If you have been a regular visitor or tourist in Berlin, you might have seen in Mitte near Alexanderplatz, the city hall of Berlin called Berliner Rathaus. It is a building that is remarkable in itself not just because it is the home of the mayor and government of Berlin, but because of its historical background and design.
What makes Berliner Rathaus special?
Berliner Rathaus is also known as the Rotes Rathaus or the Red Town Hall with its façade design of red clinker bricks. It was built between 1861 and 1869 following the style of the north Italian High Renaissance. It was designed to look like the Old Town Hall of Poland.
As usual, this building was heavily bombed during World War 2 but was later restored to its original plans between 1951 and 1956. During the Cold War when Berlin is a divided city, the Berliner Rathaus was in the eastern part and served as the town hall of East Berlin and the West Berlin town hall is in Rathaus Schoeneberg. After the reunification, the former became the official city hall of the united Berlin.
Tips for Visitors
Once you have seen the marvels of this historical building, you might be interested to see the other parts of Alexanderplatz, which was named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I. In the past, it was a cattle market. Today, it has become one of the large open square and public transport hub in central Berlin.
Surely, you won’t miss Fernsehturm or Television Tower, which is the largest structure in Europe after the Ostankino Tower in Moscow. The German Democratic Republic as a symbol of modern Berlin built it. It has a height of 368 meters and can be seen all over. You might want to go up where there is a visitor platform and a restaurant. This is interesting because it turns by 360 degrees every half an hour. However, the long line going up can be quite frustrating, that’s why you have to be there as early as possible.
Aside from the famous sights, there are also Berliners selling bratwurst and currywurst along the streets of Alexanderplatz. The German sausages cost one euro, which is cheap. You might enjoy tasting this local food especially if you only have a small hunger and you need a fast food.