90-865: The Berlin Palace (German: Berliner Schloss ), formally the Royal Palace (German: Königliches Schloss ) and also known as the City Palace (German: Stadtschloss ), is a large building adjacent to Berlin Cathedral and the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin . It was the main residence of the House of Hohenzollern from 1443 to 1918. Expanded by order of Frederick I of Prussia according to plans by Andreas Schlüter from 1689 to 1713, it
180-600: A Louvre on the Spree . The federal government pledged $ 20 million a year through 2010 for projects to enhance Berlin's prestige and Unesco declared the island a World Heritage Site . The contents of the museums were decided on as follows: The Pergamon, with the Greek altar that gives it its name, retained much of its collection and was defined as a museum of ancient architecture. The Neues Museum presented archaeological objects as well as Egyptian and Etruscan sculptures, including
270-458: A pastiche of former architectural styles, would be an unwelcome symbol of Germany's imperial past, and would be unacceptably expensive for no definite economic benefit. Opponents also argued that it would be impossible to accurately reconstruct the exterior and interiors of the building as neither detailed plans nor the necessary craft skills were available. Others disputed this, claiming that sufficient photographic documentation of both existed when
360-529: A cultural museum and forum. An architectural competition was held, and in 2008 the jury chose the submission by the Italian architect Franco Stella . Some of the internal spaces in Stella's design follow the exact proportions of the original state rooms of the palace; this would allow for their reconstruction at a later date should this be desired. The reconstruction also reproduces the original metre-thick width of
450-639: A decision as to its future. Demolition started in February 2006 and was completed in 2009. The demolition was lengthy because of the presence of additional asbestos, and because the palace acted as a counterbalance to the Berliner Dom, across the street, on the unstable grounds of the Museum Island. East Germans resented the demolition, especially those for whom the Palace of the Republic had been
540-464: A new building was under discussion, but the post-Napoleonic poverty made its realization impossible. After dismantling the movable interior (altar, paintings, sarcophagi), Boumann's building was demolished in 1893 and Julius and Otto Raschdorff, father and son, built the present Supreme Parish and Cathedral Church in exuberant forms of high Neo-Renaissance style. With no separation of Protestant church and state of Prussia , Wilhelm II officiated as
630-503: A place of fond memories, or who felt a sense of dislocation in a post-Communist world. From 2008, until the commencement of construction in 2013, the large area of the original Schlossplatz became a grassed field, laid out on minimal lines, with wooden platforms. At the same time, the Berlin Monument Authority (Landesdenkmalamt) undertook extensive archaeological excavations. Parts of cellars that had been situated in
720-559: A space north of the palace, which is still covered by the present building. In 1817, under the auspices of King Frederick William III of Prussia , the community of the Supreme Parish Church , like most Prussian Calvinist and Lutheran congregations joined the common umbrella organization named Evangelical Church in Prussia (under this name since 1821), with each congregation maintaining its former denomination or adopting
810-476: A strung-out exhibition room for interdisciplinary presentations. The Archaeological Promenade may be characterized as a cross-total of the collections that are shown separately (in accordance with cultural regions, epochs, and art genres) in the individual museums of the Island. The Archaeological Promenade will address multi-focus topics that have occupied the human mind irrespective of time and cultural region, be it
900-590: A vital part of urban identity and historical memory. An important driving force behind the reconstruction was businessman Wilhelm von Boddien . In 1992, he and Kathleen King von Alvensleben founded, what evolved to be the Berlin City Palace Sponsoring Association – which became the most influential lobby group. The Association accumulated plans that had been believed lost, and funded a research project at Technische Universität Berlin to measure surviving photos and drawings of
990-545: Is a museum complex on the northern part of Spree Island in the historic heart of Berlin , Germany. It is one of the capital's most visited sights and one of the most important museum sites in Europe . Originally built from 1830 to 1930, initially by order of the Prussian Kings , according to plans by five architects, the Museum Island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 because of its testimony to
