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    Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche

    Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

    4.2 (79 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche Photos

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    Robyn P.

    The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is over 100 years old. The church was heavy damaged in 1943 during a bombing during World War II. The newer addition that is actively used is adjacent and has a remarkable bright blue backdrop that really took my breath away.

    John H.

    What could I possibly say that hasn't already been said? If you've never visited, then make it part of your first or second trip to Berlin. Definitely do the tour, and climb up. Well worth it to hear the guide recite the history of the church.

    @endoedibles on Instagram 07/10/22
    Michael U.

    Called "the hollow tooth" the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is a Protestant church on the Kurfürstendamm in the centre of the Breitscheidplatz. Badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943 the present building was built between 1959 and 1963, but the damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall acting as modern history.

    Sarah M.

    The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche is an example of everything I love about Berlin. Let me explain: The one thing that really struck me about Berlin was that in a lot of areas, you'd be walking around and then all of a sudden you'd come across an old bombed-out building. Now, in most places, those buildings would be torn down to make way for something new. Not so in Berlin. Instead of tearing town their scars of war, Berliners instead embrace the buildings as a part of their past, and in many cases, turn them into works of art. The Berlin wall is the most obvious example, but you can find examples throughout the city. I found the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche to be particularly striking. Although it isn't covered in graffiti like so many other ruinous buildings in Berlin, I love the way this old building is juxtaposed against all the new retail stores in this area. It's definitely one of the more interesting landmarks in the city.

    Qype User (BearBe…)

    A lot of the interior of the old church is in remarkably good condition - I had expected it to be a blasted out shell. The modern church seems a little bit dated now but it's still worth seeing. It's surprisingly tranquil considering it's sandwiched in between two busy streets. Worth seeing if you want an idea of the extent of the destruction that the Nazi regime wrought upon Germany during World War Two.

    David J.

    The Kaiser Dom is a major landmark in central Berlin. Commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II and built 1893-1905, this huge church contains a crypt with the remains of the Hohenzollern Dynasty with the notable exception of Wilhelm II himself. It is technically not a cathedral the German word 'Dom' also referring to collegiate churches with endowments. History The church is built on the site of a series of earlier churches, the first of which was a Royal Chapel of the Brandenburg family built in 1451. This became a collegiate church in 1465 and the burial place of the Hohenzollern dynasty from 1545. A new facade was added in 1667, but in 1747 the church was demolished to make way for an extension to the castle, and a new church church erected in 1747-50 in the Baroque style. Karl Friedrich Schinkel remodeled this in 1820 in a simpler neo-classical style, but Wilhelm II wanted something altogether grander for his redeveloped capital, and so the 'new' church was demolished and replaced with the present church in the 19th Century Neo-Baroque style. The building was badly damaged in 1940 and again in 1944, when the dome was hit by an incendiary bomb and collapsed, the rubble falling through into the crypt. Restoration was begun in 1975 and completed in 1993. During this period, one of the wings the Memorial Hall was removed to simplify the design. The church Designed by Julius and Otto Rachsdorff in an Imperial neo-Baroque style, the exterior dimensions are suitably impressive: 114 metres (374 ft) long, 73 metres (240 ft) wide and 116 metres (381 ft) tall to the top of the dome. The interior is that of a large basilica, with a Marriage Chapel on the south side: the style is, as you would expect, grandiose, with acres of marble and gilding, but there is no question that it is impressive. The dome ceiling is decorated with more statues, gilding and mosaics, and the huge 114-pipe organ has three 32' pipes. The crypt has an altogether different ambience, the coffins of dozens of Hohenzollerns from the 15t century onwards lying under whitewashed low-vaulted ceilings, though some of the coffins are quite elaborate in themselves. A few shown signs of damaged suffered during World War II. Facilities Except for services, an entrance fee is charged to cover maintenance costs. There is a small cafe, museum and shop. As well as the main church, marriage hall and crypt, access is available to the base of the dome, from which there are excellent views of Mitte (and the queues are a lot less than the ugly TV tower nearby). There are a lot of steps, however, so only for the fit! The church has a locally-drawn congregation: for information on services, see the website.

