Fernsehturm & Alexanderplatz

Fernsehturm

The television tower, called by the locals Telespargel, or toothpick, remains to this day the city’s tallest structure at 365 m (1,197 ft). It is also the second-tallest structure in Europe. The tower was built in 1969 to a design by a team of architects including Fritz Dieter and Gurter Franke, with the help of Swedish experts. However, the idea for the tower originated much earlier from Hermann Henselmann (creator of the Karl-Marx-Allee development) in the Socialist-Realist style.

View from the Tower, On a clear day the viewing platform offers a full view of Berlin. Visibility can reach up to 40 km (25 miles).

Tele-Café, One of the attractions of the tower is the revolving café. A full rotation takes about half an hour, so it is possible to get a bird’s-eye view of the whole city while sipping a cup of coffee.

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz, or “Alex” as it is called locally, has a long history, although it would be hard now to find any visible traces of the past. Once known as Ochsenmarkt (oxen market), it was the site of a cattle and wool market.

It was later renamed after Tsar Alexander I who visited Berlin in 1805. At that time, the square boasted a magnificent monumental colonnade, which was designed by Carl von Gontard.

In time, houses and shops sprang up around the square and a market hall and urban train line were built nearby.

“Alex” became one of the city’s busiest spots. Its frenzied atmosphere was captured by Alfred Durlin (1878–1957) in his novel Berlin Alexanderplatz. In 1929, attempts were made to develop the square, though only two office buildings were added – the Alexanderhaus and the Berolinahaus, both by Peter Behrens.

World War II erased most of the square’s buildings and they were replaced by characterless 1960s edifices, including the Forum Hotel (formerly Hotel Stadt Berlin) and the Fernsehturm. However, the area has been redeveloped and is home to several shopping plazas and cinemas, as well as open-air markets during the holidays.