Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Breitscheidplatz stands as a memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I, built by Wilhelm II.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Breitscheidplatz stands as a memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I, built by Wilhelm II. One of Berlin's most famous landmarks, it is nicknamed 'der Hohle Zahn' meaning 'The Hollow Tooth'. The original church tower, which was built from 1891-95 to architect Franz Schwechten's Romanesque Revival specifications, was burned down by Allied bombing in 1943 during the Second World War. The ground floor of the remnant west tower is a Memorial Hall documenting the history of the church, with several of the original objects in the church including mosaic decoration and reliefs as well as photos from before and after the bombing.

A new 53-meter high octagonal belfry and chapel with blue stained glass windows were designed by Egon Eiermann and completed in 1961. Inside the church is a tombak figure of Christ on a gilt silver cross with 37 rock crystals.The northeast wall of the church has three works of art - a bronze plaque commemorating the Protestant martyrs who died during the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945, the Stalingrad Madonna symbolizing hope and reconciliation, and a charcoal drawing made by Kurt Reuber during the time he was trapped outside Stalingrad at Christmas 1942.