Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche (kirche is the German word for church) was built by Kaiser Wilhelm II in honor of his father, Kaiser Wilhelm I, and designed by Franz Schwechten in the Neo-Romanesque style. The building was consecrated in 1895, as was the entrance hall when it was finished in 1906. On the night of November 23, 1943, the church was damaged beyond repair during an air raid. The only part of the church to survive the bombing was the spire and part of the entrance hall, which today has been turned into a memorial and the broken spire serves as one of Berlin’s most recognizable landmarks.
The Memorial Hall documents the history of the church. Some of the original mosaics are still intact. The one pictured above depicts the Hohenzollerns family. Leading the family is Queen Luise. Kaiser Wilhelm I is in the center.
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche
Breitscheidplatz, Charlottenburg
10789 Berlin
Hours: Open daily 9am – 7pm
Correction: Wilhelm I was Wilhelm II’s grandfather, not his father. His father was Kaiser Friedrich III, who died of cancer after reigning for only 99 days.