My name is Marcel Hopp. I was born in Neukölln in 1988 and grew up in Buckow Nord and Gropiusstadt. I still live in Gropiusstadt today—my home and the neighborhood I’m committed to representing politically.

As the son of a nurse—who came to Germany from South Korea as a guest worker in the 1970s—and a locksmith and engineer who pursued his education through adult education programs, I know how important a good education, social security, and fair opportunities in life are. These experiences continue to shape my political activism to this day.

I attended the Grundschule am Regenweiher elementary school in Gropiusstadt and earned my high school diploma at the Leonardo da Vinci School in Alt-Buckow. I studied at Humboldt University in Berlin (German, history, and education). 

I spent my entire childhood and youth in South Neukölln—in the area between the Hufeisensiedlung, the allotment garden colony on the Teltow Canal, across the “big playground” on Möwenweg, all the way around the Neukölln Hospital to the Gropius Passage and the Gropiusstadt outdoor pool. I have been a member of the SPD

since 2011 and have been volunteering with the SPD Neukölln ever since.

I am very pleased and honored to be running as the SPD Neukölln candidate for the House of Representatives in Constituency 4, “Gropiusstadt, Buckow North, and the northern Blumenviertel”—for “my neighborhood,” where I grew up and which has always held a special place in my heart. 

I became a teacher because I’m convinced that a good education determines one’s opportunities in life and that our education system must become more equitable. After all, no child should have fewer opportunities in life because of their background or their parents’ financial situation.

Before I was elected to the Berlin House of Representatives in 2021, I had been teaching at the Clay School in Rudow since 2015. Even at age 16, I knew that I absolutely wanted to become a teacher. Working with young people—guiding them on their journey and giving them courage and a sense of purpose—has always been particularly fulfilling for me. Among other subjects, I taught German, history, politics, and ethics, and served as a homeroom teacher and guidance counselor for the school’s students.

At the same time, I’ve always been politically engaged. Especially in the areas of education, work with children and youth, affordable housing, and the social development of our neighborhoods, I see challenges that must be addressed through political action. That is why I decided to take on responsibility and actively advocate for Neukölln in the Berlin House of Representatives—for the district where I was born, grew up, and still live today.

I am currently the chair of the SPD Gropiusstadt chapter and vice chair of the SPD Neukölln chapter. Since 2021, I have represented Gropiusstadt, Buckow Nord, and the northern Blumenviertel in the Berlin House of Representatives.

For me, politics means listening, being accessible, and solving concrete problems—right here in the neighborhood. That’s exactly why my campaign for the 2026 Berlin election is called: POLITICS ON YOUR SIDE.

In February 2026, my book “What’s It to Me? – Why We Can Only Stop the Shift to the Right Together” was published by S. FISCHER Verlag. In it, I explore why many people no longer feel represented by politics, how the societal shift to the right is changing our democracy—and what we can do together to counter it.

My primary concern is this: defending democracy, overcoming social division, and once again focusing more strongly on the realities of people’s lives. After all, politics has a very concrete impact on our everyday lives—whether it’s rent, education, work, security, or social cohesion.

The book launch took place in March 2026 at Heimathafen Neukölln and was moderated by publicist and journalist Teresa Bücker. I also had the opportunity to present the book at the Leipzig Book Fair as part of the “Leipzig liest” series.
The response to the book moved me deeply. The Berliner Morgenpost called it “an important plea for democracy,” while kulturbuchtipps.de described it as “a passionate, accessible, and provocative book” that “points beyond its pages.” Der Vorwärts called it “a source of encouragement against the shift to the right.”

Click here to visit my author and book page at S. FISCHER Verlag.