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#17327662447431080-494: Is a church endowed with revenues and earning estates, in order to provide a number of canons , called in canon law a College , with prebends . In this respect a collegiate church is similar to a cathedral, which is why in colloquial German the term cathedral college ( Domstift ), became the synecdoche used – pars pro toto – for all canon-law colleges. So the college of St. Erasmus' chapel, called Domstift in German, bestowed
1170-594: Is a monumental German Protestant church and dynastic tomb ( House of Hohenzollern ) on the Museum Island in central Berlin . Having its origins as a castle chapel for the Berlin Palace , several structures have served to house the church since the 15th century. The present collegiate church was built from 1894 to 1905 by order of Emperor William II according to plans by Julius Raschdorff in Renaissance and Baroque Revival styles . The listed building
1260-572: Is also the main place of activity for the renowned boys' choir Staats- und Domchor Berlin, an institution of the Berlin University of the Arts . Since Advent 2015, The English Choir Berlin, a multinational SATB adult choir, sings Choral Evensong (Domvesper in anglikanisher Tradition) monthly on a Saturday evening and, from time to time sings at Sunday morning divine services. Museum Island The Museum Island ( German : Museumsinsel )
1350-501: Is based at St. Mary's Church and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin. Berlin Cathedral has a long history starting as a Catholic place of worship in the 15th century. The history of today's Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church and its community dates back to 1451. In that year Prince-Elector Frederick II Irontooth of Brandenburg moved with his residence from Brandenburg upon Havel to Cölln (today's Fishers' Island ,
1440-609: Is kept at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow . As for the city's major museums, it took much of the 1990s for a consensus to emerge that Museum Island's buildings should be restored and modernized, with General Director Wolf-Dieter Dube's cautious plan for their use finally approved in January 1999. Then, six months later, Peter-Klaus Schuster took over and set in motion a far more ambitious program intended to turn Museum Island into
1530-521: Is the common name for the Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church (German: Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin ) in Berlin , Germany . The Dom is the parish church of the congregation Gemeinde der Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin , a member of the umbrella organisation Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia . The term Dom denotes a collegiate church (equivalent to
1620-608: Is the largest Protestant church in Germany and one of the most important dynastic tombs in Europe . In addition to church services , the cathedral is used for state ceremonies , concerts and other events. Since the demolition of the Memorial Church (Denkmalskirche) section on the north side by the East German authorities in 1975, Berlin Cathedral has consisted of the large Sermon Church (Predigerkirche) in
1710-641: Is thought to have been repairable, the palace was demolished in 1950 by the East German authorities following much criticism. In the 1970s, the Palace of the Republic was constructed on its site. After controversial public discussions, in 2002 the Bundestag decided to demolish the Palace of the Republic in order to make place for a partial reconstruction of the Berlin Palace. Located on Spree Island,
1800-872: The Centre Pompidou in Paris. The Berlin City Palace Sponsoring Association ( Förderverein Berliner Stadtschloß ) argued for the complete external reconstruction of the City Palace, as they considered it the only option that would restore the aesthetic and historic ensemble of Berlin's heart; it also rejected suggestions that the proposed meticulous reconstruction would be an unauthentic "Disney" replica, as most centuries-old stone buildings are, by dint of aging and repair, at least partial reconstructions; and arguing that
1890-725: The Italian duomo , or the English " Minster "); however, as most cathedrals are also collegiate churches, the term "Dom" has become the common term for a cathedral in German , though they are not synonymous. Berlin Cathedral has never been a cathedral in the actual sense of that term since it has never been the seat of a bishop. The bishop of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg (under this name 1945–2003)
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#17327662447431980-608: The Supreme Parish Church of Holy Trinity , the Hohenzollern's house church, became Berlin's first, and until 1695, only Calvinist church, serving from 1632 on as the parish for all Calvinists in town. Being now a Calvinist church, the patronage of the Holy Trinity was increasingly skipped. In 1667, the dilapidated double-tower façade was torn down and in 1717 Martin Böhme erected a new Baroque façade with two towers. With
