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87-559: The square was originally laid out in 1721 over the course of the Friedrichstadt expansion and obtained the name Wilhelmplatz in 1749, after King Frederick William I of Prussia . Engineer and chairman of the state building commission Christian Reinhold von Derschau led the project. He was advised by the King's senior and court building directors, Johann Phillipp Gerlach and Johann Friedrich Grael , respectively, who were in charge of

174-595: A simultaneum . In 1701 the Judge Krause at the neighboured Kammergericht (then Supreme Court of Brandenburg) added a sepulchre chapel for his family to the church building. To accommodate more German and French settlers, ground was broken on the constructions of two large churches, the French Church of Friedrichstadt , and the German New Church , in 1701. Construction of new homes continued in

261-441: A couple buildings on Leipzigerstraße (No. 125) and Voßstraße (No. 34) from 1892 to 1894 and 1892 to 1908, respectively. The greatest influence on the continued development of the area came from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck 's decision regarding the official residence of the chancellory. Instead of moving into the newly erected building at Wilhelmstraße 74 (1872-1874) that Neumann designed specifically for this purpose, Bismarck chose

348-427: A financial burden that they would have rather withdrawn from. In any case, they saw themselves bound by duty to take part in the expansion of Friedrichstadt. One of the earlier construction plans recorded is a pen and ink drawing ( right ) stemming from architect C.H. Horst in the year 1733. It's clear to see from the drawing that the particularly magnificent townhouses were in the works from the very beginning. And with

435-401: A garden house belonging to the property. In a letter to Goethe , the latter wrote of her living situation: "Ich wohne hier in einem Paradies!" ("I live here in paradise!") By the end of the 18th century, it was already becoming clear that that Prussian nobility was often not financially capable of long-term maintenance of the many impressive Palais along the northern Wilhelmstraße. As a result,

522-528: A home in 1904 in the small dome hall at the Bode Museum . Though both the marble originals and the bronze versions survived World War II , they were hidden from view of the public for decades in different depots. It wasn't until a Prussian Renaissance in 1980s East Germany when a discussion was started about potentially redisplaying them. On the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Berlin in January 1987

609-536: A large manor in a neighbourhood could give it a large boost, but the rejection or absence of such plans could result in economic disaster. Friedrichstadt fared favorably, when a French baron , François Mathieu Vernezobre de Laurieux, built a large palace on Wilhelm Street because of the marriage of his daughter to a local army captain. In 1735 the Marcher Consistory , the Kammergericht and all

696-631: A mundane, business-like air that left no room for local shops or restaurants. Wilhelmplatz would remain this way for some time, remaining one of the few central places in Berlin with no cafés well into the time of the national socialist regime. Founded as the Institution of the North German Confederation in 1870, the newly created Ministry of Foreign Affairs temporarily settled in on the south side of Wilhelmplatz. In doing so, it

783-576: A plan was developed to erect statues of those generals who had fallen in battle. From this idea, originated the first four free-standing marble statues of General Field Marshal Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin (Sculptors: François Gaspard Adam and Sigisbert François Michel , 1769), General Field Marshal Hans Karl von Winterfeldt ( Johann David Räntz and Johann Lorenz Wilhelm Räntz , 1777), General Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz ( Jean-Pierre-Antoine Tassaert , 1781) and General Field Marshal James Keith (Jean-Pierre Antoine Tassaert, 1786). They depicted

870-508: A whole during the 1870s in one of his memoirs: Friedrichstraße, named after King Frederick I, the founder of Friedrichstadt, including the section in the Dorotheenstadt neighbourhood, is 3.3 km (2.1 mi) length. It was the first shopping and amusement street in Berlin, and was a major artery in the road network. The street was so large that the royal army used it as a venue to practice marching, due to its length and width. On

957-539: A wide connection from the east side of the square to Mohrenstraße , "Am Wilhelmplatz", later (mid-1800s) to be renamed Zietenplatz . Still, many historical maps show Zietenplatz simply as either a part of Wilhemplatz or Mohrenstraße. It wasn't until the early 20th century that they finally lengthened Mohrenstraße to Wilhelmstraße past Wilhelmplatz and Zietenplatz. Going back to a wish of Frederick William I's, thirty large, aristocratic townhouses were built along northern Wilhelmstraße and on Wilhelmplatz itself starting around

