. For instance, anyone under legal guardianship was excluded from participating in elections. Voting rights have now also been extended to individuals held in forensic psychiatric facilities.
2006/2026: Berlin—Voting from Age 16!
As early as 2006, 16- and 17-year-olds were granted the right to participate—for the first time—in elections for the District Assemblies. However, it remained difficult to explain why they were not permitted to vote in other elections—which often took place simultaneously. This year, things are much simpler: for the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds are now eligible to vote in the elections for the Berlin House of Representatives. Nevertheless, the minimum age for *passive* voting rights (the right to stand for election) remains at 18; consequently, those under 18 who wish to engage in political representation must continue to do so through the Children’s and Youth Parliament.
Dieser Beitrag ist erstmals am 18.06.2026 in der Donauwelle 13/2026 erschienen. Die Kiezzeitung Donauwelle wurde im Rahmen des Projektes „Wir sind der Donaukiez“ erstellt. Dieses Projekt wird gefördert durch die Bundesrepublik Deutschland und das Land Berlin im Rahmen des Städtebauförderprogramms Sozialer Zusammenhalt – Zusammenleben im Quartier gemeinsam gestalten.