▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Ne uk öll n ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁sector ▁of ▁West ▁Berlin . ▁The ▁S onnen alle e , ▁connecting ▁Ne uk öll n ▁at ▁Hermann platz ▁with ▁Ba um sch ulen weg ▁in ▁former ▁East ▁Berlin , ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁border ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall . ▁During ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁Ne uk öll n ▁retained ▁its ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁traditional ▁working - class ▁area ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁Berlin ' s ▁red - light ▁districts . ▁Many ▁g ast arbe iter , ▁especially ▁from ▁Turkey ▁and ▁Greece , ▁settled ▁in ▁Kreuz berg ▁and ▁Ne uk öll n ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁later ▁followed ▁by ▁Palest in ian ▁and ▁Arab ic ▁refuge es ▁from ▁the ▁Leb an ese ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 8 0 s , ▁Ne uk öll n , ▁like ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁Kreuz berg , ▁has ▁emb rac ed ▁alternative ▁forms ▁of ▁living ▁and ▁an ▁often ▁anti - est ab lish ment ▁culture ▁that ▁is ▁still ▁v ibr ant ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁late ▁rep atri ates ▁from ▁formerly ▁Soviet ▁states ▁like ▁Ukraine ▁and ▁Russia ▁res ett led ▁in ▁Germany , ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁and ▁in ▁Ne uk öll n ▁specifically . ▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁de cade ▁as ▁a ▁typical ▁inner - city ▁hot ▁spot , ▁ 2