Alexanderplatz

Brief information

Alexanderplatz stands out because transport, pre-war buildings, and a large post-war scale converge on a single rectangular pedestrian square. Today it is Berlin’s central square and an important interchange hub: nearby there is a station for regional trains and the urban rail network, while beneath the square are the metro stations of the same name.

The name can also be read as a trace of history. Until the early 19th century, the place was called the Square of the Royal Gate, and its current name appeared after the visit of Russian Emperor Alexander I. Later, industrial growth made the square popular among poorer residents, but the visible turning point came during the GDR period: in 1966-1970 the square was expanded toward the center of East Berlin and built up with new large buildings.

What to notice first

It makes sense to compare three layers of the square. The first is the regular rectangular shape of the open pedestrian space: it creates the sense of the square as a major urban hub, not just an intersection. The second is the pre-war Alexanderhaus and Berolinahaus; they are important as surviving fragments of the earlier development amid the later, larger scale. The third is the buildings and elements from the GDR era: the 125-meter Park Inn hotel, the huge department store, the House of the Teacher, the television tower, the large rotating clock, and the fountain formerly known as “Friendship of Nations.”

These details are best read together: the old buildings show that the square was not created anew from a blank slate, while the high-rise and public structures explain why after the war it became a showcase of East Berlin. The clock changes the way one sees the place in particular: it is not just a street object, but a device connecting the square with the time of many countries around the world.