Berlin’s reconstruction efforts after the Second World War were impressive. A walk through the capital reveals old witnesses and symbols of peace on every corner. One of these places is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It is internationally renowned and is one of the city’s most important sights.
Unique architecture: old meets new
As the name suggests, the original building was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II in honor of his grandfather Kaiser Wilhelm I. He had the neo-Romanesque-style church consecrated in 1895. At 113 meters, the original tower was actually the tallest in the city.
The Second World War brought dark times to Berlin, as many memorials still remind us today. On November 23, 1943, the church was almost completely destroyed in a bombing raid. In 1957, the discussion began: what should be done with the ruins? Eventually, the idea of preserving the ruins as a memorial to the horrors of war and erecting a new building next to it prevailed.
Berlin creativity gives rise to nicknames
The church is known for its unusual appearance, as it consists of two parts. The ruins of the former church stand out in the style of neo-Romantic architecture. The ruined tower is nicknamed “the hollow tooth”. The newly built Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, consecrated in 1961, consists of an octagonal nave with a separate, also octagonal bell tower.
Berliners were quick to give the new church nicknames: The modern bell tower is often referred to as “lipstick” or the church as a “powder box”. This is because – with a little imagination – you can recognize exactly these objects in the tall or octagonal shape.
The church itself has deep blue walls made up of over 20,000 individual glass blocks. The blue of the windows is symbolic of peace and the colored traces incorporated into them represent joy. When you enter the church, this special light creates an atmosphere of silence and reflection. And at night, the blue is intensified by electric lighting between the double glass walls and radiates out into the city.
Places of remembrance
The memorial hall, a small museum, is located on the first floor of the old tower ruins. It’s worth a visit if you want to see the old architecture and scenes from the life of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Another place of remembrance is located directlyin front of the church on Breitscheidplatz.A golden crack set into the groundthere commemorates the victims of the terrorist attack on the Christmas market there in December 2016.
And there is also a story surrounding the former church: it once had the second largest ringing bells in Germany after Cologne Cathedral – but they were melted down during the Second World War. According to legend, the bells were so loud at the inauguration that even the wolves at Berlin Zoo began to howl…