ALEXANDERPLATZ

Description

Essentials about Alexanderplatz in brief

The Alexanderplatz, in Berlin vernacular usually just called “Alex”, is probably the best known and liveliest square in Berlin and incidentally also the largest inner-city square in all of Germany. It is the traffic hub in Berlin-Mitte and many of Berlin’s sights are within walking distance, which is why the Alex is chosen by many visitors as a starting point for a sightseeing tour.

The history of Alexanderplatz

The square owes its name to the Russian Tsar Alexander I, after whose visit to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1805 the square was named. Until the middle of the 19th century, Alexanderplatz served as a parade and drill ground for the military and as a market square. With the construction of the long-distance train station in 1882, it developed into a transportation hub, and in the following years, with the construction of the Central Market Hall (1886) and the Tietz Department Store (1904-1911), it became an important shopping center.

Today’s layout of Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz took on its current form only in the 1960s after it was largely destroyed in World War II. It was converted into a pedestrian zone and road traffic was routed around the square. Also during this time, the former Centrum Department Store, the adjoining Alex-Passagen, the famous World Time Clock, the Fountain of Friendship between Peoples and the Fernsehturm Berlin (Berlin TV Tower), the tallest building in the city, visible from afar, were built. Since German reunification, Alexanderplatz has been in a state of constant change. A shopping center, a cinema, a department store and other stores as well as several hotels have been built. Also in the coming years, the lively Alex will certainly still change its face.