Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, Germany

The original Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the site was built in the 1890s. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The present building, which consists of a church with an attached foyer and a separate belfry with an attached chapel, was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall. The Memorial Church today is a famous landmark of western Berlin, and is nicknamed by Berliners 'der Hohle Zahn', meaning 'The Hollow Tooth'.

Kaiser Wilhelm II decided to name the church in honor of his grandfather Kaiser Wilhelm I. The foundation stone was laid on March 22, 1891, which was Wilhelm I's birthday. The competition for the design was won by Franz Schwechten who planned for a large church to be built in Romanesque Revival style, including 2,740 square metres of wall mosaic. The spire was 113 metres high and the nave seated over 2,000 people. The church was consecrated on September 1, 1895. By this time of the consecration the entrance hall in the lower section had not been completed. This was opened and consecrated on February 22, 1906. In the Second World War, on the night of November 23, 1943, the church was irreparably damaged in an air raid. The church was largely destroyed but part of the spire and much of the entrance hall survived.

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User Reviews

Sveto Rakovic (6 months ago)
The church was built by the ruler of Germany Wilhelm II in honor of his father Wilhelm I, and the church itself has pictures from the life of Wilhelm I. After the bombing in the Second World War, only remains remained, but even those make this one of the most recognizable, beautiful and monumental symbols of Berlin.

shelle rogers (6 months ago)
Love this place and love the meaning of look what war can do. The art work on the ceiling is outstanding. They have the Coventry cross there too a gift from England. Free to visit and markets and shops in the same area.

Will C (7 months ago)
It’s a piece of history. Inside the ruined, there’s a gift shop and also some info about the ruin. The ceiling inside is quite nice. It’s definitely worth visiting if you are around. It’s free.

Marian Hill (8 months ago)
Such a beautiful yet emotional place. My family links with Civentry made this visit so much more special. Make sure you spend some time taking in the beauty of the ceiling

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