2070-543: The Weimar Republic , parts of the Stadtschloss were turned into a museum, while other parts continued to be used for receptions and other state functions. Under Adolf Hitler 's National Socialist (Nazi) Party , which laid to rest monarchist hopes of a Hohenzollern restoration, the building was mostly ignored. During World War II, the Stadtschloss was twice struck by Allied bombs : on 3 and 24 February 1945. On
2160-504: The largest in the world . The palace was originally built in the 15th century, but had changed in form throughout the next few centuries. It bore features of the Baroque style; its shape, which had been finalized by the mid-18th century, is for the most part attributed to German architect Andreas Schlüter , whose first design is likely to date from 1702, even though the palace incorporated earlier parts as seen in 1688 by Nicodemus Tessin
2250-611: The summus episcopus (Supreme Governor of the Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces , as it was named since 1875) and the state paid the complete construction cost of 11.5 million Marks . At 114 metres (374 ft) long, 73 metres (240 ft) wide and 116 metres (381 ft) tall, it was much larger than any of the previous buildings and was considered a Protestant counterweight to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. On 27 February 1905,
2340-628: The Bode, and a new annex, and Museum Island will present all art from the ancient civilizations to 1900. The James Simon Gallery , a $ 94 million visitors' center designed by the British architect David Chipperfield , is being built beside the Neues Museum. It will in turn be linked to the Neues, Altes, Pergamon and Bode Museums by an underground passageway decorated with archaeological objects. Once
2430-480: The Eosander Portal, the originals (like many of the exterior designs), having vanished after the demolition of the City Palace. These were soon followed by the mounting of the reconstructed plaques with the words of Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg , and Frederick I of Prussia , the first Prussian king. The surrounding area around the Berlin Palace which included the granite Adlersäule (Eagle Pillar),
2520-757: The Holy Cross, the Ss. Peter, Paul, Erasmus and Nicholas and enlarged the College to 12 prebendaries, bestowing two of them to canons taken on from the Dominican convent. In 1538, a new western façade with two towers was attached to the collegiate church, which – due to its prior status as a church of a mendicant order – had no tower before. In the next year, Joachim II Hector converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism , as many of his subjects had done earlier. The collegiate church thus became Lutheran too, like most of
2610-754: The Museum Island Master Plan is completed, the so-called Archaeological Promenade will connect four of the five museums on the Museum Island. The Promenade will begin at the Old Museum in the south, lead through the New Museum and the Pergamon Museum and end at the Bode Museum, located at the northern tip of the Island. Before World War II, these museums were connected by bridge passages above ground; they were destroyed due to
2700-454: The Palast der Republik was found to be contaminated with asbestos and was closed to the public. After reunification, the Berlin city government ordered the removal of the asbestos, a process which was completed by 2003. In November 2003, the German federal government decided to demolish the building and leave the area and the adjacent Marx-Engels Platz (renamed Schlossplatz) as parkland, pending
2790-760: The Schlossplatz is planned the Denkmal für Freiheit und Einheit ( Monument to Freedom and Unity ). In early April 2023, the Große Cartouche (Great Seal), was mounted on the center of the Eosander Portal, marking the completion of the façade decorations on Portal III. Berlin Cathedral Berlin Cathedral ( German : Berliner Dom ), also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church ,
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2880-569: The Stadtschloss as the Empire's centre of power. In conjunction with Germany's defeat in World War I , Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate, both as German Emperor and as King of Prussia. In November 1918, during the immediate vacuum of power following the abdication of the Kaiser, Spartacist leader Karl Liebknecht declared a German socialist republic from a balcony of the Stadtschloss. It
2970-616: The Younger . It was the principal residence and winter residence of the Hohenzollern kings of Prussia from 1701 to 1918. After the unification of Germany in 1871, it also became the central residence for the German Emperors, who also served as the kings of Prussia. After the proclamation of the Weimar Republic in 1918, the palace became a museum. In World War II, the building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing. Although it
