Berlin: area by area – kurfürstendamm - Gedächtniskirche

Or Memorial Church on Kurfürstendamm is a monument to peace and reconciliation, and the internationally famous symbol of Berlin's desire to rebuild itself in the aftermath of the war. The Gedächtniskirche consists of an ensemble of church ruins and the modern buildings which surround it, and is consequently characterized by the stark contrast of history and modernity.
The neo-Roman church, which was intended to recall the glory of the first German Kaiser, was built in an ornamental style from 1891–95 to plans by Schwechten. After the church was destroyed in an air raid in 1943, the ruins – a constant, unavoidable reminder of the horrors of war for Berliners – were supposed to be demolished to make way for the planned new building in 1956. After a storm of emotional protests, it was decided to integrate the ruins into the new building.
The modern building was constructed from 1959–61 to plans by Egon Eiermann and consists of three elements. It is constructed of honeycombed concrete components into which glass bricks are set. The church tower, with the christening and matrimonial chapel, is built on a hexagonal foundation. The colored glass bricks bathe the interior of the octagonal nave in an intense blue light, and create an atmosphere of calm. The smallest, rectangular building was planned as a sacristy, but now houses the city mission. The memorial hall in the old tower is a memorial of the horror and destruction of war.