Alexanderplatz, Berlin

3 more images

Worldtime Clock displays the time for various cities around the world. The clock face can incorporate multiple round analogue clocks with moving hands or multiple digital clocks with numeric readouts. The each clock is labelled with the name of a major city or time zone in the world. A moving circular map of the world rotating inside a stationary 24 hour dial ring.
Worldtime Clock was constructed in 1969.

1 more image

The House of Teachers (Haus des Lehrers) was once a feature of Alexanderplatz, but now sits behind a large new shopping centre built in front of it. The building is a classic example of Socialist Realism, and the work of master architect, Hermann Henselmann, who is also responsible for the grand gates of Frankfurter Tor, the City Hochhaus in Leipzig, and the Jen-Tower in Jena. Henselmann was a legend of East German architecture, and for me the Haus des Lehrers is one of his best (although he disowned Socialist Realism later in life as a childish fad).

Like many buildings of Socialist Realism, it is functional, efficient, angled and almost completely lacking in decoration, save the frieze that celebrates the work of teachers in the GDR. Behind the frieze is one of the largest libraries in Europe with over 650,000 books.

2 more images

The Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock) is one of my favourite, and most memorable sights in Berlin. It's very iconic of the eastern part of the city. Built in 1969 as part of the GDR's refurbishment of Alexanderplatz, it allows the time in any part of the world to be read. It rotates constantly, along with the solar system model above it. The whole clock weighs about 16 tonnes, and is about 10 meters high. It's a very popular meeting point, offering both a clear symbol to gather near, and a perfect shelter from rainy skies.

3 more images

"The wide-open and empty space of Alexanderplatz is the focal point of East Berlin, and the subject of major remodeling by this part of the city's former Socialist masters. Der Alex was intended to be the showpiece of a utopian socialist republic, but in retrospect looks a little sorry for itself, and barely merits a mention in my 1100 page guide book to Germany. It was also the scene of the million strong demonstration that led to the tearing down of the wall in 1989, hence its iconic use in the opening titles of the wonderful film, "Goodbye, Lenin!" Personally I loved it, and found its sad reminders of former Stalinist glories quite endearing, but then again I'm a sucker for hard luck stories, and der Alex seemed like exactly that." - from my travelogue

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.

Since I first visited in 2004 a brand new shopping centre has been added, blocking views from Alexanderplatz to the marvelously socialist House of Teachers.

Visiting Berlin do not miss Alexanderplatz - Alexander Square.
They say it was named in honor of the Russian czar Alexander I at the beginning of the 19th century.
I was very impressed by the modern buildings, "Weltzeituhr" - "World Clock" and stores, cafes and restaurants.

1 more image

ALEXANDERPLATZ !

Alexanderplatz is place in the middle of Berlin. For people that love to shop are there big shopping centers, most known is one named ALEXA. In it it's over 180 stores. I loved it. You've got Nike store, everything for your home, book store, clothes, souvenirs, restaurants, even kids will love it. If you'r not a fan of big shopping centers, no worries, because on alexanderplatz you've got little stores with character all over the place. You have restaurants, Dunkin' Donuts, little coffee shops and buffets, also little souvenir stores, there's also post, park for relaxing, Internet point, also Wifi places, church, concret blocks. For fans of fast food there are burger king, Mc'Donald, KFC...
If you'r not staying in the middle of Belrin, or anywhere near, there's no need to worry because U-bahn covers also alexanderplatz. So you can come to there in no time.

3 more images

Like Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz was a hub of the city’s nightlife when Berlin was in its heyday in the 1920s, and like it was badly damaged by Allied bombing raids during the Second World War. But unlike its counterpart to the west, Alexanderplatz lay entirely in one sector, the East, so was rebuilt and redeveloped after the war by the German Democratic Republic government. It became something of a showcase of Soviet-style city planning and was consequently one of the places we made sure to visit on our one day in East Berlin back in 1985.

The centre of the square seems little changed today, although since reunification many of buildings around it have been modernised and new ones have been built, notably a large shopping mall, Alexa. We didn’t check that out, but did have a short stroll around the square itself to relive memories of that earlier visit.

On both occasions it was a pretty lively place. Last time we were here that was mainly due to the large number of people passing through, and many others lingering here to meet friends by the Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft ("Fountain of Friendship between Peoples"). This is the rather ugly but much loved centre-piece of the square; it is a protected monument and was renovated in 2002.

This time round it was a Saturday morning, and we found the square preparing for some sort of fair/exhibition, apparently promoting holidays in the countryside. There were animal pens created with bales of hay, displays of tents and other camping equipment, lots of “fresh from the farm” food stalls ... all a little incongruous in such an urban setting. We left the locals to enjoy all of this and instead headed over to the other iconic monument, the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock). This shows the names of a number of foreign cities in different time zones. It too has been restored since our last visit (in 1997) and now includes a number of cities that were originally left out for political reasons were added, namely Jerusalem, St. Petersburg and Cape Town. On top of the clock is a model of the solar system.

Right next to Alexanderplatz, and indelibly associated with it, is the Fernsehturm or TV Tower. This is the second tallest structure in Europe and can be seen from all over the city. When the sun shines it is reflected from the windows near the top in the shape of a cross (see photo 4). In the days of the Cold War and East/West division this effect was nicknamed “the Pope’s revenge” – the Soviet regime might have done its best to stamp out Christianity (and all religions), but the Pope had a way of making sure the Christian symbol could still be seen everywhere in East Berlin.

Even though Alexanderplatz (known locally simply as Alex) isn't in the physical centre of the city it feels as though it should be the de facto City Centre. This is where tourist Berlin and the day-to-day Berliner's Berlin inhabit the same space. The shoppers shop, the commuters commute, the drunks drink, the punks pose and intermingled with it all are us tourists taking our pics.

The TV Tower and the Park Inn Hotel are landmarks visible from miles away and several of the other buildings have distinctive presences but to my mind it is the hulking pragmatic S-bahn station which defines the square and its surrounding area. This, along with its less visible U-bahn station, is the hub of the city's public transport system through which much of the city's urban rapid transit passes heading to and from all quarters.

As well as the S and U-bahn lines the station also serves several regional train services and immediately adjacent are the interchange stops for city-wide tram lines and buses.

Thus over the course of time everybody and their dog eventually passes through here, some merely in transit, others to hang awhile on the square itself or in the shops, bars and restaurants.