    Gregory S.

    Damaged during World War 2 (air raid 1943). You can hear/see the orchestra there as well. Originally built in 1890s. It's in the city near the mall and the zoo. It's interesting to see historical structures near modern shops. Either way, it's a beautiful build with tons of history. It's currently under construction.

    Construction

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    18 years ago

    If you a lucky guy - you may be closed inside of the church and listening wonderful organ music for ~ 15-20 min.

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    Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche

    I'm glad someone had the foresight to keep these ruins in the public view as a more visceral memorial to the violence of World War II.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Siegessäule

    Siegessäule

    4.5(185 reviews)
    1.5 kmTiergarten

    No credit card, but it only costs $4.50 Euros per person. It's worth the visit!…read more The Golden Angel. Depending upon where you are in Berlin, you can access it from four different points. From where I was staying, I walked up to it from behind. It's basically smack dab in the middle of a traffic circle, so pedestrians access it from an underground tunnel that gets you to the Siegessaule. From a distance, it looks like a monument. It's not until I saw people walking around in it that I realized I could go inside. Once I walked through the doorway, I saw the ticket booth. Once you walk through the ground floor museum of monuments in different countries, the signs lead you to the stairs that take you to the beautiful mosaic artwork. However, when I saw the spiral staircase that leads right up to the Golden Angel, and saw tourists walking towards me, I booked it up that spiral staircase! No elevator. Oh boy, it was quite the workout. So worth it though. The top of the staircase leads you outdoors, right below the Golden Angel. Spectacular views all around. I don't recommend it if you are afraid of heights. I walked all around, but held onto the side of the building the entire time. When I was done enjoying the view from the top, I walked down to view the mosaic artwork. Beautiful. Luckily the walk down is never as bad as the walk up. If you are in Berlin, I highly recommend the full experience of walking all the way to the top.

    This is one of those cultural historic sites in Berlin. Yeah sure, it's a little bit touristy. But,…read moreif you've traveled to Berlin, you've got to go here and make the climb. And, climb you will. This architectural site can be seen from far away. It's located in Tiergarten Park and several trails and roads will lead you to it. Once in the area, you make your final trek to get to it by underground passageways. You don't want to try to cross the street, as the traffic in the traffic circle that surrounds it, is crazy. Once in the center, you wander around the site or go directly inside. There, you will be charged to see the minor museum area they have on the lower level devoted to this, "Victory Column." Then, comes the climb. It's a long steep challenging one. But, for those of us who like to work out, it's a lot of fun. To discuss the climb. What you do is to go up a long spiral staircase inside of the structure. The thing you need to know about this, if you come here on off-days, you may have no problem. I have been there when my wife and I were the only ones who made it to the top. Most people are nice, and let other easily pass. Some people are rude, however. And, they just push their way by or completely block people, on the very small staircase. Just keep that in mind. Overall, at the top, you step outside and have a nice view of Berlin. Again, this is a historic site and a fun place to visit in Berlin. Plus, you get a good workout by climbing to the top.

    Photos
    Siegessäule - Spiral staircase to the top

    Spiral staircase to the top

    Siegessäule
    Siegessäule

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    Breitscheidplatz

    Breitscheidplatz

    3.7(11 reviews)
    0.1 kmWilmersdorf

    As plazas go in Berlin, this one has a lot of good and a fair bit of bad…read more The good is the size of the space and the traffic that wanders through, The bad is the serious lack of soul and warmth, and a church from the modernist era that really does not do justice to the ruin it accompanies. The Plaza: A place where many paths cross, transit brings the masses and shopping and street kiosks do everything possible to provide the shopper with places to spend money. The Europa Center anchors the East side, providing a time capsule of 1980s cheesy architecture, a funky fountain and a generally lackluster facade taken up with (mostly) signs for the businesses that inhabit that space. The Kaiser Church ruin: One really wishes there was more space around the tower so that it stood silent testament to the horrors of war, and the end result of an overwrought militarism. But no, there are these two carbuncles attached to it. One is locally called the 'pillbox' and in any other place would be pretty cool. Actually, if he pillbox was alone, it would be acceptable... but no... it has a companion. A tower called locally called "the lipstick tube", and it has about that much character, It blocks a side of the broken tower, and thats a pity. And inside its base is a really tacky shop selling imported crap. Yeah, great way to honor the purpose of the church and the ruin. Fail. Entry into the ruin and church are free, as they should be. The west side is mostly forgettable, as are the buildings on the north and south. This place combines amazing traffic with lackluster architecture to succeed in spite of itself. Its a place with people - lots of them - but go on a Sunday, when its almost empty, and see just how bland and uninspired that space really is.

