Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church)

Frommer's Review

There is no more evocative site in the western sector of Berlin to remind us of the horrors of war. The massive red-sandstone church that originally stood here was dedicated in 1895 as a memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm II. In 1945, during the closing months of World War II, a bomb dropped by an Allied plane blasted it to pieces, leaving only a few gutted walls and the shell of the neo-Romanesque bell tower. After the war, West Berliners decided to leave the artfully evocative ruins as a reminder of the era's suffering and devastation. In 1961, directly at the base of the ruined building, they erected a small-scale modern church designed by Egon Eierman. Always irreverent, Berliners, noting the avant-garde architecture and geometric design of the new church, nicknamed it "the lipstick and powder box." Its octagonal hall is lit solely by thousands of colored glass windows set into a honeycomb framework. On its premises, you can visit a small museum with exhibitions and photographs documenting the history of the original church and the destructive ravages of war. The new church can hold up to 1,200 worshippers, and 10-minute religious services -- conceived for office workers heading home -- are held there every day at 5:30 and 6pm. Between June and August, English-language services are conducted daily at 9am, and free organ concerts are presented here every Saturday year-round at 6pm.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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