Berlin was basically entirely destroyed during World War II. In the following decades it was ripped apart and divided up amongst Allied powers, converting it into a half-communist, half-democratic jigsaw. Evidence of the destruction is still evident today due to the tall cranes you’ll see sporadically dotting the modern skyline. Former palaces and other important buildings are still being rebuilt today.
The Gendarmenmakt (pictured) is a beautiful square first built in 1688. It stood as a marketplace and was part of the city’s Western expansion of Friedrichstadt, one of Berlin’s emerging quarters.
Today it is the site of the Konzerthaus and the French and German Cathedrals. In the centre of the square stands a monumental statue of Germany’s renowned poet Friedrich Schiller. The Gendarmenmarkt is named after the cuirassierregiment Gens d’Armes, which had their stables at the square until 1773.
Most of the buildings were badly damaged or destroyed during the war and the buildings you see here today have all been restored to their former state.
Enjoy a traditional WienerShnitzel here with an ice cold German beer while people watching in this most fascinating of cities, Berlin.
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