3060-504: The allegation that the present time can only represent itself in its own architectural language, is simply ideology. The Sponsoring Association also drew attention to the observation in the Venice Charter that "historic edifices have a material age and an immaterial significance": an importance that transcends time and that, provided sufficient documentation for a truly authentic copy exists, justifies their reconstruction to preserve
3150-515: The architect Andreas Schlüter to execute a "second plan" in the Italian manner. Schlüter's first design probably dates from 1702; he planned to rebuild the palace in the Protestant Baroque style. His overall concept in the shape of a regular cube enclosing a magnificently ornamented courtyard was retained by all the building directors who succeeded him. In 1706, Schlüter was replaced by Johann Friedrich Eosander von Göthe , who designed
3240-801: The architectural and cultural development of museums in the 19th and 20th centuries. It consists of the Altes Museum , the Neues Museum , the Alte Nationalgalerie , the Bode-Museum and the Pergamonmuseum . As the Museum Island designation includes all of Spree Island north of the Karl Liebknecht Boulevard, the historic Berlin Cathedral is also located there, next to the open Lustgarten park. To
3330-484: The bronze Rossebändiger (Horse Tamers), and the Neptunbrunnen ( Neptune Fountain ), collectively called the Schlossplatz, were planned to be redesigned by 2023 in a modern way, that will still be able to bring back the mentioned original items surrounding the palace if desired. These terrace designs ended up being implemented in a more modernistic design, different than the more ornate original design. In front of
3420-620: The building. Some parts of it were in fact repaired and used from 1945 to 1950 as an exhibition space. A secret 1950 GDR Ministry of Construction report, only rediscovered in 2016, calculated that reconstruction of the damaged Palace could be achieved for 32 million East German marks . But in July 1950 Walter Ulbricht , the new General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , announced
3510-473: The castle chapel a parish church, richly endowing it with relics and altars. Pope Nicholas V ordered Stephan Bodecker , then Prince- Bishop of Brandenburg , to consecrate the chapel to Erasmus of Formiae . On 7 April 1465, at Frederick's request, Pope Paul II attributed to St Erasmus Chapel a canon law College named Stift zu Ehren Unserer Lieben Frauen, des heiligen Kreuzes, St. Petri und Pauli, St. Erasmi und St. Nicolai . This collegiate church became
3600-549: The center, and the smaller Baptismal and Matrimonial Church (Tauf- und Traukirche) on the south side and the Hohenzollern crypt (Hohenzollerngruft) , which covers almost the entire basement. Damaged during the Allied bombing in World War II , the cathedral's original interior was restored by 2002. Currently there is discussion about restoring the historical exterior as well. Berlin Cathedral (German: Berliner Dom )
3690-493: The chapel to Erasmus of Formiae . On 7 April 1465 – at Frederick Irontooth's request – Pope Paul II attributed to St Erasmus Chapel a canon-law College named Stift zu Ehren Unserer Lieben Frauen, des heiligen Kreuzes, St. Petri und Pauli, St. Erasmi und St. Nicolai dedicated to Mary(am) of Nazareth , the Holy Cross , Simon Peter , Paul of Tarsus , Erasmus of Formiae , and Nicholas of Myra . A collegiate church
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3780-603: The consent of Pope Paul III to shut down the 1297-founded Dominican convent (Black Friars), southerly neighboured to the palace, to acquire the pertaining monastic St. Paul's Church , built ca. in 1345. On 28 May 1536, most of the Black Friars moved to a Dominican monastery in Brandenburg upon Havel. Joachim II Hector assigned the thus void, three-nave church building to the Collegiate Church of Our Lady,
3870-414: The construction of the "Humboldtforum", as the new palace was titled. The foundation stone was finally laid by President Joachim Gauck in a ceremony on 12 June 2013 which heralded the launch of a €590 million reconstruction project. In 2017, there was a debate whether to feature a cross on the dome of the palace, in relation to adhering historical accuracy or secularism. Afterwards, a statue of Antinous
3960-514: The corresponding development of museum architecture. Nearby: A first exhibition hall was erected in 1797 at the suggestion of the archaeologist Aloys Hirt . In 1822, Schinkel designed the plans for the Altes Museum to house the royal Antikensammlung , the arrangement of the collection was overseen by Wilhelm von Humboldt . The island, originally a residential area, was dedicated to "art and science" by King Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1841. Further extended under succeeding Prussian kings,
4050-437: The demolition of the palace. Despite objections, its removal commenced in September 1950, the process taking four months and consuming 19 tons of dynamite. So solid was its construction that the dome and its entire mount remained intact even after the rest of the building fell to the ground. Only one section was preserved, a portal from the balcony from which Karl Liebknecht had declared the German Socialist Republic. In 1964 it
