Unter den Linden in Berlin's Mitte district is the famous broad avenue some 1,400 m/1,517yd long reaching from Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate to the Lustgarten. From 1573 there was a riding track here, used by the Elector on his way to the Tiergarten to hunt. In 1647 the Great Elector caused six rows of nut trees and limes to be planted along the road, but when it was surfaced in 1675 these were removed, and it was 1946 before more young limes were planted here.
The chronicles of Berlin record the various types of buildings that were erected along the road: dwelling houses, workshops, public buildings, palaces. After 1964, to the north grew the district of Dorotheenstadt, named after an estate owned by the Electress Dorothea. Between 1688-92 the Friedrichstadt area to the south was developed to the design of J. J. Beer.
The most important road which crosses Unter den Linden is Friedrichstrasse about half way down.
First major buildings
It was not until the early 18th C. that Frederick the Great caused any buildings of consequence to be erected in Unter den Linden. The first was the Arsenal and soon afterwards the Gendarmenmarkt was laid out. In 1734 the street, which had hitherto reached only as far as Schadowstrasse, was extended to the Pariser Platz. Frederick the Great then commissioned Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to design a street in the grand manner which should be the cultural center of Berlin. However, Knobelsdorff soon fell into disfavor and he was able to complete only the Opera House. Other architects continued the work: St Hedwig's Cathedral was built between 1747-73. The Old Library was the work of G. C. Unger. In 1789-91 the street was given a worthy terminal point in the Brandenburg Gate, designed by Langhans. In 1816-18 the Neue Wache was built by K. F. Schinkel.
The best place to set out on a stroll along Unter den Linden is the Brandenburg Gate. The western part of the boulevard is built up with modern buildings and former embassies.
The Friedrichstrasse Intersection
The southwest intersection of Unter den Linden with Friedrichstrasse was once one of Berlin's liveliest squares, with the famous old Cafe Bauer, destroyed during the Second World War. Its site is now occupied by the large Lindencorso Restaurant. At the northeast corner, on the site of the old Hotel and Cafe Victoria (later the Cafe König), stands the eight-story Unter den Linden Hotel. The Haus der Schweiz opposite is one of the few buildings in the street to survive the war almost unscathed. On the southwest corner is where the famous Cafe Kranzlereck once stood. It was completely destroyed and now a new building stands there. To the south of the intersection are the Grand Hotel (opened in 1987) and the administrative offices of the Comic Opera.
Between the State Library and the Arsenal
The State Library is followed by the extensive buildings of the Humboldt University, with some rare ginkgo trees in the front gardens and marble statues of Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt in front of the main entrance.
Opposite the University lies Bebelplatz (formerly known as Opernplatz, or Opera Square), the center of the "Forum Fridericianum" conceived by Frederick the Great and von Knobelsdorff, of which only the German State Opera House (Deutsche Staatsoper) on the east side materialized. This was burned down in the Second World War and rebuilt. In the southeast corner of the square stands St Hedwig's Cathedral.
On the west side of the square can be seen the beautiful building of the Alte Bibliothek (Old Library). It was built in 1775-80, as the Royal Library, to plans by Fischer von Erlachs. Because of its curved Baroque facade it is popularly known as the "Kommode," or chest of drawers. The library was burned down in 1945 and rebuilt in 1967-69. There is a plaque recording the burning of books by the Nazis on May 10, 1933, on Opera square.
Adjoining the Alte Bibliothek is the Altes Palais (Old Palace), which today forms part of Humboldt University. William I lived here for 50 years - as Crown Prince, Prussian King and German Emperor - until his death in 1888. The last window on the left on the ground floor is known as the "Historical Window" - legend has it that at noon every day William I would watch the mounting of the guard from this window.
Nearby, the Dutch Palace (Niederländisches Palais) once stood; it was completely destroyed in the last war. In its place now stands the New Governor's House with a facade decoration taken from the old Commandant's House on Rathausstrasse (corner of Jüdenstrasse).
On the far side of the German State Opera House is the Opera Cafe and the Crown Prince's Palace. Nearby are statues of Generals Blücher, Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Yorck, by C. D. Rauch.
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Brandenburger Tor in Berlin.
Brandenburger Tor at night in Berlin.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Chariot on top of the Brandenberg Gate.
Night view of the Brandenburg Gate.
