Berlin: Kürfürstendamm and Memorial Church

The Kürfürstendamm was West Berlin's main shopping centre; that accolade may since the reunion of Germany have passed to Friedrichstrasse, in what used to be East Berlin.

The memorial church was built at the instigation of Emperor Wilhelm II ("Kaiser Bill") to honour his grandfather, the Emperor Wilhelm I (1797-1888). It was almost totally destroyed during an air raid in 1943. During the 1950s a new octagonal church was erected close to the ruins; the thousands of small stained glass windows are predominantly blue in colour, and create a stunning, other-worldly mood inside. The Berliners, never able to resist a witty put-down, nicknamed the new church the "lipstick and powder compact".

The white U and blue signpost indicate the entrance to the Kürfürstendamm underground station.



PHOTOGRAPHIC INFO:
Camera: Minolta M1 (35mm film)
Kodachrome slide: 1/60th sec, f/5.6
The film speed would have been either 25 or 64 ASA/ISO.

[this blip created in April 2014]