Friedrichstraße

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  View of Friedrichstraße in Berlin-Mitte.

• Berlin's Friedrichstrasse and Friedrichstraße station.

• Tourists visit the former border crossing at Checkpoint Charlie.

• A bouquet of flowers lies on the memorial to Jewish children who fled to Britain at Friedrichstrasse station.

The Friedrichstrasse runs through Berlin as a north-south axis. Between Checkpoint Charlie and the Friedrichstrasse train station, a popular shopping mile was created after reunification.

The straight north-south axis in the center of Berlin experienced an incomparable rebirth after the fall of the Wall in 1989. Countless construction projects have resulted in the creation of a completely new shopping mile between Checkpoint Charlie and Friedrichstraße station.

A street with an eventful history

Friedrichstraße begins in the north at Oranienburger Tor in Mitte and ends in Kreuzberg at Mehringplatz. Elector Friedrich III had the street, which was known as Querstraße in the 17th century, renamed with his name. The street has had an eventful history: it was the scene of numerous battles, a trading place for precious stones and gold and a center for prostitution. Friedrichstrasse gained further significance with the construction of the train station in 1882.

German division divides Friedrichstrasse

Friedrichstraße was divided up after the Second World War. With the construction of the Wall, the military border crossing Checkpoint Charlie was built in the middle of the street, which today attracts tourists from all over the world as an important sight in Berlin. Friedrichstrasse station also became a border crossing between the GDR and the West.

The exhibition in the Tränepalast (Palace of Tears) is a reminder of the many sad fates that shaped this place for years. After the fall of the Wall in 1989, Friedrichstraße experienced a rebirth: countless shopping opportunities were created between Checkpoint Charlie and Friedrichstraße station.

Friedrichstraße: Legendary amusement mile

Friedrichstraße was a legendary entertainment mile. The Admiralspalast and the Friedrichstadt-Palast at the northern end of the street were well-known and well-attended as revue and comedy theaters. Today, the theaters continue this tradition with glamorous shows and variety shows. The Berliner Ensemble became famous through performances by its founder Bertolt Brecht and is still a major German theater venue today.

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