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1044-514: Is located in the borough of Berlin-Mitte , while the southern part of the neighbourhood is located in borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg . The border between the two boroughs runs along the southern side of Niederkirchnerstraße and Zimmerstraße. The official boundaries of Friedrichstadt extend from the Spittelmarkt starting between northbound streets Niederwall- and Oberwallstraße, along Behrenstraße west to Ebertstraße, and then south over

1131-508: Is located on Wilhelmstraße. The plaza is square, and planted with linden trees. Each corner of the square plaza contains a large marble statue of a famous Prussian general. The four generals honored in the plaza are Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin , Hans Karl von Winterfeldt , Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz , and Francis Edward James Keith . The Achteck am Potsdamer Thor was renamed the Leipzigplatz (now Leipziger Platz) in 1814 for

1218-750: Is not uncommon. Seven government ministries have their headquarters in the neighbourhood, including the ministries of Finance, Scientific Research and Development, Family Services, Seniors', Women's, and Children's Services, Health, Justice, and Housing. Many of the German federal states have their liaison offices to the federal government in Friedrichstadt as well, including the states of Bavaria , Brandenburg , Hamburg , Hesse , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Lower Saxony , Rhineland-Palatinate , Saarland , Schleswig-Holstein , and Thuringia . In addition to this, many foreign countries also have their embassies in

1305-487: Is restoring its famous pre-war charm. The Gendarmenmarkt is considered to be among the most beautiful plazas in all of Europe. In the middle of the plaza is a major theater, flanked by two important churches, the Deutscher and Französischer Dom (English: German and French cathedrals). Many new buildings have been constructed in the area as well. Due to the destruction from World War II , the oldest surviving building on

1392-626: The Battle of Leipzig , and as its German names implies, the plaza has eight corners. The Rondell is a round plaza, and was subsequently renamed twice. It was renamed the Belle-Alliance-Platz in 1815 (named after La Belle Alliance and used as an alternative name for the Battle of Waterloo ), and the Mehringplatz , after Franz Mehring , in 1947. The Gendarmenmarkt, Friedrichstadt's main plaza, experienced many changes toward

1479-622: The Brandenburg Gate . It is located in the northwest corner of the neighbourhood. Another famous landmark in Friedrichstadt is Checkpoint Charlie , the most infamous border crossing between East and West Berlin between 1945 and 1990. Because of Friedrichstadt central location within Berlin, many government ministries and offices have their headquarters in the Friedrichstadt neighbourhood. Although many ministries occupy older buildings, many are opting for newer, more modern headquarters, and new construction to accommodate these departments

1566-677: The Franco-Prussian War . The building was quasi-christened for its new purpose in June and July 1878 when the Congress of Berlin took place within its walls. Aside from the growth of the government district, three urban developments radically changed the appearance of Wilhelmplatz between 1871 and 1914 more than anything. In 1871, the Deutsche Baugesellschaft (German Construction Company) came into possession of

1653-452: The French government. Jerusalem's Chapel , which used to stand outside of the built-up area before, was included into Friedrichstadt's municipal borders and became its first parish church. In 1689 and 1693–1695 Giovanni Simonetti restored and extended the chapel to become Jerusalem's Church , which was continuously staffed with a Calvinist and a Lutheran preacher from 1694 on, thus becoming

1740-453: The German reunification , a more comprehensive reconstruction effort was made in the neighbourhood, with the goal of restoring the neighbourhood to its former prominence. Many new and luxurious buildings were built with attention to historical styles. Many new businesses, including several high-end department stores and shops opened in the neighbourhood. Gradually the Friedrichstadt neighbourhood

1827-733: The Minister of Public Works as well. During the Weimar Republic and Third Reich , the Reich's transportation ministry was located there for a time as well as a part of the train administration. To note, it had been forbidden since 1727 for Jews in the city to acquire houses. Despite the law, the Jewish community was allotted a property, the southernmost corner lot on Wilhelmstraße (Wilhelmplatz 1), to erect their own building. The following three years passed without any progress, however, due to

