Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz is one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. The ruin of the old church has been converted into a war memorial. The Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is the symbolic centre of West Berlin, an anti-war memorial to peace and reconciliation. Following allied bombing during WWII, the original west Tower has remained standing as a ruin and is hauntingly named the "hollow tooth" as it is literally an empty husk. Immediately recognizable and located on the Breitscheidplatz at the start of the busy shopping district which includes Tauentzienstraße and Ku'damm, this is the only building on the square which was spared by the bombing and deliberately preserved as a part ruin. Built between 1891-95 in memory of Kaiser Wilhelm I, the first German Emperor (1861-1888), by Franz Schwechten in neo-romanesque style, it was damaged on December 23rd, 1943 and subsequently almost completely destroyed during the April 1945 air-raids. The Gedenkhalle (Memorial Hall) contains photographic exhibits of the Church and the surrounding area before and after the War. Other exhibits of interest are liturgical objects from bygone days and mosaics. |