4140-502: The dome and surrounding cupolas to their original appearance, but this has not occurred due to a lack of funds. "SIEHE, ICH BIN BEI EUCH ALLE TAGE BIS AN DER WELT ENDE." ("SEE, I WILL BE BY YOU ALL THE DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD.") —Biblical sentence (Matthew 28:20) above the main entrance to Berlin Cathedral (on the left) "UNSER GLAUBE IST DER SIEG, DER DIE WELT UEBERWUNDEN HAT." ("OUR FAITH IS THE VICTORY THAT CONQUERED THE WORLD.") —Biblical sentence (1 John 5:4) above
4230-429: The effect of 1 January 1710, Cölln was united with Berlin under the latter name. In 1747, the Supreme Parish Church was completely demolished to clear space for the baroque extension of Berlin Palace . On 6 September 1750, the new baroque Calvinist Supreme Parish Church was inaugurated, built by Johann Boumann the Elder in 1747–1750. The electoral tombs were transferred to the new building. The new structure covered
4320-414: The effects of the war. There have never been plans to rebuild them; instead, the central courts of individual museums will be lowered, which has already been done in the Bode Museum and in the New Museum. They will be connected by subterranean galleries. In a way, this archaeological promenade can be regarded as the sixth museum in the Island, because it is devised not only as a connecting corridor but also as
4410-432: The electoral subjects and all the churches in the Electorate. However, Joachim II Hector's ideas of Reformation were different from the modern ones. After his conversion he enriched the collegiate church with luxuriant furnishings, such as paraments , monstrances , relics , chasubles , carpets and antependia . From 1545 on the electoral family of Hohenzollern used the church building as their burial place. In 1608,
4500-417: The ground by the East German authorities in 1950. In the 1970s, the East German authorities erected a modernist parliament building on the site, known as the Palace of the Republic . After German reunification in 1990, and years of debate, particularly regarding the fraught historical legacy of both buildings, the Palace of the Republic was itself demolished in 2009. Most of the Berlin Palace's exterior
4590-424: The king" containing their demands for a constitution, liberal reform and German unification. Frederick William IV emerged from the palace to accept their demands. On 18 March, a large demonstration outside the palace led to bloodshed and the outbreak of street fighting. Frederick William later reneged on his promises and reimposed an autocratic regime. From that time onwards, many Berliners and other Germans came to see
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#17327662447434680-490: The latter occasion, when both the air defences and fire-fighting systems of Berlin had been destroyed, the building was struck by incendiaries, lost its roof, and was largely burnt out. The end of the war saw the Stadtschloss a burned-out shell of its former glory, although the building remained structurally sound and much of its interior decoration was still preserved. It could have been restored, as many other bombed-out buildings in Central Berlin later were. The area in which it
4770-451: The main courtyard which was originally built in 1699 (Schlüterhof). The floorplan has been designed to allow future reconstruction of notable historical rooms. Part of the building houses the Humboldt Forum museum and congress complex, and was finished in 2020. The palace replaced an earlier fort or castle guarding the crossing of the Spree at Cölln , a neighbouring town which merged with Berlin in 1710. The castle stood on Fishers' Island, as
4860-444: The main entrance to Berlin Cathedral (on the right) The pipe organ , built by Wilhelm Sauer , was fully restored during reconstruction. It has 113 stops, including three ranks of 32' pipes on the pedal division, played by a 4-manual console: Rückpositiv Contributing to the cathedral's comprehensive concert programme is their own set of choirs (Berliner Domkantorei) and a brass ensemble (Berliner Dombläser). Berlin Cathedral
4950-505: The missing link to the historical ensemble of the Zeughaus , the Altes Museum , and Berlin Cathedral , the spectacle brought the debate to a temporary climax in 1993–94. While opinion continued to remain divided, the association succeeded in winning over many politicians and other key figures to its efforts. In view of the previous opposition, including high cost, and most importantly, the psychological and political objections, successive German governments had declined to commit themselves to
5040-404: The museum's collections of art and archeology were turned into a public foundation after 1918. They are today maintained by the Berlin State Museums branch of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation . Museum Island further comprises the Lustgarten park and the Berlin Cathedral . Between the Bode and Pergamon Museums it is crossed by the Stadtbahn railway viaduct. The adjacent territory to
