The famous memorial is located in the Mitte district of Berlin. The building of the memorial is the brightest example of German classicism.
Memorial to Neue Wahe translated from German language- "new watchdog", a monument that has a difficult fate. Since its creation in 1816 by the German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the monument has been rebuilt more than once, times have changed - the symbols and their meaning have changed.
Different times - different symbols
The original role of the monument is a tribute to the victorious Prussian army in the wars of liberation, in addition, this is the room in which the royal guard of Friedrich Wilhelm III was located. As the main building, the building was used until 1918.
In 1930, a decision was made to reconstruct the monument. In 1931, according to the project of Heinrich Tessenow, the Neue Wahe memorial was reconstructed into a monument to those who died during the First World War.
During the Second World War, the monument was almost completely destroyed. It took more than three years to restore and reconstruct the monument.
IN East Germany The Neue Wache Memorial, designed by the architect Heinz Mehlan, was rebuilt into a memorial complex for the victims of fascism and militarism. Under the granite slabs are: the grave unknown soldier, the grave of a concentration camp prisoner, the grave of a resistance fighter.
In the GDR, the memorial was guarded around the clock by a guard of honor. The changing of the guard ceremony was an unshakable tradition, and its solemn holding on Wednesday and Saturday attracted the attention of hundreds of Berlin guests to the memorial.
Burned " Eternal flame» on a granite pedestal, which was dismantled in 1969. During another reconstruction in Neue Wach, an eternal flame appeared in its central hall, burning in a closed glass prism.
In 1993, having dismantled the glass prism, a monument was erected in the memorial by the sculptor Käte Kollwitz "Pieta" or "Mother with her dead son". It is symbolic that there is a hole in the roof above the monument through which snow and rain fall on the sculpture. According to the sculptor, this effect symbolizes the suffering and hardships of the German people during the Second World War. On the floor in front of the monument is the inscription "To the victims of war and tyranny".
In united Germany, the memorial was renamed again, today it is called the "Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Victims of War and Tyranny." In today's title, in principle, in order to avoid various interpretations, such terms as "fascism" and "Nazism" are not used. The guard of honor can be seen at the Neue Wache only on the Day of National Sorrow in Germany.
Volkstrauertag (People's Day of Sorrow) is a day of remembrance in Germany, which is celebrated at the state level in mid-November, it is intended to serve as a reminder of the need for understanding, reconciliation and peace.
Neue Wache today
Today, despite multiple reconstructions, the memorial still manages to maintain its monumentality and grandeur. First of all, this is due to the precise forms, the preserved historical portico with the image of the goddess of victory Nike (still the work of Schinkel). The building still occupies a worthy place next to the majestic Berlin University and the Zeughaus.
How to get to the memorial:
The memorial is located at: Unter den Linden, 4, Berlin
You can get to it by metro: U-Bahn station "Hausvogteiplatz" or S-Bahn station "Hackescher Markt", then walk a little along Oberwallstrasse
Can be reached by bus routes: №№ 100, 200, 348 (Lustgarten)
The ticket is valid for all types of transport, except for taxis, and is valid for 24 hours for trips around the city. Ticket price from 6.30 € to 6.80 €. Depends on the number of zones.
Berlin WelcomeCard - a Berlin tourist card worth from 16.9 € to 24.90 €, such cards have several options, are designed for two, three or five days of stay in Berlin, will allow you to visit many state museums attractions for free, the rest with a discount of up to 50%.
Neue Wache is a building located in central Berlin, on the north side of Unter den Linden. This building, erected in 1816 by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (this was Schinkel's first major commission in Berlin), is a prime example of German neoclassical architecture. Neue Wache, originally built as a guardhouse for the troops of the Crown Prince of Prussia, was converted into a war memorial in 1931.
The building has a portico of Doric columns. Schinkel wrote of his project: "The plan of this building, open on all sides, is shaped like a Roman camp, with four fortified corner towers and a courtyard." The sculptural decoration of the pediment of the building was conceived as a reminder of the role of Prussia in Napoleonic Wars(known in Germany as Liberation Wars). It depicts Nike, the goddess of victory, deciding the outcome of the battle.
Until the end of World War I and the fall of the German monarchy in 1918, the Neue Wache building housed the royal guardhouse. In 1931, the architect Heinrich Tessenow was commissioned by the Prussian authorities to redesign the building into a monument to the Germans who fell in the wars. He transformed the interior into a memorial hall with a round opening in the dome. In those days, Neue Wache was called the "Memorial to the Fallen in the War." In the last months of World War II, the building was badly damaged by bombs and artillery shells.
