Karl-Marx-Allee

Distance from Hotel: 2.2 Km

In the almost 2 km long section between Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor, the biggest street building of the 20th century in Germany emerged after heavy war damage between 1952-60. The road was widened to 90 meters, the 7-9 storey buildings were built to the Stalinist neoclassical style of the 50s.

In the lower one or two levels shops and restaurants were housed, in the upper floors apartments. The facades are partly covered with ornamental architectural ceramics. According to Moscow’s requirements, national elements, in the Berlin case, individual forms of the Schinkeltime, were incorporated.

The two tower buildings at Frankfurter Tor became the symbol of the avenue. They roughly look like the Gontard towers at the Gendarmenmarkt.

As a “first socialist road” on German soil the Stalin Allee was, as it was called until 1961, object of violent criticism for a long time in West Germany.