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1914-687: The Potsdamer Platz , Stresemann- and Gitschiner Straße, ending at the Hallesches Tor, and then again north over Linden- and Axel-Springer-Straße, back to the Spittelmarkt. A large portion of the Spittelmarkt and adjoining Hausvogteiplatz were once part of a military installation associated with the historical suburb of Friedrichswerder. After the death of prince-elector Frederick William of Brandenburg in 1688, his son, prince-elector Friedrich III, later king Frederick I of Prussia,

2001-521: The Rondell (today: Mehringplatz ). These major streets would later come to be known as Wilhelmstraße , Friedrichstraße and Lindenstraße . According to a royal patent from July 29, 1734, the location of a large square on Wilhelmstraße was also among the construction projects discussed. In 1737, for the first time, a Plan of the Royal Capital of Berlin demarcates a public square located in

2088-406: The 1730s. These functioned as lodging for the military, representatives of the court, and other state authorities. The private contractors were each allocated extremely valuable pieces of land free and the state even subsidized a portion of the construction. In available literature, however, there is still disagreement as to whether these contractors saw this endeavor as a worthwhile honor or rather as

2175-666: The 1970s Friedrichstadt was little more than wasteland near the Berlin Wall with few crumbling 19th century tenements buildings. In 1979 the West Berlin Councilman for Housing and Construction Harry Ristock initiated preparations for the International Building Exhibition Berlin (IBA). Southern Friedrichstadt became the main focus for inner-city regeneration. Prominent international architects joined urban planners. After

2262-515: The Friedrichstadt neighbourhood, to grow considerably. In the 1720s, a new fortified wall was to be constructed. The main construction of the wall took place between 1734 and 1736, however. During this time, a large portion of the military protections between the Friedrichswerder and Friedrichstadt neighbourhoods was removed. The Friedrichstadt neighbourhood was allowed to expand as far as the new fortified security wall. A large proportion of

2349-568: The Gendarmenmarkt is the former Prussian State Bank , built in 1901. Other buildings on the square have been carefully reconstructed. The German and French cathedrals were built from 1701 to 1708, and the cupolaed towers were added by each church at the same time, over 100 years later. Between these, the twice-destroyed Konzerthaus now seats 1,850. Because Berlin is an independent city-state within Germany, Berlin has its own parliament at

2436-588: The Mittelmarkt, now called the Gendarmenmarkt , and the Dönhoffplatz, which is located near the former fortress. Within the neighbourhood, Leipziger Straße , site of the Dönhoffplatz, and Friedrichstraße developed into the neighbourhood’s main streets. Between 1725 and 1737 another 1,000 houses were built in the neighbourhood. However, as the neighbourhood grew, three other open areas remained at

2523-646: The Palais Marschall and the Palais Schulenburg possessed sprawling gardens that stretched west to the level of today's Ebertstraße . They were fashioned in the style of a baroque decorative garden, but also reaped plentiful fruit and vegetables for sale on the Berlin markets. After the surrounding buildings were repurposed for government use in the 19th century, this area became known as the " Ministergärten ". The first building erected (in 1737 for General Major Karl Ludwig Truchsess von Waldburg )

2610-472: The Palais Schulenburg belonged to Sophie von Dönhoff , the morganatic wife of King Frederick William II before falling into possession of Anton Radziwill in 1796, at which point it became known as "Palais Radziwill". It was seized by troops of the French Empire in 1806 and temporarily served as the seat of Napoleon 's town major during the occupation. In the following decades, Radziwiłł held one of

2697-522: The Prussian state also took over the gold and silver manufacturer's greatly altered building (production had taken place in a newly added backyard annex) at Wilhelmstraße 79. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Public Works moved in four years later. Another story was added in 1854/55 when Stüler reconstructed it once more. After the German Empire was founded in 1871, Wilhelmstraße found itself at

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2784-660: The Renaissance with classicism . At the same time, the neighboring Wilhelmplatz 2, acquired in 1873, had its interior remodeled and joined to the No. 1. In 1882, after the Foreign Affairs Ministry moved from the southern corner to the northern side of the square (No. 75/76), the corner building was occupied by the Imperial Treasury, the highest financial authority in the land as of 1879. Next door to

