A guardhouse like a Roman fort
Schinkel's first major building in Berlin was a guardhouse for the Crown Prince's Palace, with a square plan inspired by a Roman military camp and a Doric portico in front.
Urban Tales › Berlin › Neue Wache
Neue Wache: the history, and the sculpture under an open sky
A small temple-like building on Unter den Linden has been a royal guardhouse and four different memorials. Inside, there is a single sculpture. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Built1816–1818
ArchitectK. F. Schinkel
Central memorialsince 1993
SculptureKäthe Kollwitz
Hear the Neue Wache 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
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Four meanings in a century
It became a memorial to the dead of World War I in 1931, East Germany's memorial to the victims of fascism and militarism, and in 1993 Germany's central memorial to the victims of war and tyranny.
3
Rain on the mother
Inside, Käthe Kollwitz's "Mother with her Dead Son" sits beneath an opening in the roof, so rain and snow fall on the sculpture.
TipStep inside and stand still for a moment: the only light comes from the round opening above the sculpture. With Urban Tales running, the memorial's story plays as you walk along Unter den Linden.
Nearby landmarks
Neue Wache: common questions
What is the Neue Wache?
Germany's central memorial to the victims of war and tyranny, in a former royal guardhouse by Schinkel.
Who made the sculpture inside the Neue Wache?
It's an enlarged version of Käthe Kollwitz's "Mother with her Dead Son".
Is the Neue Wache free?
Yes, it's free to enter.