Right in the center of the big market and pedestrian island on Hermannplatz in the district of Neukölln, we see – if we care to look up – the bronze sculpture of a dancing couple. People also call it "Rixdorfer Tanzpärchen" which means "Dancing couple from Rixdorf", "Rixdorf" being one of Neukölln's old names.
More than 100 years ago, Hermannplatz used to mark the borderline between Berlin and Rixdorf. Rixdorf with all its dancing halls and breweries was a playground for hedonists and the epitome of pleasure, amusement, and debauchery, a place for Berliners to booze up and have fun with easy girls – hence the popular melody "In Rixdorf is Musike".
In January 1912 the name was changed into "Neukölln", as the bad image of Rixdorf hovered all over the place and the local authorities wanted to finally get rid of it.The statue was sculptured by Joachim Schmettau in 1985 for the opening of a garden festival and used to rotate around its own axis twice an hour, but is now standing still.
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