Gendarmenmarkt is a square located in the historical center of Berlin. It is considered by many Berliners as the most beautiful square in the city, which I fully agree with.
As you can see on the picture, the square consists of three beautiful and harmonious buildings: in the center, the Konzerthaus (concert hall) and the almost identical Französischer Dom (French cathedral) on the right and the Deutscher Dom (German cathedral) on the left.
In the center of the square is also a statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller, made by Reinhold Begas and inaugurated on November 10, 1871.
The square was designed by Johann Arnold Nering and built in 1688. In 1777 it was redesigned by Georg Christian Unger. Established as a market place, and thus originally called Linden-Markt (Linden Market), the square/market was part of the city of Friedrichstadt.
Friedrichstadt was a new community that was built, by order of King Friedrich I, in the suburbs of Berlin at the time and was later incorporated into the city of Berlin.
This community was inhabited mainly by Huguenots, persecuted French Protestants, who settled there after the Edict of Potsdam, issued by the Prussian Prince Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg in 1685, which gave asylum to Huguenots and guaranteed them the right to religious freedom.
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Over the years, the square was renamed Mittelmarkt or Friedrichstädtischer Markt, then Neuer Markt. It received its current name, of French origin, in 1799 in reference to the Regiment des Gens d’Armes, a Prussian regiment of Huguenot soldiers, which had its stables there from 1736 to 1782.
In 1950 it was renamed Platz der Akademie (Academy Square) in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Academy of Sciences, but in 1991 it was renamed Gendarmenmarkt again.
Around the square there are many restaurants, cafes, stores and luxury hotels. Even at the corner of Charlottenstraße and Mohrenstraße there is a beautiful chocolate factory, Rausch Chocolatiers. It is worth a look.
In addition to buying delicious chocolates, you can also see some of Berlin’s tourist attractions, such as the Brandenburg Gate or the Gedächtniskirche, made of chocolate. On the top floor of the store there is also a very nice café.
The Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Berlin. Unlike the other markets, you have to pay a small entrance fee, but it’s worth it because the scenery is beautiful and the market is a bit more sophisticated than the others.
Französischer Dom (French Cathedral)
The French cathedral is the older of the two cathedrals and was built by the Huguenot community between 1701 and 1705 according to a design by Jean Louis Cayart. However, it did not have the tower it has today, which was designed by Carl von Gontard and was only added in 1785, when the square was redeveloped. Severely damaged in the bombings of World War II, it was rebuilt in 1977.
The French cathedral has a 40-meter-high viewing platform that can be reached by a staircase with 284 steps. The building also houses a Huguenot museum that tells the story of the life of these French immigrants in the city.
Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral)
The German Cathedral is located across from the French Cathedral, south of the square. It was designed by Martin Grünberg and built by Giovanni Simonetti between 1701 and 1708. Like the French cathedral, it did not have a tower in its original design. The tower was designed by Carl von Gontard and added between 1780 and 1785.
Completely destroyed during the war, it underwent extensive restoration work and was not reopened until October 2, 1996. Since then, it has functioned as a museum with exhibitions on German history.
Konzerthaus (concert hall)
The concert hall is the newest building on the Gendarmenmarkt. It was built as a Schauspielhaus (theater) between 1818 and 1821 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel on the site of the National Theater which had been built by Karl Gotthard Langhans and which was destroyed in a fire in 1817.
After being damaged during World War II, the building was restored between 1979 and 1984, transforming the theater into a concert hall. On October 1, 1984, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra performed at the reopening of the house. Since 2006, the orchestra has been renamed Konzerthausorchester (Concert House Orchestra).
How to get there
Address: Gendarmenmarkt – Mitte, 10117 Berlin
U-Bahn: Line U2, station Hausvogteiplatz or Stadtmitte; Line U6, station Französische Str. or Stadtmitte.
Bus: Line 147, stop Französische Str.
https://goo.gl/maps/GDuPqqhLdX72M42x5
