Leipziger Strasse
Encyclopedia
Leipziger Straße is a street in central Berlin
, capital of Germany
. It runs east-west from Potsdamer Platz
to Spittelmarkt
in the borough of Mitte
. At its western end is Leipziger Platz
, an octagonal square which before World War II
was one of the centres of German national administration, being the location of various economic ministries and for a time the War Ministry. Further east was the Reich Post Office headquarters.
Gate), one of the western entrances to what was then the walled city of Berlin. The street ran from this gate to the market place at Spittel Markt. Leipziger Platz was given its current name in 1815 in celebration of the Allied victory over the French at the Battle of Leipzig
, and it is sometimes assumed that Leipziger Straße was named at the same time: in fact it has always had this name, since it led to the royal road to Leipzig.
Near the eastern end of the street stood the Jerusalemer Kirche
, one of Berlin's oldest churches, dating from the late 15th century, embellished in the nineteenth century by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
. The church was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II
and its ruins were demolished by the Senate
of West Berlin
in March 1961.
Between 1933 and 1936 Hermann Göring
oversaw the construction of the Reich Air Ministry
building at Leipziger Straße 7, on the corner of Wilhelmstraße. After 1949, when Leipziger Straße was located in the German Democratic Republic, this became the headquarters of the GDR Council of Ministers. Today it houses the German Finance Ministry.
The building which now houses the Bundesrat
, the upper house of the German Parliament, was built between 1899 and 1903 to house the House of Lords
(Herrenhaus) of the Kingdom of Prussia
within the German Empire
. This body was abolished in 1918, and the building became the seat of the Prussian State Council within the Weimar Republic
, where delegates from the German states met for annual sittings. Konrad Adenauer
was president of this body in the early 1930s. During the Nazi regime
, the building was the seat of the Preussenhaus Foundation, controlled by Göring. The building suffered severe damage during World War II
, but was repaired and was used during the GDR period to house government offices. The Bundesrat held its first session in this building in 2000.
Other buildings along Leipziger Straße include the Bundesministerium für Post und Telekommunikation and the Bulgaria
n and New Zealand
embassies.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, capital of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It runs east-west from Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
to Spittelmarkt
Spittelmarkt
Spittelmarkt is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the line in Mitte, at the eastern end of Leipziger Straße.It opened on 1 October 1908 , then the terminus of Berlin's second U-Bahn line, connecting it with Potsdamer Platz on the initial Stammstrecke route...
in the borough of Mitte
Mitte
Mitte is the first and most central borough of Berlin. It was created in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by the merger of the former districts of Mitte proper, Tiergarten and Wedding; the resulting borough retained the name Mitte. It is one of the two boroughs which comprises former West and...
. At its western end is Leipziger Platz
Leipziger Platz
Leipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße just east of and adjacent to the Potsdamer Platz...
, an octagonal square which before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was one of the centres of German national administration, being the location of various economic ministries and for a time the War Ministry. Further east was the Reich Post Office headquarters.
Overview
Leipziger Straße has existed along this line since about 1700, when Potsdamer Platz was known as the Potsdamer Tor (PotsdamPotsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
Gate), one of the western entrances to what was then the walled city of Berlin. The street ran from this gate to the market place at Spittel Markt. Leipziger Platz was given its current name in 1815 in celebration of the Allied victory over the French at the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
, and it is sometimes assumed that Leipziger Straße was named at the same time: in fact it has always had this name, since it led to the royal road to Leipzig.
Near the eastern end of the street stood the Jerusalemer Kirche
Jerusalem's Church
Jerusalem's Church is one of the churches of the Evangelical Congregation in the Friedrichstadt , a member of the Protestant umbrella organisation Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. The present church building is located in Berlin, borough Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, in...
, one of Berlin's oldest churches, dating from the late 15th century, embellished in the nineteenth century by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
. The church was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and its ruins were demolished by the Senate
Senate of Berlin
The Senate of Berlin is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a state of Germany. According to the Constitution of Berlin the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to eight Senators appointed by the Governing Mayor, two of whom are appointed ...
of West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
in March 1961.
Between 1933 and 1936 Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
oversaw the construction of the Reich Air Ministry
Reich Air Ministry
thumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
building at Leipziger Straße 7, on the corner of Wilhelmstraße. After 1949, when Leipziger Straße was located in the German Democratic Republic, this became the headquarters of the GDR Council of Ministers. Today it houses the German Finance Ministry.
The building which now houses the Bundesrat
Bundesrat of Germany
The German Bundesrat is a legislative body that represents the sixteen Länder of Germany at the federal level...
, the upper house of the German Parliament, was built between 1899 and 1903 to house the House of Lords
Prussian House of Lords
The Prussian House of Lords was the first chamber of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1850-1918. The second chamber was the Prussian House of Representatives . The House of Lords was created on January 31, 1850 with the adoption of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia...
(Herrenhaus) of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
within the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. This body was abolished in 1918, and the building became the seat of the Prussian State Council within the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, where delegates from the German states met for annual sittings. Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
was president of this body in the early 1930s. During the Nazi regime
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the building was the seat of the Preussenhaus Foundation, controlled by Göring. The building suffered severe damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was repaired and was used during the GDR period to house government offices. The Bundesrat held its first session in this building in 2000.
Other buildings along Leipziger Straße include the Bundesministerium für Post und Telekommunikation and the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
embassies.