2871-631: The Schauspielhaus burnt to the ground in 1817 and a new theater, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel , was built in its place. In 1843, after 25 years of peace in Prussia, a monument to this achievement, the Friedenssäule (English: Peace Column) was built in the then Belle-Alliance-Platz. The fortified walls which surrounded greater Berlin became a hindrance to traffic , which was becoming consistently busier and more uncontrolled. Although

2958-425: The architectural design. Under their influence, the building commission decided on mandatory, narrowly defined guidelines so that the city would give off a harmonious, integrated feel. Initially, the plan was to lay out the streets in a traditional grid formation. Yet, from 1732 onward, plans focused themselves around three primary north–south throughways that each radiated from the same circular public space, known as

3045-538: The buildings and land of the Palais Voß. Out of speculative reasons, they developed a plan to tear down the Palais and make the grounds into a cul-de-sac, which would be accessible to Königgrätzer Straße, today's Ebertstraße . The parcels, which would lie on both sides of two new trafficked arteries of the city would be sold at a handsome profit to investors, who could build shop buildings there. The newly formed Voßstraße

3132-417: The cities of Berlin, Cölln, Friedrichswerder, and Dorotheenstadt were to be consolidated into the "Königliche Haupt- und Residenzstadt Berlin" (English: Royal Residence and Capital City of Berlin ), effective January 1, 1710. With that, the independence of Friedrichstadt ended, as it was incorporated as a part of the new Berlin. After Frederick I's son, Frederick William I became king, he allowed Berlin, and

3219-577: The city extended approximately to the fortifications of the city of Neu-Cölln. To enter the city from Friedrichswerder, one entered through the Leipziger Tor (English: Leipzig Gate), and to enter from Dorotheenstadt, one came through the Friedrichs-Tor. This new area of the city, however, was not referred to as Friedrichstadt until 1706, fifteen years after its founding. Friedrichstadt was designed with an unusually austere geometric style for

3306-644: The city until 1708. In 1711 at the corner of Jäger and Markgrafen streets a new building for the "Societät der Wissenschaften" (English: Society of the Sciences ), founded by Gottfried Leibniz , opened. Today the building is occupied by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities , which is the third oldest scientific academy in Europe . Through a royal decree issued by king Frederick I on January 18, 1709 Friedrichstadt, along with

3393-443: The course of the 19th century, a Prussian (then Imperial German) government quarter began to form under the metonym "Wilhelmstraße". Envoys of German and foreign states alike soon followed, renting free apartments in the immediate area. For example, in the 1840s, envoys from Belgium , Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Württemberg all had property on Wilhelmplatz. The first house on Wilhelmplatz that fulfilled Prussian government functions

3480-528: The dire financial circumstances of the group. Between 1761 and 1764, with special allowance from the King Frederick II , Veitel Heine Ephraim , head of the Jewish community, acquired both No. 1 and the factory building No. 2 on the south side as private property as well as the earlier mentioned silver and gold manufacturer through emphyteusis . After the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763,

3567-479: The domestic population), whereas the US estimated to have killed some 20,000. The number of wounded amounted to 20,000 and 120,000 lost their homes. Fortunately due to the exhaustion of German supplies the German anti-aircraft defense was underequipped and weak so that out of the 1,600 US aircraft only 36 were shot down and their crews, as far as they survived the crash of their planes, taken into prisonship of war. Many of

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3654-726: The east in Wilhelmplatz 2, the Imperial Insurance Institution had its seat from 1887 to 1894 until the Treasury needed to expand, forcing them out. In 1909, No. 2 was finally redone so that it completely optically matched No. 1. Though, before this project was completed, the compound had already expanded (in 1904) to include Wilhelmstraße 60 to the south. On the other side of the street, long time occupant Ministry of Trade, Industry and Public Works also began to extend its reach beyond its original 1848 tenancy in

3741-525: The edges of the neighbourhood. As the construction of the neighbourhood continued, the open areas became more and more important. The main director of construction in the neighbourhood, Philipp Gerlach , developed these open areas into important city plazas, and they were originally named the Wilhelms-Markt, the Achteck am Potsdamer Thor, and the Rondell. The Wilhelms-Markt is so named because it

