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Alexanderplatz, Berlin-Mitte
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Alexanderplatz is a vast square and was the former East Berlin's main commercial hub. It is called 'Alex' by the locals and was one of the most vibrant parts of Berlin prior to the second World War.
At the centre of Alexanderplatz stands the Weltzeituhr (world time clock) and the - impossible to miss - TV Tower.
You can also see the Marienkirche, Berlins second oldest church, built in 1270 though extensively remodelled in the 15th century. The small steel cross on the churches spire can sometimes be seen reflected in the TV Tower, which used to cause upset for the East German government.
Nearby is the Neptunbrunnen - Neptune Fountain - built in 1891-95. The fountain depicts the sea god Neptune, surrounded by four female figures which symbolise 4 German rivers.
By now you will have noticed the Rotes Rathaus, Berlins town hall, which was built between 1861-69. It is home to the Governing Mayor and Senate. It is nicknamed 'Red Town Hall' due to the colour of the bricks used in its construction, nothing to do with its socialist past.
If the weather is fine, why not perch on the edge of the fountain and watch the world go by for a while. Leave a Comment
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 Evening atmosphere at
Alexanderplatz. by Kakapo2
On and around the Square that everybody calls Alex you find an array of important buildings, as the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft (Peoples Friendship Fountain), Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain), Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall), today known and used as the Berliner Rathaus (Berlin Town Hall) and the historic Berolinahaus – today transformed into a huge department store (C&A).
The Alex was the centre of East Berlin, and thanks to the dominant 368 metres high Fernsehturm we never forgot about our Ossi brothers LOL
Alex is named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I who visited in 1805. Then it was a suburb and had conserved its rural character. Cattle fairs were held here, and the surrounding barracks used the area as a site for parades. Only when the S-Bahn was finished in 1882 and a central market hall built in 1886, the Alex started to become the most important traffic and shopping area for Berlin’s eastern suburbs. A big department store (1904 to 1911) was added, and also the U-Bahn got a stop there (in 1913). Due to traffic jams and chaos, a roundabout was built around the square in 1928.
During World War II the area was terribly destroyed, so the square was redesigned, firstly by expanding its size, so it lost its enclosed character. You nearly got lost in the huuuuuuuuuuuge pedestrian area, surrounded by multi-lane roads for the through-traffic. Directions: S-Bahn S3, S5, S7, S75, S9, station Alexanderplatz U-Bahn U2, U5, U8, station Alexanderplatz
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 by Gerrem
Most of the buildings on the square were destroyed by bombing during the second world war. As the center of East-Berlin, the square was used as a showcase of socialist architecture. This resulted in some plain bulky buildings and a huge television tower. Leave a Comment Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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 TV-Tower by Karin1S
In clear weather you can enjoy a spectacular view over 40 kilometres fro its revolving Panorama café.
Opend: 9 -1 a.m (March-oct) and 9-0 a.m. (Nov - Feb)
Price: 6,50 Euro Leave a Comment Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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 A colourful meeting place. by Kakapo2
Well, this might have been a coincidence on this particular day. But it is clear that this fountain is a very popular meeting place. The wide rims are perfect for sitting down, chatting and watching people.
Nothing special about this fountain from GDR times. The main materials are copper sheets, coloured tiles, enamelled plates and glass crystals, reflecting the sunlight in the water.
The major feature are 17 water-crowned rhombae-shaped bowls on sturdy legs, placed in spiral order in a round two-storey basin. The water fountains spiral their way down from one bowl to the next until it reaches the big upper basin. The outside of this basin has a very colourful enamal design, matching the colours of the nearby World Time Clock, so mainly from yellow over orange to red, and featuring butterflies, flowers and trees. From this basin the water flows into the exterior basin through several openings. Directions: S-Bahn S3, S5, S7, S75, S9 U-Bahn U2, U5, U8, station Alexanderplatz
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 Two Towers. by dabidc
You have heard the cliche 'On a clear day you can see forever", well the day was not the clearest, but it was possible to view the surrounding streets and take a few photos.
The Square housing the Tower is now a pedestrian area and much traffic is taken around or under the square. Going back in history there was both a cattle market and a wool market . The re building after Word War 2 allowed for separation of the traffic and the pedestrians and also enabled a more leisurely place for the pedestrians, with cafes and and places to visit around and in the square. Leave a Comment Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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 Fernsehturm by jenniferchinLeave a Comment Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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In the center of former East Berlin - is Alexander Plaz.
Berliners name its - Square Alex in honour of the Russian emperor Alexander the First on the occasion of his stay in Berlin. The next square is named Marx's and Engels. Very close there are Charles Libkneht and Clara Tsetkin's streets. It is surprising, that Germans have kept names of founders of communism in names of streets and the squares, being guided by which ideas experiment has been put in East Germany . The experiment, thanks to God, has failed. However, there are streets Vilgelmshtrasse and Fridrihstrasse perpendicular to these streets, named in memory of Prussian emperors. Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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 Der Alex, Berlin by antistar
Der Alex is all hustle and bustle, and has plenty of great places to eat, drink and shop. If you are on the east side, then you'll want to stop off here at some point, or you'll be missing out on a good part of what Berlin is, and was, all about. It also serves as a great starting point for a walk to the Brandenburg gate, taking you along the wide Under den Linden boulevard, across the elegant river Spree, past the nasty old Palast der Republik, and into Pariser Platz. Personally this was one of my favourite parts of Berlin, although it only gets a passing mention of a couple of sentences in my 1100 page Rough Guide to Germany.
Der Alex also includes an impressive sight of its own, the unmissable, in many senses of the word, Fernsehturm. Leave a Comment Directions: U-Bahn: Alexanderplatz
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 Colourful propaganda facade of
the East. by Kakapo2
But I must admit, I liked it on my revisit, as it reminded me of the time long gone by, and the days when we succeeded to smuggle pocket calculators and Led Zeppelin LP’s into the East, and queued in front of the bookshops on Alex to spend our East-Marks we were forced to exchange on entering GDR, and everything was so cheap that spending the money was really a problem if you did not want to have lunch three times within an hour ;-) Directions: S-Bahn S3, S5, S7, S75, S9 U-Bahn U2, U5, U8, station Alexanderplatz
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