Saved by protest
Egon Eiermann's first plan for a new church meant tearing down the ruined tower. Berliners protested, and the tower was kept as a memorial against war.
Urban Tales › Berlin › Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: the hollow tooth of Berlin
A broken tower and a blue glass church stand side by side on Breitscheidplatz. Berliners call the ruin "the hollow tooth". Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Consecrated1895
Bombed23 Nov 1943
New church1959–1963
ArchitectEgon Eiermann
Hear the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
1
2
The blue light
The new church's walls hold more than 20,000 glass inserts made by Gabriel Loire in Chartres. Inside, the light turns a deep blue.
3
The Stalingrad Madonna
Inside the new church hangs a charcoal drawing of the Madonna made by doctor and pastor Kurt Reuber during the siege of Stalingrad at Christmas 1942.
TipVisit the memorial hall at the base of the old tower to see the surviving mosaics, then step into the new church across the square for the blue light. With Urban Tales running, the church's story plays as you reach Breitscheidplatz.
Nearby landmarks
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: common questions
Why is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in ruins?
It was badly damaged in an air raid on 23 November 1943, and the ruin was kept as a memorial.
Can you go inside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church?
Yes, both the memorial hall in the old tower and the new church are open to visitors.
Who designed the new church?
Egon Eiermann; it was built between 1959 and 1963.