GERMAN CATHEDRAL

Description

Essentials about the German Cathedral in brief

Together with the French Cathedral and the Konzerthaus Berlin (Concert Hall Berlin), the German Cathedral forms the magnificent ensemble of buildings of the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin-Mitte and is thus one of the most famous sights of the city. Its designation as a cathedral is actually a bit misleading, as it simply refers to the domed tower (from the French “dôme” for “dome”) that was built at the end of the 18th century next to the already existing New or German Church. The cathedral clearly surpasses the church in size, but never had a sacred function. Today, the term “cathedral” is used for both buildings.

The history of the German Cathedral

The German Cathedral has had an eventful history. During the March Revolution in 1848, the revolutionaries laid their fallen comrades on the steps of the cathedral – a scene immortalized by the Berlin painter Adolph Menzel in his famous painting “Aufbewahrung der Märzgefallenen”. In 1943, the cathedral was destroyed by fire and stood for many years as a ruin in the middle of Berlin. It was not until the 1980s that the building was rebuilt in stages.

The exhibition in the German Cathedral

Due to its importance for German history, the German Cathedral today houses the exhibition of the German Bundestag “Wege – Irrwege – Umwege” (“Ways – Wrong Tracks – Detours”), which on five floors shows in an interactive way the eventful history of the parliamentary system from the March Revolution in 1848 to the development in the German Empire and the breakup under National Socialism to the Bundestag of the reunited Germany. So for politically interested people, the German Cathedral is definitely worth a visit.