3828-721: The end of the 18th century. Between 1774 and 1776, a small French theater house was built, which was later christened the Nationaltheater as the establishment came to the forefront in German theater. Also, between 1780 and 1785, the French and German churches on the plaza built distinctive cupolaed towers on top of their churches, leading to the two being known as the Deutscher Dom and the Französischer Dom (English: German and French Cathedrals , respectively) to

3915-435: The exception of the townhouse located in the northeast corner of the square, all of these rendered structures were at some point erected (most in the mid-1730s). The newly featured area was dominated by Gerlach and Horst's (believed to be their work) Palais Marschall on the square's west side (No. 78), which also served as focal point of the old Mohrenstraße. The widening of the throughway to Wilhelmplatz – later Zietenplatz –

4002-424: The fact that, in order to populate the area, some corporations, guilds, state institutions and societies would need to resettle themselves from the southern part of the street, where they normally frequented. Accordingly, a gold and silver manufacturer set up shop in the southwest corner of Wilhelmplatz at Wilhelmstraße 79, which had been built according to Gerlach's plans from 1735 to 1737. This particular manufacturer

4089-470: The former Palais Radziwill (Wilhelmstraße 77) on the northwestern corner of Wilhelmplatz. Bismarck had pursued the purchase of the building to prevent private investors from securing housing on Wilhelmstraße. The executive's ever expanding need for space needed to be within walking distance of all the already established institutions. An 1874 law stipulated that the exorbitantly high price of two million marks would be covered with French reparation payments from

4176-431: The former gold and silver manufacturer's building (No. 79). Two annexes at Wilhemstraße 80 and the newly constructed Voßstraße 35 were also added to the complex in 1869/1870 and 1875/1876, respectively. In 1878, this block of buildings became the seat of the newly separated (from Trade and Industry) Ministry of Public Works, which was responsible for building construction and railroads above all. The ministry also incorporated

4263-435: The historic buildings in the neighbourhood were so badly damaged that they had to be condemned or torn down. The construction of the Berlin Wall directly through the neighbourhood brought only more destruction. In the northern portion of the neighbourhood, which lay within the boundaries of Mitte Borough, which was part of East Berlin, systematic rebuilding began in 1970. Leipzig Street had been almost completely flattened. In

4350-587: The house. However, in taking the Mohrenstraße into account during the construction of the neighboring Palais Marschall, this ensured that Palais Schulenburg was crowded into the northwest corner of Wilhelmplatz so that no room remained for any court. Beginning in 1878, the Palais Schulenburg became the official seat of the Imperial Chancellor. As with most property on the west of Wilhelmstraße between Unter den Linden and Leipziger Straße , both

4437-629: The leading Berlin salons here and, as a passionate admirer of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , on May 24, 1820, made his home the site of one of the first performances of Faust I . Due to the Catholicism of the landlords in Protestant Prussia, such activities caused quite a stir and a healthy dose of societal disapproval. In 1869 the Kingdom of Prussia purchased Prince Radziwiłł's palais on initiative of Otto von Bismarck . The building

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4524-594: The long side, never the gable, toward the street. This was because the amount of assistance granted by the government for the construction of houses was based on the length of the front of the house. Because of this, the houses had large gardens in back. With the encouragement of the king, old and unsightly homes were torn down. However, other high authorities wished more homes to be built in the area, to accommodate soldiers and extra French Huguenot refugees, and lots for homes were given away. Along Koch Street, guild halls and tradesmens’ unions were constructed. The construction of

4611-594: The marble originals were once again transported to the Bode Museum , while the bronze versions were placed in front of the Altes Museum in the Lustgarten. The bronze statues have since been stored away again. After the turn of the millennium, at the urging of the Berlin Schadow Society, it was planned to once again place the statues at or near their historical locations. The bronze copies of