5130-405: The new united denomination. The community of the Supreme Parish Church adopted the new denomination of the Prussian Union . Today's presbytery of the congregation bears the unusual name in German: Domkirchenkollegium , literally Cathedral College , thus recalling the history of the church as a collegiate church. In celebration of the Union Karl Friedrich Schinkel remodeled the interior in
5220-429: The north wing, the 'Denkmalskirche' – Memorial Church. Compared by some to the Medici Chapel, it had survived the war completely intact but was demolished for ideological reasons by the communist government due to it being a hall of honour for the Hohenzollern dynasty. This resulted in scaffolding for restoration appearing on the church while detonation charges were applied to its undamaged rear. The government also demanded
5310-417: The nucleus of today's Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church ( Berliner Dom ( Berlin Cathedral )), adjoining the site of the castle. In 1538, the Elector Joachim II demolished the castle and engaged the master builder Caspar Theiss to build a new and grander palace in the Italian Renaissance style. After the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), Frederick William , the "Great Elector", embellished
5400-426: The outer walls. These have been rebuilt as a sandwiched construction as follows: an inner retaining wall of concrete, followed by a layer of insulation, and an outer wall of brick, sandstone and stucco which replicates the original. Reconstruction of the Renaissance-gabled Pharmacy Wing, which connected to the Stadtschloss on the north side, would be another possible future project. German government budget cuts delayed
5490-421: The palace as a symbol of oppression and "Prussian militarism". In 1871, King Wilhelm I was elevated to the status of German Emperor ( Kaiser ) of a united Germany, and the Stadtschloss became the symbolic heart of the German Empire . The Empire was (in theory) a constitutional state, and from 1894 onwards, the new Reichstag building, the seat of the German parliament, came to not only rival, but overshadow
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#17327662447435580-409: The palace further. In 1688, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger designed courtyard arcades with massive columns in front. Not much is known about the alterations of 1690–1695, when Johann Nering was the court architect. Martin Grünberg continued the alterations in 1695–1699. In 1699, the Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg (who took the title King in Prussia in 1701, becoming Frederick I), appointed
5670-421: The palace to create precise architectural plans. In 1993, on the world's largest scaffolding assembly, it audaciously erected a trompe-l'œil mockup of two frontages of the Stadtschloss façade on a 1:1 scale on plastic sheeting. Privately funded by donations and sponsorship, this coup de théâtre stood for a year and half. Showing a vision of central Berlin lost for fifty years, and how the palace could provide
5760-415: The palace was converted to a museum following 1918. The ideological divide was epitomized by two opposing groups. The Association for the Preservation of the Palace of the Republic ( Verein zur Erhaltung des Palastes der Republik ) championed a renovation of the GDR building that would incorporate a re-creation of the principal western facade of the City Palace, for a multipurpose "people's center" similar to
5850-399: The pertaining church its colloquial naming, Domkirche (cathedral church). Frederick Irontooth provided the college with estates, sufficient to supply eight canon prebendaries. On 20 January 1469, Dietrich IV, then Prince-Bishop of Brandenburg, invested eight clergymen, chosen by Frederick Irontooth, as collegiate canons with the prebends. In 1535, Prince-Elector Joachim II Hector reached
5940-434: The plans envisaged the reconstruction of three sides of the palace exterior in the original style, initially without the National Kaiser Wilhelm Monument at the west front facing the river Spree , and a modernist façade facing other branch of the Spree. The identically reconstructed facades include various remnant sculptures and stones of the original palace. The inner courtyard facades are also modern, except three facades of
6030-423: The present building was inaugurated. In 1940, the blast waves of Allied bombing blew away part of the windows. On 24 May 1944, a bomb of combustible liquids entered the roof lantern of the dome. The fire could not be extinguished at that unreachable section of the dome. So the lantern burnt and collapsed into the main floor. Between 1949 and 1953, a temporary roof was built to enclose the building. On 9 May 1967
6120-417: The project. However, by 2002 and 2003, cross-party resolutions of the Bundestag reached a compromise to support at least a partial rebuilding of the Stadtschloss. In 2007, the Bundestag made a definitive decision about the reconstruction. According to this compromise, which had been drawn up by a commission, three façades of the palace would be rebuilt, but the interior would be a modern structure to serve as
