Alexanderstraße 9, 11
Construction period: 1961–64
Architecture: Hermann Henselmann
Frieze on Haus des Lehrers: Walter Womacka
An iconic building ensemble on Karl-Marx-Allee
It was designed by Hermann Henselmann, as were the high-rise buildings at Strausberger Platz (1955) and Frankfurter Tor (1957).
The 13-story, 54 m-tall high-rise slab block was completed in 1964, in time for the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the GDR. It originally served as a social centre for educators.
The colourful surrounding ‘cummerbund’ is a striking detail. It originally concealed a library of schoolbooks. The monumental mural entitled ‘Unser Leben’ (Our Life), comprising 800,000 mosaic tiles, shows aspects of life and knowledge that teachers were to impart under socialism.
The high-rise tower combines effectively with an adjacent low-rise building: the Kongresshalle (Congress Center), designed for 1,500 attendees – a modern glass cube with a gleaming aluminium dome.
The building ensemble marks the start of the second construction phase of Karl-Marx-Allee, which was completed at roughly the same time.