Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church, Berlin

One of the places that made a great impression on me during my 1st trip to Berlin was Interior of the modern chapel at Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church.
During the Allied air-raids on Berlin on the night of 23rd November 1943, the old Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the city centre was destroyed. The design for a replacement church by the architect Prof. Egon Eiermann surrounded the ruins of the old church tower with a new tower and a separate contemporary place of worship. the new church is made of concrete, steel and glass. The construction uses a double shell to give acoustic isolation from the busy traffic outside.

One of the most striking features is the extensive use of stained glass inspired by Chartres Cathedral and created by the French artist Gabriel Loire in Chartres. The new church and tower use 21,292 panes of stained glass. The Christ is suspended above the altar against the background of stained glass. The figure is the work of Munich sculptor Karl Hemmeter, and was created after the original more contemporary design by the church’s architect was rejected.

Sadly the new tower was under construction, so I didn’t get to see it from inside, but I am planning to visit soon in few months as Berlin has made a fantastic impression on me.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in 2018

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche after the Allied air-raids on Berlin on the night of 23rd November 1943