Hallo zusammen!
It is Friday abend, officially the beginning of das Wochenende! So, today I thought I would write a little history Blog entry. First, let me explain. Four times a week I go to the Deutsch Akademie at WIttenbergplatz. Normalerweise to get there, I take the S-Bahn to Zoologischer Station and walk the fifteen minutes past the church to school. I’ve been past this church at least ten times and I still don’t know the history behind it! I’m sure not all of you know the Gedächtniskirche’s story either, so let’s do this!
So the church, designed in the Neo- Romanesque style by Franz Schwechten, was built in the early 1890s under the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II to commemorate his grandfather, the first German emperor. It was opened on September 1, 1895. There it stood proudly for about 40 years before being wrecked by an air raid on November 23, 1943 during World War II. For the next 20 years, there was much debate and controversy over whether the damaged building should have parts torn down, or if it should remain as it, serving as a symbolic reminder for the people of Berlin.
Finally it was decided, that most of the church was to be torn down and rebuilt in a more modern style, while the damaged spire would remain. The new part of the church, completed in December 1963, consists of two newer builds covered in coloured glass. Next to these two buildings, the damaged spire stands out to serve as a reminder of peace. In such a busy city, it is seen by thousands of people daily.
nicknamed der Hohle Zahn, or the Hollow Tooth
Hopefully this little story sheds a new light on the church for you. Bis bald :)
– Milan ♝