6210-527: The removal of as many crosses as possible. The demolition and redesign cost 800,000 marks, while the restoration (done on the cheap) cost just 50,000 marks. The Berlin Cathedral Building Society now seek to rebuild the Denkmalskirche. In 1980, the baptistery and wedding church reopened for services. The restoration of the nave began in 1984. On 6 June 1993, the nave was re-inaugurated in an event attended by Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl and televised nationwide in Germany. There has been discussion to restore
6300-425: The renowned bust of Queen Nefertiti . The Altes Museum, the oldest on the island, displayed Greek and Roman art objects on its first floor and hold exhibitions on its second floor. The Bode Museum's paintings went from Late Byzantine to 1800. And, as now, the Alte Nationalgalerie will cover the 19th century. Once this process is completed, perhaps by 2020, the Gemäldegalerie's painting collection will be transferred to
6390-413: The same year and in 1820–1822 the exterior of Boumann's church in the neoclassicist style . The Supreme Parish and Cathedral Church faced at its southern façade Berlin City Palace , the residence of the Hohenzollerns (severely damaged in World War II and demolished later by the East German government), and the Lustgarten park at its western front, which is still there. However, in the 19th century,
6480-655: The south is the site of the former royal and imperial Berlin Palace and the Palace of the Republic . The Prussian collections became separated during the Cold War during the division of the city, but were reunited after German reunification , with the exception of some art and artifacts removed after World War II by Allied troops . These include the Priam's Treasure , also called the gold of Troy , excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in 1873, then smuggled out of Turkey to Berlin and smuggled out of Germany to Moscow. Today it
6570-624: The south of Liebknecht Boulevard, the reconstructed Berlin Palace houses the Humboldt Forum museum and opened in 2020. Also adjacent, across the west branch of the Spree is the German Historical Museum . Since German reunification , the Museum Island has been rebuilt and extended according to a master plan. In 2019, a new visitor center and art gallery, the James Simon Gallery (by a sixth architect),
6660-412: The south-west corner of the former Palace were discovered and it was decided these would be preserved and made accessible to visitors as an "archaeological window". Following reunification, a 20-year-long debate commenced as to whether the palace should be reconstructed, and whether this should be in part or whole. Pro-reconstruction lobby groups argued that the rebuilding of the Stadtschloss would restore
6750-401: The southern end of the Museum Island in the Spree is known. In 1443 Frederick II "Irontooth", Margrave and Prince Elector of Brandenburg , laid the foundations of Berlin's first fortification in a section of swampy wasteland north of Cölln. At the completion of the castle in 1451, Frederick moved there from the town of Brandenburg . The main role of the castle and its garrison in this period
6840-399: The southern part of Museums Island) into the newly erected City Palace , which also housed a Catholic chapel. In 1454 Frederick Irontooth, after having returned – via Rome – from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem , elevated the chapel to become a parish church, richly endowing it with relics and altars. Pope Nicholas V ordered Stephan Bodecker , then Prince- Bishop of Brandenburg , to consecrate
6930-486: The talents of Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff , Carl von Gontard and many others. The final stage was the erection of the dome in 1845, during the reign of Frederick William IV . The dome was built by Friedrich August Stüler after a design by Karl Friedrich Schinkel . The Stadtschloss was itself the epicenter of the Revolution of 1848 in Prussia. Huge crowds gathered outside the palace to present an "address to
7020-689: The then still undivided Evangelical Church of the Union decided a committee for the reconstruction of the Supreme Parish and Cathedral Church , then located in East Berlin . The government of the Eastern German Democratic Republic did not oppose the work of the committee due to the concomitant inflow of Deutsche Marks . In 1975, reconstruction started, simplifying the building's original design and demolishing
7110-590: The unity and integrity of the historic centre of Berlin, which includes the Berliner Dom , the Lustgarten , and the museums of Museum Island . Opponents of the project included those who advocated the retention of the Palast der Republik on the grounds that it was itself of historical significance; those who argued that the area should become a public park; and those who believed that a new building would be