    Photos
    Breitscheidplatz
    Breitscheidplatz - Orgelfestival 5.7.2015

    Orgelfestival 5.7.2015

    Breitscheidplatz

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    Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas - Approaching the memorial

    Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas

    4.3(260 reviews)
    3.1 kmMitte

    A powerful site that you can feel the chill running down your spine. Was here on a raining morning…read moreand it was just a site. No names no words but just that...just wow!

    Another day in Berlin and another museum reminding us all about World War II and the Holocaust…read more It's free, but you have to wait to get in. They let you in in staggered blocks. If you see a long line, just get on it. It moves quickly. Much of the staff is multilingual, too. I saw the young people working the ropes talking to people from all over Europe in their own languages. Outside there is a staggeringly large monument of large grey slabs. Some are leaning, and I'm not sure if it is intentional or due to disrepair and the elements. What I do know is it is a kind of maze which people seem to mainly use to play hide and seek or do parkour on, even though it's a museum dedicated to the Jews murdered in Europe. Kind of sad to witness. Inside is a large multi room museum documenting personal stories with various types of exhibits of the people rounded up, killed, or the few who survived. There are readings of testimonials of survivors of the camps that you can listen to on phones in the wall. It's very depressing but oh so important. And considering how much antisemitism there is in the world today and how trendy it is, it was somewhat moving to see so many people who wanted to come in and get educated on the horrors the Jews went through in World War II Germany. A really important part of history well told. Check it out and then you can walk over and see a bunch of tourist stuff like Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag. You'll probably need a drink, but it is definitely worth checking out. Especially if you have a teenager and especially if you are Jewish yourself.

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    Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas
    Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas
    Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas

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    American Church in Berlin - American Church in Berlin

    American Church in Berlin

    4.5(2 reviews)
    2.3 kmSchöneberg

    The American Church in Berlin has its roots in the work of the German-American American Methodist…read moreEpiscopal (ME) missionary preacher Ludwig Nippert. He began worship in English in the large hall of his apartment in Klosterstrasse in January 1859. Worship moved to a purpose built chapel in Junkerstrasse in 1880, and in 1903 a permanent church was erected in Nollendorfplatz. This was closed (and the pastor asked to leave Germany) in 1941 and the building was destroyed during an air-raid in 1943. The post war history saw the church split into a more distinctly Lutheran church in 1955, which reassumed the ecumenical and non-denominational mantle of the American Church in 1987. Worship moved to current building in 2002 which was purchased as a permanent home in 2007. The Church engages in a wide range of community outreach. There is a more traditional Sunday morning service at 11am with a more informal Gospel service in the afternoon. I've been attending on my visits to Berlin for around 7 years and found it friendly and welcoming.

    American Church is one of the gorgeous buildings in the Bülowkiez, it hard to miss. The…read morecongregation can trace back to the 19th century, its original Church was built in Nollendorfplatz, later was destroyed by bombing in 1944. But the congregation continued their in others churches in South Berlin. Till 2002, it moved to the current location in Dennewitzplatz. Although the church is closed most of the time, its architecture style is still quite charming, it attracts many visitors. Next to the church is one of the most popular park - Park am Gleisdreieck, great to have a walk there.

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    American Church in Berlin - American Church in Berlin

    American Church in Berlin

    American Church in Berlin - Promo event on Sunday

    Promo event on Sunday

    American Church in Berlin

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    Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche - churches - Updated May 2026

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