If someone claims that Berlin’s subway stations look dingy and uninviting, that certainly doesn’t apply to all of them. Some have retained their historic charm and now almost feel like little museums, making even the wait for the next train more enjoyable. These include, for example, the Klosterstraße subway station, with its historic railcar, Babylonian-style tiles, 22 enamel panels, and other relics from bygone eras. But by far the most elegant of them all is the Wittenbergplatz subway station.
The Wittenbergplatz subway station opened as early as 1902, making it one of Berlin’s oldest subway stations. It was built as part of Berlin’s first elevated and underground railway system, although the original station was considerably smaller than the facility we know today. Between 1911 and 1913, the station underwent a major expansion. Alfred Grenander, one of the most important architects of the Berlin subway, was responsible for this project. Among other things, he designed the large platform concourse and the striking station building, which continues to shape the appearance of Wittenbergplatz to this day.
A distinctive feature of the station is its five tracks spread across three platforms. This layout—unusually large for a subway station—was created because Wittenbergplatz was expanded into a major transfer point for several lines at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, lines U1, U2, and U3 stop here, making the station an important transportation hub in City-West to this day.
Anyone who enters the station quickly gets the feeling of traveling back in time. Yellowish tiles, green metal railings, historic design elements, and old advertisements evoke the Berlin of decades past. Many historic elements have been preserved or restored, which is why the station stands out distinctly from more modern stations . The complex is now a designated historic landmark and encompasses construction phases from 1902 to 1903 and from 1911 to 1913.
A particularly unusual story lies behind a London Underground sign that can still be seen in the station today. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Berlin subway in 1952, the then London Transport Executive presented the sign to the BVG as a symbol of solidarity between the transit agencies. It was officially presented on July 2, 1952, and is located on Platform I. This means it is not a London-themed decoration added later, but a genuine historical gift from the British capital.
Its location also makes Wittenbergplatz a special Berlin station. When you leave the station building, you find yourself in the heart of historic City-West, right on Tauentzienstraße and directly next to KaDeWe. Today, the grand station building is one of the area’s most distinctive landmarks.