7200-408: The western extension of the palace, doubling its size. In all essentials, Schlüter's balanced, rhythmic composition of the façades was retained, but Göthe moved the main entrance to the new west wing. Frederick William I , who became king in 1713, was interested mainly in building up Prussia as a military power, and dismissed most of the craftsmen working on the Stadtschloss. As a result, Göthe's plan
7290-739: The year of his accession to the throne, Prince-Elector John Sigismund , then a crypto-Calvinist , dissolved the college and the church was renamed into Supreme Parish Church of Holy Trinity in Cölln . In 1613, John Sigismund publicly confessed his Calvinist faith (in Germany usually called Reformed Church ), but waived his privilege to demand the same of his subjects ( Cuius regio, eius religio ). So he and his family, except his steadfastly Lutheran wife Anna , converted, while most of his subjects remained Lutherans. While Berlin's other churches, subject to Lutheran city-council jurisdiction, remained Lutheran,
7380-665: Was added to the State Council Building , with an altered cartouche, where it forms the main entrance. The empty space where the Stadtschloss had stood was named Marx-Engels-Platz and used as a parade ground. From 1973 to 1976, during the government of Erich Honecker , a large modernist building was built, the Palast der Republik (Palace of the Republic), which occupied most of the site of the former Stadtschloss. Shortly before German reunification in October 1990,
7470-548: Was an attempt to steer the German revolution towards a communist Germany and stood in contrast to the proclamation of a republic that Philipp Scheidemann of the Social Democratic Party had made a few hours earlier from a balcony of the Reichstag building . The duelling proclamations underscored that the more than 400 years of royal Hohenzollern occupation of the Berlin Palace had come to an end. During
7560-513: Was installed on the palace façade in the Schlüterhof courtyard. However, the cross was installed on the top of the dome on 29 May 2020. On completion in 2020, the building housed a museum containing collections of African and other non-European art, as well as two restaurants, a theatre , a cinema, and an auditorium. In July 2022, the bronze reliefs originally made by Otto Lessing in 1897 and mounted in 1903 were reconstructed and mounted on
7650-618: Was located was within the Soviet zone , which became the German Democratic Republic . The building was used for a Soviet war movie ("the Battle of Berlin") in which the Stadtschloss served as a backdrop, with live artillery shells fired at it for the realistic cinematic impact. The new socialist government declared the Stadtschloss a symbol of Prussian militarism, although at that time there appeared to be no plans to destroy
7740-609: Was only partly carried out. The palace was namely the original location for the Amber Room in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg , but Peter the Great of Russia admired it during a visit, and in 1716 Frederick William I presented the room to Peter as a gift. Nevertheless, the exterior of the palace had come close to its final form by the mid-18th century. Interior decoration continued, engaging
7830-534: Was opened within the Museum Island heritage site. The Museum Island is so-called for the complex of internationally significant museums , all part of the Berlin State Museums , that occupy the Spree island's northern part. In 1999, the museum complex was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites because of its unique testimony to the evolution of museums as a social and cultural phenomena and
7920-402: Was reconstructed beginning in 2013 to house the Humboldt Forum museum. The east façade of the reconstructed palace incorporates a modernist design, while the new interior combines both historicist and modernist elements. Architect Franco Stella oversaw the project and the exterior reconstruction was completed in 2020, with the last decoration being mounted in 2023. The palace is now again among
8010-409: Was thereafter considered a major work of Prussian Baroque architecture . The royal palace became one of Berlin’s largest buildings and shaped the cityscape with its 60-meter-high (200 ft) dome erected in 1845. Used for various government functions after the abolition of the monarchy in the 1918 revolution , the palace was damaged during the Allied bombing in World War II , and was razed to
8100-481: Was to establish the authority of the margraves over the unruly citizens of Berlin, who were reluctant to give up their medieval privileges to a monarchy. In 1415 King Sigismund had enfeoffed the Hohenzollern princes with Brandenburg, and they were now establishing their power and withdrawing privileges which the cities had attained in the Brandenburg interregnum of 1319–1415. In 1454 Frederick II, after having returned via Rome from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem , made
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