Already in the Middle Ages, when it was known as Ochsenmarkt or "Market of the Ox", Alexanderplatz was considered the center of Berlin. Currently Alex, as many Berliners call her, continues to be one of the main meeting points of the capital.
Alexanderplatz during the Cold War
Although at the end of the war the zone was completely desolated by the bombings, during the almost three decades in which Berlin was divided, Alexanderplatz was the center of East Berlin.
In the 1960s, as part of its plan to reform its city sector, the German Democratic Republic expanded Alexanderplatz and made it pedestrian. To demonstrate the power of their government, in 1969 they erected the Berlin Television Tower (TV Tower or Fernsehturm), which today remains one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
The most important event at Alexanderplatz was the protests of November 4, 1989. On that day, half a million people demonstrated against the communist government. Five days later, on November 9, the government announced the freedom to cross the Berlin Wall.
Alexanderplatz today
Although when one arrives at the TV Tower from the center of Berlin, one may think that the square where it is located is Alexanderplatz, the truth is that the "original" square is behind the tower. Currently everything is considered the same.
In the original square, in addition to some bars and the Kaufhof Gallery, a commercial center in the purest "Corte Inglés" or "Marks and Spencer" style, you have to look at the World Clock, which indicates the time of all the cities in the world, and at the Fountain of Friendship among the Peoples. Both monuments were added in 1969.
In the garden square of the west part of the tower three interesting monuments can be highlighted: the Marienkirche Church, built in 1380, the Fountain of Neptune and the Red City Hall, which, although it was used by the government, the name comes from the color of its brick.
Alexanderplatz starts from the great avenues built during the communist era. It is worth noting the Karl-Marx-Allee, a wide avenue in which it is possible to appreciate the Soviet architecture.
Check also:
What to do in Berlin: Tips for all kinds of visitors
Menschenmuseum at Alexanderplatz
