Gendarmenmarkt - French Cathedral

(Local Name: Französischer Dom) The counterpart to the German Cathedral in Berlin, on the north side of the Gendarmenmarkt, is the Französischer Dom. It consists of the Friedrichstadt Church and the domed tower which was added later. It was built by Louis Cayart and Quesnay in 1701-05 for the Huguenot community which had settled in Berlin in 1685. The 70 m/230ft high tower was built by G. C. Unger following C. F. von Gontard's design. It contains a five-octave carillon with 60 bells which are rung not manually but by means of a keyboard. At a height of 20 m/66ft will be found the "Turmstuben" (Tower Rooms), and at 40 m/132ft a viewing balustrade. Following damage during the last war, both church and tower were fully restored by 1987.

The redesigned ground floor of the church now houses the Huguenot Museum, with exhibits illustrating the history of the Huguenots in France and Berlin-Brandenburg.