Places of interest

Zoological Garden

The Zoological Garden was founded in 1841 and opened in 1844. This makes it the oldest zoo in Germany and, together with the aquarium, the most species-rich zoo in the world. A total of almost 20,000 animals currently live in Berlin Zoo. Among them are elephants, giraffes, gorillas and, unique in Germany, giant pandas.

There are two entrances to the Zoological Garden. One entrance is at Hardenbergplatz and leads through the Löwentor, the other in Budapester Straße, right next to the imposing Elephant Gate is also the Aquarium.
For information on opening hours and guided tours, please visit the website of the Zoological Garden and the aquarium.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was designed by Franz Heinrich Schwechten, built in 1891-95 and finally consecrated on 1 September 1895. Large parts of the neo-Romanesque building were unfortunately destroyed during the Second World War, in a bombing raid in November 1943, and for a long time it was unclear what was to be done with the ruins. Finally, a competition was announced.

The winner of the competition was the architect Egon Eiermann. His design envisaged the demolition of the church and a modern new building. However, these plans did not find support among the population and therefore triggered a passionate architectural debate. A compromise was reached: the 68-metre high main tower of the church was retained as a memorial and the new Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built next to the old one.

For information on opening hours and guided tours, please visit the website of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

Breitscheidplatz

Breitscheidplatz, named after the SPD politician Rudolf Breitscheid, was given its present form in 1984. It is located between Kurfürstendamm, Tauentzienstraße and Budapester Straße and essentially occupies the area of the former Auguste Viktoria Platz, which was one of the most important junctions of the New West in the 1920s. In the centre of the square is the main tower of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was largely destroyed in the Second World War, flanked by the glass towers of the new Memorial Church designed by architect Egon Eiermann.