HISTORICAL SITES IN BERLIN: 18 PLACES TO VISIT

Berlin has a rich and colorful history that one can easily appreciate through the various landmarks dotting the city. This is no surprise as there are several UNESCO sites in Germany. Here are some of the impressive historical sites in Berlin:

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Historical Sites in Berlin – Berlin Wall Memorial

The Berlin Wall Memorial spans 1.4 kilometers of what used to be the strip bordering East and West Berlin. This remembrance stretch has a preserved portion of the original Berlin Wall that helps visitors understand the chilling history behind the German discord of the past.

Historical Sites in Berlin – Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial

Once a principal political detention establishment of the Stasi, the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is now a museum that offers walking tours to visitors. The tours allow visitors to have a glimpse of the dark history of the structure.

Historical Sites in Berlin – Berliner Dom

Berliner Dom is a lofty cathedral that is considered a key historic architectural wonder of the Kaiserzeit. Set on the historical neighborhood of Colin in Berlin, Berliner Dom was originally constructed following the Renaissance style, until it was subsequently renovated with Brick Gothic influences.

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Historical Sites in Berlin – Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) was built in the 18^th century under the decree of Frederick William II, a Prussian king. This neoclassical monument features 12 Doric columns, topped with a classical statue of a quadriga. It is definitely one of the beautiful landmarks in Berlin for history lovers.

Historical Sites in Berlin – Charlottenburg Palace

Built in the late 17^th century for Sophie Charlotte, a Prussian Queen consort, Charlottenburg Palace was significantly expanded in the 18^th century. The palace features baroque and rococo architecture, and its interiors further reflect these lavish styles. Among the additions to the palace are the large formal garden, mausoleum, belvedere, pavilion and theater. This baroque and rococo summer palace is also well-known for its rooms teeming with tapestries, porcelain and paintings.

Historical Sites in Berlin – Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint C (Checkpoint Charlie) is a popular crossing point between East and West Berlin during the infamous Cold War. After East and West Germany reunited, Checkpoint Charlie has since become a tourist attraction.

Flak Tower III Humboldthain

Also known as The Berlin Flak Tower, Flak Tower III Humboldthain used to be a Nazi anti-aircraft tower. These days, the gun blockhouse tower is a great platform for taking in views of Berlin.

Gendarmenmarkt

Gendarmenmarkt was named after the Gens d’armes cuirassier regiment that had its stables at the site until they were demolished in 1773 under the orders of Friedrich II. Presently, this large public square is surrounded by an ensemble of spectacular efforts, including the stately Französischer Dom (French Church), the 18th century Deutscher Dom (German Church), and the classical Konzerthaus Berlin (the most recent addition). One can also see a statute of the poet Friedrich Schiller at the center of the square.

German Resistance Memorial Center

While historians agree that a united German resistance movement against the Nazis is unheard of, the German Resistance Memorial Center commemorates German resistance to the Nazi regime, including the White Rose, Christian church opposition activities, civil, intelligence and armed resistance groups, and underground social democratic and communist Networks. The German Resistance Memorial was originally in remembrance of the German Army conspirators who plotted an assassination of Adolf Hitler in 1944.

Holocaust Memorial

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe or simply Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is a collection of more than 2000 concrete slabs that continues to attract tourists from different parts of the globe.

House of the Wannsee Conference

A comely lakeside villa at first glance, Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz (House of the Wannsee Conference) is where the Nazis drew the plans for the obliteration of European Jews. These days, the villa is a memorial museum where visitors can learn more about the haunting, systematic process that resulted to the Holocaust.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Located on Kurfürstendamm at the center of Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is a contrast of ancient and modern architectural styles. The old church follows Neo-Romanesque architectural traditions, while during its reconstruction after World War II (when it was severely damaged during a bombing raid), the architecture observed Modernist styles.

Museum Island

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Museum Island earned its name through the presence of several internationally significant museums on it. This museum complex houses the Altes Museum (built in 1830), Neues Museum (completed in 1859), Alte Nationalgalerie (completed in 1876), Bode Museum (opened in 1904 as Kaiser-Friedrich Museum), Pergamon Museum (built in 1930), and the Humboldt Forum (slated to open in 2020) that will incorporate the Museum of Asian Art and Ethnological Museum of Berlin.

Neue Synagoge

Constructed from 1859 until 1866, this Jewish community synagogue bears an eastern Moorish style that has similarities to The Alhambra in Andalusia, Spain. It is recognized to be a significant example of Berlin architecture in the 2^nd half of the 1800s.

Reichstag

This historic, glass-domed structured is where the German parliament convenes. Construction began in 1871 and it first opened its doors in 1894, housing the Diet until it was severely damaged after the fire of 1933. After the Second World War, Reichstag fell into disrepair and was only reconstructed several decades later, with the project having been completed in 1999.

Soviet Memorials in Berlin

Berlin is home to three Soviet memorials erected after World War II. One is the Soviet War Memorial at Treptower Park that commemorates thousands of Red Army soldiers who perished during the Battle of Berlin in 1945. In Tiergarten, another Soviet War Memorial can be found. The other is the Soviet War Memorial in Schönholzer Heide, which is now the largest Soviet graveyard in Berlin.

Topography of Terror

The Topography of Terror is both an indoor and outdoor museum set on what used to be the structures occupied by the SS, SD, Einsatzgruppen, Sicherheitspolizei and Gestapo during the Nazi regime. Today, Topography of Terror houses permanent, special and temporary exhibitions on the horrors of the Nazi reign. It is also home to a special library dedicated to volumes of topics centering on the SS, police and Gestapo during the Third Reich, as well as general National Socialism.

Victory Column

A column that originally celebrated the victory of the Prussians in the Danish-Prussian war, a bronze sculpture of the Roman goddess Victoria was added onto it later on to commemorate the victory of the Prussians in the Unification Wars.