4698-533: The memorials depicting Zieten and Anhalt-Dessau were erected on U-Bahn Island on the lateral axis of the former Wilhelmplatze in 2003 and 2005, respectively. The other four bronze statues found a home in September 2009 on the neighboring Zietenplatz, after its construction, begun in 2005, was finished. As of 2011, the statues (as a complete set) are considered to be under protection of historic buildings and monuments. In 1826, Schinkel submitted his suggestion to move

4785-432: The military in a rather conventional form. Schwerin and Winterfeldt posed in an antique manner with Roman clothing, while Seydlitz and Keith wore contemporary uniforms. In the years 1794 and 1828, 2 further statues were put into place, which had originally been determined for other places in Berlin. The two pieces, done by notable Berlin sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow , depicted Hans Joachim von Zieten and Leopold I ,

4872-548: The neighbourhood. These countries are: Australia , Belgium , Bulgaria , Brunei , Canada , Chile , the Czech Republic , Greece , Ireland , Kenya , Libya , Morocco , Myanmar , New Zealand , North Korea , Portugal , Singapore , Slovenia , and South Africa . In addition to all of this, one of Germany's major political parties, the Social Democratic Party , has its national headquarters at

4959-571: The new Reich Chancellery across the square. Buildings around the square were all heavily damaged by bombings in World War II and most were destroyed. On 18 August 1950 Wilhelmplatz was renamed by East Berlin authorities as Thälmannplatz , for Ernst Thälmann . In the 1980s, apartment complexes were built over the square. 52°30′42″N 13°23′02″E  /  52.5116504028°N 13.38398695°E  / 52.5116504028; 13.38398695 Friedrichstadt (Berlin) Friedrichstadt

5046-491: The new residents of the neighbourhood were Huguenots, who continued to be persecuted for their beliefs in France. By 1725, the neighbourhood comprised 700 houses and counted 12,144 residents. In addition, the neighbourhood was home to 85 taverns and 114 distilleries. The actual houses were usually two stories in height, built in the usual Baroque urban style of the day, but also with a harsh regularity. The houses were built with

5133-399: The new upgrades gave the space the appearance of a park. Until the end of the 19th century, the development around the edge of the square was in places replaced, in part by the expansion of existing buildings, in part by replacement with newer, larger ones. With each owner and/or resident change at a Stadtpalais, often came a name change of the residence itself. For a short time in the 1790s

5220-469: The norm became individual sales to representatives of the emergent citizenry, who used the buildings primarily for economic purposes such as manufacturing, publishing and renting. However, in the surrounding area, smaller parcels were transformed into the first true common houses. A countermovement was born in the 1790s, in which the state of Prussia began to acquire property and buildings along Wilhelmstraße to use for public purposes. The goal of these actions

5307-500: The northern third of the street (as it was drawn until the 19th century) opening up from its eastern side. The square came to be known as Wilhelms-Markt , a name it carried until 1749, when it was christened Wilhelmsplatz. The origin of its name is the Prussian "Soldier King" Frederick William I, who had an especially heavy influence on the architecture and expansion of the northern part of Wilhelmstraße . Early plans already dictated

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5394-487: The northwest of neighboured Luisenstadt. The fire lasted for four days until it had burnt everything combustible in its range to ashes and after it had reached waterways, and large thoroughfares, parks and the like over which the fire could not jump any further. The death-toll amounted to 2,894 (although this official number is somewhat dubious, for the Nazis always underscored the number of dead to hide their inability to protect

5481-418: The occasion of his engagement in 1826. Simultaneously, it was newly named "Palais Prinz Karl" with the new number Wilhelmplatz 8/9. Karl had the inside of baroque building remodeled by Friedrich August Stüler , who also resdid the outside in a Neoclassical style and erected an annex to the building's right, all using Schinkel's 1827-1828 plans as a foundation. Until his death in 1865, Stüler was responsible for

5568-597: The other supreme courts of the different territories ruled in personal union by the Hohenzollern moved into the new so-called Collegienhaus , without formally merging the different juridical systems. In 1913 the Kammergericht (meanwhile having incorporated the other courts) moved into a new edifice and the Collegienhaus was exclusively used by the Consistory (then competent for Berlin and Brandenburg ,

