Pankow is a borough located in the German capital city of Berlin. It currently serves as the second largest and most populous borough within the city's administrative structure.
The current boundaries of Pankow were established during Berlin's 2001 administrative reform, which merged it with the former boroughs of Prenzlauer Berg and Weißensee. Despite this merger, the resulting district retained the name Pankow.
Historically, the area held unique geopolitical significance during the division of Germany. While the German Democratic Republic identified Berlin as its capital, the Western Allies at one point claimed that Pankow was the actual capital of the German Democratic Republic.