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Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Name: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Rating: 4.6

4.6 ·

Discover the "hollow tooth" of Breitscheidplatz, Berlin's bombed-out spire kept in ruins as a memorial. Step inside to view surviving mosaics and photos of the original interior, then contrast it with the luminous blue-glass sanctuary next door.

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Reasons to go

The bombed-out tower, nicknamed the 'hollow tooth', was deliberately left in ruins after 1943 as a permanent anti-war memorial rather than being rebuilt or demolished.
A modern hexagonal church made of blue glass mosaic was added alongside the ruin in the 1960s, creating a stark contrast between old and new.
A small museum inside the old tower displays surviving mosaics and photographs showing the original neo-Romanesque interior before its destruction.

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Full description

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz was gutted by Allied bombing in 1943, and rather than demolish or fully rebuild it, postwar Berlin chose to preserve the shattered old tower — nicknamed the 'hollow tooth' — as a permanent anti-war memorial, adding a strikingly modern hexagonal church of blue glass mosaic alongside it in the 1960s. Inside the old tower a small museum displays surviving mosaics and photographs of the original neo-Romanesque interior, while the new sanctuary's glass walls create a quiet, luminous space that feels entirely different from the ruin outside.

It's free to enter and quick to visit, though reviewers note the climb to the viewing platform demands some stamina. Sitting at the heart of the Breitscheidplatz shopping district, it works well as a short, thought-provoking stop between errands or shopping on the Ku'damm.

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Address

Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin, Germany · Bezirk Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Website

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Booking

Walk-in

Duration

30 min

Best time

morning, afternoon or early evening

Intensity

Easy pace

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Good to know

Entry to the church and ruined tower is free, though the tower's upper viewing area involves a steep climb
visit around dusk when the blue glass mosaic glows from the interior lighting
it sits right next to the Christmas market square, making December visits especially atmospheric.

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Reviews

It is a unique look at what was and still is a beautiful church building. With an intriguing alteration due to the bombings during the war. Inside is a small museum display on details of the buildings history. It's free to enter and worth the visit in my opinion. The adjoining tower was basically veiled in…

Henry

1/5

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