Historical question for the Germans on the board

[FramFramson]

Prior to WWII were there any smaller German towns (or neighbourhoods in larger cities) which were well-known for being just terrible and crappy? Dirty, polluted, crime-ridden, poor, maybe with a particularly terrible local landmark (like a sewage treatment plant or tannery row). Some place a really rough (and not too bright) type might come from?

[Arlequín]

I'm not German, but the Wedding district of Berlin was largely tenement blocks crammed with the working class. It became commonly known as 'Red Wedding' due to the quantity of communists and socialists that lived in it and was the scene for frequent clashes between them and the SA.

The St. Pauli district of Hamburg, with its famous Reeperbahn, was another neighbourhood of distinction and was where all the tanneries and 'smelly' industries were originally located, along with the workhouses and 'pestilence hospitals'. It became a notorious red-light district for sailors visiting the port and the smaller 'Kiez' area within it, as it was known, was one area full of bars, clubs and brothels. St. Pauli was notorious for its Jazz Music scene pre-war too.

[von Lucky]

Yeah, St Pauli would fit the bill. Maybe even somewhere in the Ruhr or Saarland.

[dice shaker]

Hello,

 the poor areas of german citys at this times had been the old, historical parts (downtown / Altstadt). This houses had been framework buildings. Low rooms, no toilets, no central heatings, overcrowded. The streets had been small and dark, because the houses got 4 to 5 floors, and they tend go got more wide at their upper floors. Terry Pratchet use the term: the shadows. Very good.
This areas in nearly all german citys are lost. They burnt down to the ground during the WW2. After the war this areas get a reconstruction. Today they look compleatly different.
Yes, there are complete framework downtowns in germany, but this are not the big ones, not the "slums". At the smaller town the situation was different, not so precarious (for the poor people).
 Berlin is a different thing, this city expand late (1860 ?), there big brickstone houses with many little floors and small rooms were built.

 Yours, Sebastian

[FramFramson]

Thanks guys. Some good answers here.