subject: The History Of Frederick Street The World Over [print this page] Take a number of the world's cities and you'll find, more often than not, a handful of them share similar street names. While the intrigue might stop there, some streets in particular have a more colourful history than others; such as the Frederick Streets of Dunedin, Berlin and Edinburgh where war, immigration and the develop of architecture all play a prominent role.
Frederick Street in Berlin, Germany has a particularly important history. Bisected during the Cold War and the location of Checkpoint Charlie (the crossing between East and West Germany), Frederick Street was also the crossing point for trains between the two divisions. At the Frederick Street station, security was very strict and passengers could not cross between the two platforms without documents and papers. Nowadays, Frederick Street is a popular shopping district and has benefited from significant refurbishment since the war.
Thousands of miles beyond Europe, the Fredrick Street of Dunedin in New Zealand has a very unique history indeed. The seventh largest urban area in New Zealand, Dunedin takes its name from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. When European settlers arrived in the mid 1800s, the Free Church of Scotland quickly asserted its presence, followed by designs and architecture that attempted to emulate Scotland's capital. Sitting proudly in the heart of the city, Frederick Street boasts some of the city's oldest buildings.
With New Zealand settlers taking inspiration from Scotland, it's no wonder that Edinburgh still retains its own Frederick Street. Built in the early 1800s, Edinburgh's Frederick Street was part of the city's 'New Town' development which saw a move away from traditional medieval tenement living towards the opulence of Georgian design. Today, an Edinburgh Fredrick Street Hotel will still play host to some of the city's much talked about glitterati as well as overseas visitors looking for accommodation that's a cut above.