5655-405: The political center of a European superpower. As the government transitioned, existing Prussian offices, committees and authorities were transfigured and new ones were established, creating a sudden need for representative office buildings. The construction of living and office space for secretaries and clerks also contributed to the building boom on Wilhelmplatz. As a result, the surroundings took on

5742-474: The position of the Leopold I Memorial as a part of the largest yet transfiguration of the square under his supervision. The other statues were also allocated new locations along the diagonals and lateral axes of the square. Besides these changes, he graced the surface of the square with greenery, a lawn dotted with lime trees and encircled by an oval walking path, which traced the borders of the square. Altogether,

5829-670: The predecessor of today's Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia ). After its destruction in the Allied bombing of Berlin in World War II on 3 February 1945 the ruins were reconstructed to house the Berlin Museum . The Collegienhaus is one of the few still existing baroque structures in Friedrichstadt and is now part of the Jewish Museum Berlin . The neighbourhood contained two markets,

5916-454: The present day. In 1800, the Nationaltheater was replaced with a larger theater, the Schauspielhaus (English: Play House), whose architecture had to be designed to compete with the new cupola towers on the Gendarmenmarkt's twin churches. However, public reaction to the new theater's design was negative, and many people called the Carl Gotthard Langhans -designed building the "Koffer" (English: Trunk or suitcase). Luckily for dissatisfied Berliners,

6003-403: The prince of Anhalt-Dessau , nicknamed "Alter Dessauer". The statue of Zieten was supposed to be erected on Donhöffplatz (also in Mitte, though no longer there today), while the memorial for the prince had already stood since 1800 on the southwest corner of the Lustgarten . Leopold I was then only moved when both areas were redesigned under the supervision of Karl Friedrich Schinkel . Together,

6090-414: The renovations of a whole row of houses on Wilhelmstraße. The former Palais Marschall, which had already seen its owner switch multiple times during the 18th century, was acquired in 1800 by the rather clandestine Minister of Foreign Affairs Otto Carl Friedrich von Voß . It was henceforth known as Palais Voß. After their wedding, from 1811 to 1814, Ludwig Achim von Arnim and Bettina von Arnim lived in

6177-420: The six sculptures overlooked the square for more than a century. Based on advice from Christian Daniel Rauch regarding the vulnerability of the materials, the statues were replaced with bronze copies made by August Kiß in 1857. That is, all but Schwerin and Winterfeldt. Kiß designed these completely new and rid them of their antique appearances. The originals, after moving from place to place, eventually found

6264-641: The state level. Berlin's Prussian parliament building , now housing the House of Representatives of Berlin , is located in Friedrichstadt, along Niederkirchnerstraße. The building has been in use since 1899, when the Prussian House of Commons used it. The neighbourhood is also host to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe , a large and sometimes controversial monument located one block south of

6351-423: The time, with broad streets which intersected at right angles to each other. Because the ground upon which the new neighbourhood was to be built was boggy and unstable, many houses in the city had to be built on stilts and stakes. As a result of government sponsored building rush, 300 houses stood in Friedrichstadt in 1692, just one year after its founding. Many settlers in the city were Huguenots seeking refuge from

6438-408: The walls had been constructed for the purposes of keeping invaders out, and stopping smuggling and deserters, the walls had become an increasing nuisance. Extra gates were deemed necessary. Another gate, the third for the Friedrichstadt neighbourhood, was built in 1839, and opened in 1840. The writer Max Osborn captures a picture of the economic development of Leipzig Street, and of Friedrichstadt as

6525-727: The western side of the neighbourhood, along the parallel-running Wilhelmstrasse , which was named after the crown prince, later king Frederick William , many government offices were constructed, and many government employees lived nearby. In 1896 on the Leipziger Platz, the Wertheim department store was built. It was at the time the largest department store in Europe. Although the store was destroyed in World War II , its size has been exceeded only by Harrods in London. Friedrichstadt

6612-456: Was Ordenspalais. Beginning in 1817, the building housed departments of the military staff and in 1820 additional offices for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both authorities had to move in 1827 when Prinz Karl was conveyed the Palais. Subsequently, the Foreign Affairs Ministry moved to the southernmost corner building (Wilhelmstraße 61/Wilhelmplatz 1) acquired by the heirs to Ephraim. In 1844,

