Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin

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The Neu Kirche, colloquially referred to the Deutcher Dom is not the cathedral but parish church for the district of Friedrichstadt. It was Lutheran church (in Germany usually called Reformed Church) but later on become a congregation for Calvinists too.
The church was built from 1701 to 1708 and had pentagonal ground plan with semicircular apses. It was modified in 1780 to 1785 by Georg Christian Unger, who added domed tower. By such Palladian modifications to the both churches located on Gendarmenmarkt the idea was to resemble this square to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome.
Christian Bernhard Rode, famous German sculptor, created the statues representing characters from the Old and New Convenant, which are added to the tower. During GDR-era, the church was profaned and reopened as the Museum of German Parliamentary History.

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The French Cathedral (also known as French Church of Friedrichstadt) is smaller one of two at the Gendarmenmarkt, situated on the left of the Concert Hall. It was built from 1701 to 1705 for the Huguenot community in Berlin, which at that time made up among 25% of entire Berlin's population. The cathedral was modeled after the destroyed Huguenot church in Charenton, France. The tower and the porticos were added in 1785.
Huguenot is a French name for Calvinist. In the beginning of the 19th century they joined the comon umbrella organisation named Evangelical Church in Prussia. The tower of the church contains the Huguenot Museum of Berlin.

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Konzerthaus (Concert Hall) is situated in the central position of Gendaemenmarkt and houses Konzerthausorchester of Berlin. It was built for a theatre from 1818 to 1821 under the name of Schauspielhaus but it usage changed to a concert hall after WW I. The new Konigliches Schauspielhaus was inaugurated in 1821 with the acclaimed premiere of opera Der Freischutz by Carl Maria von Weber.
After WW I the Schauspielhaus reopened under the name Preussiches Staatstheater in 1919 and soon became one of the leading theatres of the Weimar Republic.
It was sevearely damaged by allied bombing in a battle for Berlin, rebuilt from 1977 onwards and reopened as the Concert Hall in 1984. The exterior is faithful reconstruction of Schinkel's designes. Acoustically the hall is considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world for music or opera.
The central part of the square, right in front of the Konzerthaus is crowned ba a statue of poet Friedrich Schiller, by Reinhold Begas. The statue was victim of the Nazis purges and was returned to East Berlin in 1988 after a long exile in the other half of the city.

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This is one of the most attractive squares in Berlin and we really enjoyed spending a relaxing hour here, strolling around, taking photos and lingering over Kaffe und Küchen in one of the several cafés that ring it. The square gets its name from the regiment Gens d'Armes (of French Huguenots) who had their stables here from 1736 to 1773. It is a harmonious space, with matching buildings (the Französischer Dom and Deutscher Dom) on its north and south sides, the striking Konzerthaus on the west, and the smart shops and cafés of Markgrafenstraße on the east.

Starting on the north side, the Französischer Dom holds a museum dedicated to the French Huguenot immigrants who once worshipped here. We didn’t get round to checking this out but I noted that people had climbed to the top of its dome which would have tempted us had it not been near the end of a very long and hot day of exploring! The church was built between 1701 -1705 and is slightly older than its counterpart opposite. Facing it across the length of the square is the almost matching Deutscher Dom, built in 1708, with an exhibition on German democracy which our guidebook describes as “hopelessly academic”, so we gave that a miss too. This church was totally destroyed by fire in 1945 so the one standing today is an early 1990s rebuilding of it.

If we ignore the fact that the Deutscher Dom was rebuilt only 20 years ago, the Konzerthaus (photos 3 & 4) is the most recent of the three grand buildings that grace the square. It was originally a theatre, built to replace the National Theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1817. Like the Deutscher Dom it was again destroyed during the Second World War, and on its restoration in 1984 was turned into a concert hall. It is now home to the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

In the middle of the square is a statue of Friedrich Schiller, the famous German poet (see photo 5).

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Gendarmenmarkt is to Berlin what the National Mall is to Washington. This is the place to go. Here are the country's finest museums, theaters, and public spaces.

On the northern side is the French Church (Französische Friedrichstadtkirche), a monument to French Huguenot refugees, completed in 1705. It now houses the Huguenot Museum. Tens of thousands of Huguenots (Protestants) fled from France to Prussia under the reign of King Louis XIV. They have contributed greatly to Berlin's industry, the arts, and much more.

On the southern side is the former German Church, now a museum with exhibits on German history.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed the Schauspielhaus theater (also called the Konzerthaus), which stands on the western side. It's now a concert hall. The eastern side, along the Markgrafenstrasse, is lined with trendy shops, restaurants, and the like.

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Probably the most beautiful and elegant square in Berlin is Gendarmenmarkt. Created at the end of the 17th century, most of the buildings were destroyed in World War II, but have since been restored to their former glory.

The main buildings on the square are the twin churches of Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) & Franzosischer Dom (French Cathedral), and the Konzerthaus, which create a lovely architectural trio.

Visit Deutscher Dom to learn all about democracy in Germany, or go inside Franzosischer Dom to find out about the French Huguenots who were expelled from France in 1685 and fled to Berlin. The Konzerthaus is a stunning concert house that replaced the former National Theatre originally built here, but destroyed in the war. It is the home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

At least take the time to visit the beautiful square and perhaps relax for a while at one of the surrounding cafes or restaurants.

This is the classic "middle" of the city. The theater, constructed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel from 1818 to 1821, is located at the historic Gendarmenmarkt. It was destroyed in WWII and eventually reopened in 1984 as a concert house with three halls in which about 550 events are now held each year. The most important contributor to the concert seasons is the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (BSO). Chief Conductor Eliahu Inbal.

We offer regular public guided tours through Karl Friedrich Schinkel's most famous Berlin edifice. These are themed and usually take place every first and third Saturday of the month.
Special tours are also available by prior arrangement for groups. English language guided tours are conducted in co-operation with the "Museumspädagogischer Dienst Berlin".
Please contact:
Herr Richter
Abteilung Presse-/Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Konzerthaus Berlin
10106 Berlin
tel: +49 30 20309-2343
fax: +49 30 20309-2249
email: press@konzerthaus.de

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The square originated in the late 17th century, when it was known as the Linden-Markt. The current name, dating from 1735, derives from a former Prussian regiment, the Gens d'Armes, which was based here until 1773. The square's current form dates from the end of the 17th century. During the Second World War it was heavily damaged, and by the 1980's only partially reconstructed. Although now fully restored, it seems one or the others of the square's major buildings is always having repairs done to it.