Draft:Gründerzeitviertel

A Wilhelminian-era district or Wilhelminian-era quarter is a residential district or a mixed residential and business district whose building fabric dates back to the Wilhelminian era. In a broader sense, it is also a district that was built during that period, although (due to the war) it only partially or hardly has the original building fabric. Real estate agents tend to use the term in the broadest sense. Only Wilhelminian-era districts with block-edge development are referred to as Wilhelminian-era districts, while districts with villas are called villa districts or villa colonies.

The term Wilhelminian-era district refers less to the size of a district, but always to the era in which it was built. In metropolises such as Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna or Budapest there are large, fully preserved Wilhelminian-era buildings that extend far beyond a conventional district, sometimes even across the boundaries of city districts or boroughs.

For many decades, Wilhelminian-era districts led a shadowy existence as places of cheap housing, which is why they often developed into trendy districts in metropolises over time. In the 21st century, Wilhelminian-era quarters came into general focus, were renovated in many places and have since been perceived as urban and hip. Gentrification became a buzzword in connection with Wilhelminian-era quarters, which often became showcase quarters, which is why several cities claim to have the largest Wilhelminian-era quarter in Germany.