The street Unter den Linden was located within the Soviet zone of occupation of Berlin, and after 1949 became part of the communist German Democratic Republic. In 1960, the reconstructed Neue Wache building reopened as the Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism. In 1969, on the 20th anniversary of the GDR, a glass prism was installed in the center of the hall with an eternal flame lit over the remains of an unknown German soldier and an unknown World War II concentration camp victim. Prior to the reunification of Germany in 1990, Neu-Wache was guarded by a round-the-clock guard of honor of two soldiers of the Friedrich Engels NPA Guard Regiment. Every Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30 pm there was a big ceremony of changing the guard of honor at the Neue Wache. IN modern Germany The guard of honor serves at the Neue Wache only on the Day of National Sorrow, which has been celebrated in Germany since 1993.
Photo from Wikipedia
Photo from Wikipedia
After German reunification in 1991, the Neue Wache again changed its symbolism and in 1993 became known as the "Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Victims of War and Tyranny". Part of the GDR memorial was removed and replaced with an enlarged copy of the sculpture "Mother with Lost Son" by Käthe Kollwitz (also called "Pieta"). This sculpture is located under a hole in the roof and is therefore exposed to rain, snow and cold, symbolically depicting the suffering of civilians during World War II.
The main monument of the Federal Republic of Germany to the memory of the victims of war and tyranny in Berlin. The building of the memorial is located in the Berlin district of Mitte on the street Unter den Linden.
The Neue Wache building was built under the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1816-1818 as a guardhouse for the royal guard and at the same time as a monument to the fallen in the Napoleonic Wars. The first setting of the guard with musical accompaniment took place at the Neue-Wache building on September 18, 1818, on the occasion of the visit of the Russian Tsar Alexander I to the Imperial Alexander Guards Grenadier Regiment No. 1. Before the overthrow of the monarchy in Germany in 1918, Neue-Wache served as the main guard royal premises. In 1931, the building was rebuilt according to the design of Heinrich Tessenov as a monument to the fallen in the First World War.
After the almost complete destruction in the Second world war building during three years It was restored under the leadership of Heinz Mehlan as a warning memorial to the memory of the victims of fascism and militarism. Prior to the reunification of Germany in 1990, Neu-Wache was guarded by a round-the-clock guard of honor of two soldiers of the Friedrich Engels NPA Guard Regiment. Every Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30 pm there was a big ceremony of changing the guard of honor at the Neue Wache. In modern Germany, the guard of honor serves at the Neue Wache only on the Day of National Sorrow, which has been celebrated in Germany since 1993.
After the war, it was reconstructed under the leadership of Heinz Mehlan into a memorial to the victims of fascism and militarism. Here, in a glass prism, an “eternal flame” burned. In 1993, by order of Helmut Kohl, a sculpture “Mother with a Lost Son” by Kete Kollwitz was installed inside the memorial.
Despite the relatively small size of the building, due to its pure forms, a powerful risalit and a strictly Doric portico, Schinkel managed to make it monumental, allowing the Neue Wache to occupy a worthy place surrounded by the building of the University of Berlin or the Zeughaus. The goddess of victory is depicted on the pediment of the portico.
The Neue-Wache Memorial is one of the most striking examples of German Neoclassicism. This is a monument that has had a rather difficult fate. The memorial was created in 1816 thanks to the work and talent of the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. During its existence, the Neue-Wache has been rebuilt more than once, its symbolism has also changed over the years.
Initially, this famous modern monument was a guardhouse for the troops of the Prussian prince, which was built by order of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. The construction was supposed to become a symbol of victory, a reminder of the role of Prussia in the wars. Looking at the pediment of the building, you can see the image of the goddess of victory, Nike, who decided the outcome of all battles. Noah-Wahe was the royal guard until the moment when the German monarchy ended its existence.
Already in 1931, the German authorities commissioned the architect Heinrich Tessenow to redesign the building into a monument in honor of the soldiers who fell in the First World War. The transformations affected the interior, which later turned into a memorial hall, in the dome above which a round hole was specially made.
Damaged by artillery shells during the Second World War, Noe-Wahe was in need of serious reconstruction. In 1960, this building was reopened to the public and was called the Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism. Subsequently, a glass prism was installed in the center of the inner hall, in which an eternal flame burned. In 1993, a copy of Harald Hacke's sculpture "Mother with a dead son" ("Pieta") by Käthe Kollwitz was installed in Neue Wach, with the inscription "To the victims of war and tyranny".