6699-516: Was able to take over the corner building Wilhelmstraße 61/Wilhelmplatz 1, which had been used in the past by its Prussian counterpart. Officials were moved in after the demolition and reconstruction of the building was completed in 1877 according to plans by Wilhelm Neumann , carried out by Richard Wolffenstein . Modelling its outer form on Palazzo Strozzi in Florence , the architects used an otherwise eclectic style, connecting ornamental elements of

6786-588: Was allowed to establish a new city on the outskirts of Cölln , one of the precursor cities of modern-day Berlin. In order to assist with the street layout and the placement of buildings and houses, various architects and engineers, including Johann Nering, Johann Behr, and Martin Grünberg were called in. The new city was founded in 1691. Friedrichstadt was the third expansion of the Berlin-Cölln city center, after Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichswerder. Friedrichstadt

6873-619: Was also in possession of the Great Military Orphanage in Potsdam, which would be financed by this new endeavor. An additional building on the south side (No. 2) belonged to the same proprietors. As for No. 79, from 1869 to 1876, it was expanded to include the neighboring property (No. 80) and the property toward Voßstraße (No. 35). This expansion accommodated the Prussian Minister of Trade and, beginning in 1878,

6960-475: Was an independent suburb of Berlin , and is now a historical neighbourhood of the city itself. The neighbourhood is named after the Prussian king Frederick I . Friedrichstadt is located south of the Dorotheenstadt neighbourhood, and southwest of the historical suburb of Friedrichswerder . It is located south of the twin-city zone of Berlin and Cölln . Today, the northern part of the neighbourhood

7047-405: Was built outside of the Berlin's fortifications, south of Dorotheenstadt and west of Friedrichswerder. However, the city was protected both by the militia of Leipzig and a lengthening of the western city wall of Dorotheenstadt. Today, this is the site of Mauerstraße (English: Wall Street). Toward the south, Friedrichstadt originally extended to the present-day Zimmerstraße. From that southern point,

7134-426: Was clearly intentionally conceived so as to allow a sweeping view of the grandiose structure as far as one ventured eastward. The next building over, Palais Schulenburg at Wilhelmstraße 77, was installed by architect Carl Friedrich Richter. While Friedrichstadt was otherwise characterized by a continuous house facade lining its streets and squares, central buildings were allowed forecourts flanked by peripheral wings of

7221-648: Was named after its previous owner and was originally private. It ran up against the lateral axis of Wilhelmplatz, connecting with Zietenplatz and Mohrenstraße on a west–east axis between Königgrätzer Straße and Hausvogteiplatz . At the beginning of the 20th century, this axis was closed for road traffic. During the Nazi era , the Ordenspalais became the seat of the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda and Adolf Hitler commissioned Albert Speer to construct

7308-707: Was refinanced with the war reparations paid by the French Third Republic after the Franco-Prussian War and inaugurated as the chancellery of the new German Empire with the 1878 Berlin Congress . With the dissolution of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) during the Prussian Reform Movement , the state took ownership of the Ordenspalais in 1811. King Frederick William III gave it to his third son, Prince Charles , on

7395-499: Was severely damaged in the widespread destruction which accompanied World War II, especially in the first area bombardment organised and carried out by the United States Air Force on the morning of February 3, 1945. The bombs consisted mostly of inflammables, hardly explosives. The bombing was so dense that it caused a city fire spreading eastwards, driven by the wind, over the centre and south of Friedrichstadt and

7482-479: Was the Ordenspalais , serving as the seat of the Order of Saint John (Johanniterorden) on the northern side of the square. The Order had taken over the completion of its construction after the premature death of its original developer. On the northern end of Wilhelmstraße it became apparent that there weren't enough private contractors for the property available. Frederick William I had to come to grips with

7569-560: Was to preserve Wilhelmplatz and the surrounding area's image as the window into aristocratic Prussian tradition. The administrative and spatial separation from court and government that had settled in during the second half of the 18th century was reinforced after the coalition's victory in the German Campaign of 1813 . Independent ministries and authorities began to establish themselves. It was important that these separate organizations remained in close contact with one another so, over

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