Perhaps it is somewhat appropriate that a distorted reflection of the Reichstag can be seen on the second photograph.
Click on the little images to enlarge them.
| The TV tower near Alexanderplatz (in the Eastern Zone at the time) was built in 1969. It is said to have been modelled on the smaller TV tower in Stuttgart, but personally I find that the Stuttgart tower (Wikipedia has a picture of it here) looks better. |
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| The Rathaus (town hall), built between 1861 and 1869. |
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| Cafes and restaurants near the Rathaus. |
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| Berlin Cathedral (reformed church), from just across the River Spree, and from in front. The trees in the latter picture look as though they were planted after the city was reunited in 1990. |
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| There is also a Roman Catholic cathedral in Berlin, St Hedwig's. |
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| This is either the Deutscher Dom or the Französischer Dom! They are almost identical from the outside and are both on Gendarmenplatz. Please tell me if you are sure which one this is. |
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| Built between 1788 and 1791, the Brandenburger Tor is the most impressive structure in Berlin, and one of the finest of its kind in the world. I couldn't get a good photo because of construction work in the vicinity, but there are already enough pictures of it on the web, for example here. Instead, here's a detail of the Quadriga on the top. Napoleon stole this group statue in 1806 when his army conquered Berlin, but it was returned in 1814. The Brandenburger Tor was only slightly damaged in 1945. |
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| The Reichstag, built between 1884 and 1894. The building was severely damaged in 1943-1945 and the original cupola entirely demolished; the reconstruction, in 1995, replaced everything except the outer walls, and added a glass-and-steel cupola which to me looks inappropriate to the style of the rest of the building, but many people like it. |
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| A new building, just across the River Spree from the Reichstag. I'm not sure
exactly what it's for (tell me if you know); I think it's some government offices. A monument,
if so, to the overweening self-importance of bureaucrats everywhere. Perhaps it is somewhat appropriate that a distorted reflection of the Reichstag can be seen on the second photograph. |
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| A monument to Bismarck, originally (and appropriately, since he was primarily responsible for the unification of Germany in the 19th century) located in front of the Reichstag. |
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| Schloss Charlottenburg, built about 1700 for the Prussian monarchy. Not only the outside, but also the inside, is beautiful, and there is a fine formal garden at the back. |
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| The Kurfürstendamm, an elegant shopping street which was in the Western sector when the city was divided. The multiple rows of trees - one at each side, and two down the middle - help to give this wide street a really pleasant atmosphere. |
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