Alexanderplatz, an Important Berlin Landmark

The Alexanderplatz is a famous place in Berlin. It is a central place and an important transportation hub. The name comes from Alexander I. He was a Russian Tsar that first visited this area on October 25 th, 1805. He was received at this place. After Alexander's visit, on 2nd of November, the king Friedrich Wilhelm III renamed the square into what it is today, Alexanderplatz.
Alexanderplatz started to play an important role in the 19th century, when the railway station with the same name was built. Also a public square was built during this period. With the help of the new buildings, Alexanderplatz soon became an important trading center in Berlin.
The heyday of Alexanderplatz was in the 1920s when, together with Potsdamer Platz, was the heart of the night life in Berlin. The Alexanderplatz was also inspiration for the novel "Berlin Alexanderplatz" and also for two films on the same topic.
The Alexanderplatz was destroyed as many other attractions were during the Second World War and it was rebuilt afterwards. On the place of the destroyed Teachers' Association building,"The house of the teacher" was built after the war, with the adjoining convention hall. The square area was extended more than 4 times in the time of the reconstruction, from 18,000 square meters to 80,000 square meters.
During the course of time the Alexanderplatz has seen many renewal processes. In 1960 it was expanded with "the expansion program of the center of the German Democratic Republic". The square is surrounded by several notable structures, including the TV tower, which is the second highest structure in Europe. Often, the tower is mistaken by the tourists with the Alexanderplatz, perhaps because of its high skyline. There are also other important buildings, such as the Park Inn Berlin, with a height of 125 meters that span on 41 floors. Another interesting landmark is the world clock, a constantly rotating installation that shows the time from around the world.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a development plan has been designed but it was only accepted by the Senate on 2nd of April 2000. The contracts between investors and the Senate were signed on 23rd of May 2002. In 2004, the reconstruction of the Centrum department store was possible with the assistance of the Berlin Architecture Professor Josef Paul Kleihues and his son, Jan Kleihues. Since then, it operates as the Galeria Kaufhof. The building was extended by about 25 meters. Starting with 2005 until 2006 Berolinahaus was renovated, which has since become the home to a branch of the clothing chain C&A.
Despite the connection to the tram network and the opening of the shopping center Alexa, Alexanderplatz still retains the charm of history with its remarkable "Fountain of Friendship between People" (Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft).

Back