Editing Alexanderplatz (section)

===Early history to the 18th century===
A hospital stood at the location of present-day {{lang|de|Alexanderplatz|italic=no}} since the 13th century. Named {{lang|de|Heiliger Georg}} (St. George), the hospital gave its name to the nearby {{lang|de|Georgentor}} (George Gate) of the [[Defensive wall|Berlin city wall]]. Outside the city walls, this area was largely undeveloped until around 1400, when the first settlers began building [[thatching|thatched cottages]]. As a [[gallows]] was located close by, the area earned the nickname the {{lang|de|Teufels Lustgarten}} ('Devil's Pleasure Garden').<ref name=":1">''Aus der Geschichte des Alexanderplatzes'', BZA, Teil 1: ''Foltergebühr: 10 Schillinge''.</ref>
[[File:Memhardt, Bodenehr Berlin und Cölln 1652 (1720).jpg|thumb|{{lang|de|Memhardt Plan|italic=no}} from 1652 with {{lang|de|Georgentor|italic=no}}]]
The George Gate became the most important of Berlin's city gates during the 16th century, being the main entry point for goods arriving along the roads to the north and north-east of the city, for example from {{lang|de|Oderberg|italic=no}}, {{lang|de|Prenzlau|italic=no}} and {{lang|de|Bernau|italic=no}}, and the big [[Hanseatic Cities|Hanseatic cities]] on the [[Baltic Sea]].

After the [[Thirty Years' War]], the city wall was strengthened. From 1658 to 1683, a citywide [[Berlin Fortress|fortress]] was constructed to plans by the [[Linz]] master builder, {{lang|de|[[Johann Gregor Memhardt]]|italic=no}}. The new fortress contained 13 bastions connected by ramparts and was preceded by a moat measuring up to {{convert|50|m}} wide. Within the new fortress, many of the historic city wall gates were closed. For example, the southeastern {{lang|de|Stralauer|italic=no}} Gate was closed but the Georgian Gate remained open, making the Georgian Gate an even more important entrance to the city.

In 1681, the trade of cattle and pig fattening was banned within the city. [[Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick William, the Great Elector]], granted cheaper plots of land, waiving the basic interest rate, in the area in front of the Georgian Gate. Settlements grew rapidly and a weekly cattle market was established on the square in front of the Gate.

The area developed into a suburb – the {{lang|de|Georgenvorstadt}} – which continued to flourish into the late 17th century. Unlike the southwestern suburbs ({{lang|de|[[Friedrichstadt (Berlin)|Friedrichstadt]]|italic=no}}, {{lang|de|[[Dorotheenstadt]]|italic=no}}) which were strictly and geometrically planned, the suburbs in the northeast ({{lang|de|Georgenvorstadt|italic=no}}, {{lang|de|Spandauervorstadt|italic=no}} and the {{lang|de|Stralauer Vorstadt|italic=no}}) proliferated without plan. Despite a building ban imposed in 1691, more than 600 houses existed in the area by 1700.

At that time, the George Gate was a rectangular gatehouse with a tower. Next to the tower stood a remaining tower from the original [[middle Ages|medieval]] city walls. The upper floors of the gatehouse served as the city jail.<ref>Serie ''Aus der Geschichte des Alexanderplatzes'', T. 2: ''Rüger auf der Lauer''.</ref> A drawbridge spanned the moat and the gate was locked at nightfall by the garrison using heavy oak planks.

A highway ran through the cattle market to the northeast towards {{lang|de|[[Bernau bei Berlin|Bernau]]|italic=no}}. To the right stood the George chapel, an orphanage and a hospital that was donated by the Elector [[Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Sophie Dorothea]] in 1672. Next to the chapel stood a dilapidated medieval [[plague house]] which was demolished in 1716. Behind it was a rifleman's field and an inn, later named the {{lang|de|Stelzenkrug}}.

By the end of the 17th century, 600 to 700 families lived in this area. They included butchers, cattle herders, shepherds and dairy farmers. The George chapel was upgraded to the George church and received its own preacher.