SCHONEBERG

Bezirk (district) of Berlin, Germany. The original 13th-century peasant settlement of Alt-Schneberg was merged in 1874 with Neu-Schneberg, which was founded by Frederick the Great in 1750 to accommodate weavers from Bohemia. The present district was formed in 1920 by uniting Schneberg with Friedenau. The Supreme Court Building on the Potsdamer Strasse became in 1945 the seat of the Allied Control Council, and in 1948 the town hall became the administrative centre of West Berlin. In the belfry hangs the Freiheitsglocke (Freedom Bell), a replica of the U.S. Liberty Bell donated to West Berlin in 1951. Schneberg's industries include printing, brewing, and the production of precision instruments, optical goods, and telecommunications equipment. Pop. (1989 est.) 149,407.