KAISER-WILHELM-GEDÄCHTNIS-KIRCHE
This ruined Neo-Romanesque church is one of Berlin’s most haunting symbols. It was consecrated in 1895 and named Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in honour of Wilhelm I. Following severe damage by the 1943 bombing raids, the ruins of the tower were left standing as a memorial. Egon Eiermann built a new church next to it in 1957–63.
NEED TO KNOW
Breitscheidplatz • (030) 218 50 23 • www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de • Open Church: 9am–7pm daily; memorial hall: 10am–6pm Mon–Sat, noon–6pm Sun; services 10am and 6pm Sun • Free guided tours at 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 2:15pm & 3:15pm daily and 10:15am & 11:15am Mon, Fri & Sat (donations welcome); group tours in English available for a small fee
- Visit the new church on a sunny day around lunchtime, when the blue glass window is at its most impressive.
- There are fantastic views of the church from the Mövenpick Café in the Europa-Center opposite.
1. Tower Ruins
Only the church tower survived the Allied bombing raids that razed much of the city to the ground in 1943. Today only 71 m (233 ft) high, the tower once rose to 113 m (370 ft). The rough hole in its roof has given rise to its nickname “the Hollow Tooth”.
2. New Bell Tower
The hexagonal bell tower rises 53 m (174 ft) high next to the tower ruins on the site of the old church’s main nave.
3. Kaiser’s Mosaic
One of the preserved mosaics shows Heinrich I on his throne, with imperial orb and sceptre. Originally decorated with scenes from German imperial history, the interior was meant to place the Hohenzollerns within that tradition.
4. Main Altar
The golden figure of Christ created by Karl Hemmeter is suspended above the main altar in the modern church. In the evening light, the windows behind the altar glow an overwhelming dark blue.
5. Mosaic of the Hohenzollerns
The vividly coloured mosaic of the Hohenzollerns adorns the vestibule of the church ruins. It depicts Emperor Wilhelm I together with Queen Luise of Prussia and her entourage.
6. Original Mosaics
Glittering mosaics in Jugendstil style showing Prussian dukes and princes are preserved on the walls and ceilings along the stairways.
7. Figure of Christ
Miraculously, the vast, plain sculpture of Christ, which is suspended from the ceiling, survived the bombing of the church.
8. Coventry Crucifix
This small crucifix was forged from old nails that were found in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral in England. It commemorates the bombing of Coventry by the German Luftwaffe in 1940.
9. Tower Clock
The tower clock is based on a Classical design, with Roman numerals. At night, it is lit blue by modern light-emitting diodes to match the lighting inside.
10. Russian Orthodox Cross
This gift from the bishops of Volokolomsk and Yuruyev was given in memory of the victims of Nazism.
A CHURCH WITH TWO LIVES
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche has the Berliners to thank for its preservation: in 1947, the Senate had planned to demolish the tower ruins for safety reasons. In a referendum only about 10 years later, however, one in two Berliners voted for its preservation. And so the idea came about to build a new church next to the ruin and to preserve the vestibule of the old church as a striking memorial hall to the horrors of war.
