Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Berlin Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
AO Edited

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

An imperial church bombed to ruins during WWII now stands as a jagged memorial.

Berlin, Germany

Added By
katielou106
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Old and new churches side by side.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Bomb and bullet damage on the memorial exterior  
Memorial interior  
Memorial exterior on a sunny day  
  IgFan / Atlas Obscura User
Juxtaposed and Swallowed Within Modern Berlin   MarkTimeTravel / Atlas Obscura User
The decorated roof of the church.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of a mosaic inside the memorial.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of the church spire.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
The hollow tooth.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  susanh 048bf38f / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, or Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächniskirche, was originally constructed in the 1890s as part of the Protestant church-building program started by Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife Augusta Victoria. They hoped that the program would launch a return to traditional religious values, a move away from the labor and socialist movements that were prevalent at the time.

A competition was launched for the design of the church. The Neo-Romanesque design by Franz Schwechten was chosen as the winner. The original church had five spires and held the second biggest church bells in Germany.  These bells were eventually melted down to make munitions during World War I.

The church was named in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II's grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I. The foundation stone was laid in March 1891, the birthday of Wilhelm I.  

On the night of November 23, 1943, the church was extensively damaged during an allied air raid. However, one of the spires and much of the entrance hall survived, along with the altar and baptistry.

After the war in 1947, plans were developed to rebuild the church. Arguments over what the reconstruction should entail raged until the late 1950s. At one point, the argument swayed towards tearing down the remaining spire and building a completely new structure.

Luckily, public outcry at the idea saved the spire, with the remains of the damaged spire and the ground floor now acting as a memorial hall. It commemorates Berlin's determination to rebuild after the war. The jagged remains of the church spire now tower over the modern shopping district of Ku'damm and TauentzienstraĂŸe below.

The church is affectionately nicknamed "der hole Zahn" by Berliners which means, "the hollow tooth" referring to the look of the damaged main spire. The church also holds the Stalingrad Madonna, an image of the Virgin Mary drawn by a German soldier in 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad.

 

Related Tags

Churches History & Culture Ruins World War Ii Sacred Spaces Military

Community Contributors

Added By

katielou106

Edited By

dukesq, MarkTimeTravel, susanh 048bf38f, IgFan...

  • dukesq
  • MarkTimeTravel
  • susanh 048bf38f
  • IgFan
  • evilolive

Published

April 16, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
13 TauentzienstraĂŸe
Berlin, 10789
Germany
52.504818, 13.335082
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Clock of Flowing Time

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Mengenlehreuhr (Berlin Clock)

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berlin

Berlin

Germany

Places 140
Stories 18

Nearby Places

The Clock of Flowing Time

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Mengenlehreuhr (Berlin Clock)

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berlin

Berlin

Germany

Places 140
Stories 18

Related Places

  • Interior of the ruins with anchor memorial.

    Southampton, England

    Ruins of Holyrood Church

    Now a memorial to merchant sailors and Titanic victims, this medieval church was destroyed by bombing raids in 1940.

  • Inside the old cathedral.

    Coventry, England

    Coventry Cathedral Ruins

    The bombed out remains of the old church were kept intact next to the new one, as a reminder of the futility of war.

  • The head of Virgin Mary.

    Nagasaki, Japan

    Head of the Virgin Mary

    The statue's head is one of the few fragments of the original Urakami Cathedral to survive the atomic bomb.

  • London, England

    The Ruins of St. Dunstan-in-the-East

    One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

  • Church of St. Luke, Liverpool

    Liverpool, England

    Church of St. Luke, Liverpool

    Gutted during the Liverpool Blitz, this architectural husk has been left destroyed in honor of the dead.

  • Chapel ruins and tombolo in the background.

    Bigton, Scotland

    St Ninian's Chapel

    This former chapel resides on an island connected to the mainland by one of Shetland's iconic beachy tombolos.

  • Grotta di Sant’Angelo

    San Donato di Ninea, Italy

    Grotta di Sant'Angelo

    The ruins of a rural church and a statue of Archangel Gabriel are tucked away in Majella National Park.

  • Stony Batter Historic Reserve

    Auckland, New Zealand

    Stony Batter Historic Reserve

    Large World War II gun emplacements and tunnel systems remain hidden near a remote end of Waiheke Island.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.