Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

The church, named after the the first German Kaiser, Wilhelm I, was planned by his grandson and constructed between 1891 and 1895. The church originally had five towers housing the second largest church bells in Germany, but they were melted for munitions during the war.

During Allied bombing raids in 1943, the church sustained severe damage severing the upper portion of the main spire and collapsing the roof. The allies were not willing to rebuild it after the war, so it remained in ruins for over a decade. If it wasn't for public opposition the remaining ruins would have been completely demolished in the 1950s. Instead, architect Egon Eiermann incorporated the existing ruins into his design for the new church, a modern octogon design with stained glass inlays and a hexagonal tower also with stained glass inlays. The blue light shining through the stained glass windows of the new buildings make them much more impressive from inside than outside except at night when the reverse is true.

In addition to viewing the outside, it's free to go inside the vestibule of the old church where you will see the original intricate mosaics depicting a number of religious scenes. You'll also be presented with a brief history of the church complete with photographs and scale models. Definitely a must see.

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