Unter den Linden (, "under the
linden trees") is a
boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
in the central
Mitte
Mitte () is the first and most central borough of Berlin. The borough consists of six sub-entities: Mitte proper, Gesundbrunnen, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Tiergarten and Wedding.
It is one of the two boroughs (the other being Friedrichshain-Kre ...
district of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
, the capital of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. Running from the
City Palace to
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William II after Prussian invasion ...
, it is named after the linden (lime in England and Ireland, not related to citrus lime) trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall on the median and the two broad
carriageways. The avenue links numerous Berlin
sights, landmarks and rivers for sightseeing.
Overview
Unter den Linden runs east–west from the site of the
Stadtschloss royal palace (main residence of the
House of Hohenzollern) at the
Lustgarten park, where the demolished
Palace of the Republic once stood, to
Pariser Platz and
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William II after Prussian invasion ...
. Eastward the boulevard crosses the
Spree
Spree may refer to:
Geography
* Spree (river), river in Germany
Film and television
* '' The Spree'', a 1998 American television film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
* ''Spree'' (film), a 2020 American film starring Joe Keery
* "Spree" (''Numbers ...
river at
Berlin Cathedral and continues as
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. The western continuation behind Brandenburg Gate is
Straße des 17. Juni. Major north–south streets crossing Unter den Linden are
Friedrichstraße and
Wilhelmstrasse.
Unter den Linden, which sits at the heart of the historic section of Berlin, developed from a bridle path laid out by Elector
John George of Brandenburg in the 16th century to reach his hunting grounds in the
Tiergarten. It was replaced by a boulevard of linden trees around present-day
Bebelplatz
The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany.
The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thorough ...
was integrated into the fortification of Berlin in the aftermath of the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
, visible until today as there are no trees.
By the 19th century, as Berlin grew and expanded to the west, Unter den Linden became the most renowned and grandest street in Berlin. In 1851 the famous
equestrian statue of Frederick the Great, designed by
Christian Daniel Rauch
Christian Daniel Rauch (2 January 1777 – 3 December 1857) was a German sculptor. He founded the Berlin school of sculpture, and was the foremost German sculptor of the 19th century.
Life
Rauch was born at Arolsen in the Principality of ...
, was erected on the central strip.
Johann Strauss III wrote the waltz "''
Unter den Linden''" in 1900. In the course of the building of the
Nord-Süd-Tunnel for the
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn () is a rapid transit railway system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff area ''Berliner Stadt-, Ri ...
in 1934–35, most of the linden trees were cut down and during the last days of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the remaining trees were destroyed or cut down for firewood. The present-day linden were replanted in the 1950s.
Points of interest
Since 1937, the numbering of the properties on the street has started at the ''Schlossbrücke'' (Palace Bridge), which connects Unter den Linden with the Lustgarten and
Museum Island
The Museum Island (german: Museumsinsel) is a museum complex on the northern part of the Spree Island in the historic heart of Berlin. It is one of the most visited sights of Germany's capital and one of the most important museum sites in Europ ...
. The reconstructed
Alte Kommandantur
The Kommandantenhaus (Commandant's House), also called Alte Kommandantur (Old Commandantura), on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic centre of Berlin is the former headquarter of the city's commandant. It was built in 1654 and renovated f ...
is at No. 1, standing opposite the
Zeughaus arsenal, the oldest building on Unter den Linden, built between 1695 and 1706, now the seat of the ''
Deutsches Historisches Museum'', No. 2. Buildings along the street include (from east to west) the
Crown Prince's Palace (the former palace of the
Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenb ...
crown princes), at No. 3, opposite the
Neue Wache war memorial, No. 4,
Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s masterpiece built in 1817. Further along, on
Bebelplatz
The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany.
The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thorough ...
, the
Berlin State Opera
The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great ...
, No. 7, colloquially called ''Lindenoper'',
St. Hedwig's Cathedral
St. Hedwig's Cathedral (german: St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale) is a Catholic church on Bebelplatz in the historic centre of Berlin. Dedicated to Hedwig of Silesia, it was erected from 1747 to 1887 by order of Frederick the Great according to plans by ...
and the ''Altes Palais'', No. 9, (
Old Palace, Berlin
The Old Palace (german: Altes Palais), also called Kaiser Wilhelm Palace (''Kaiser-Wilhelm-Palais''), is a former royal Prussian residence on Unter den Linden boulevard in Mitte, the historic heart and city center of Berlin. It was built betwe ...
) a favorite
Neoclassical residence of
Emperor Wilhelm I; next, on the north side lies the main building of the
Humboldt University, No. 6, and House I of the
Berlin State Library, No. 8. At the western end are the
Russian Embassy
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Russia. These missions are subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russian Federation has one of the largest networks of embassies and consulates ...
(former Soviet Embassy, Nos. 63-65, the
Hungarian Embassy, No. 76, standing at the junction with Wilhelmstrasse, and finally the
Hotel Adlon
The Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is a luxury hotel in Berlin, Germany. It is on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, at the corner with Pariser Platz, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate.
The original Hotel Adlo ...
, No. 77, at the corner of Pariser Platz, which has been completely rebuilt on the site of the pre-war hotel. Well-known statues of
Alexander and
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (, also , ; ; 22 June 1767 – 8 April 1835) was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was named afte ...
in front of the university as well as of the
Prussian generals
Scharnhorst and
Bülow, also adorn the street.
A street sign carrying the name Unter den Linden dating from before the 1930s was taken away by British forces and can now be seen at the
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
, London.
Along Unter den Linden
File:View from the bridge, Berlin, Germany (6048949834).jpg, Berlin Cathedral from the River Spree
Spree may refer to:
Geography
* Spree (river), river in Germany
Film and television
* '' The Spree'', a 1998 American television film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
* ''Spree'' (film), a 2020 American film starring Joe Keery
* "Spree" (''Numbers ...
File:Unter den Linden Berlin2007.jpg, Unter den Linden at night
File:Unter den Linden at dusk.jpg, Christmas illumination
File:Berlin Schlossbruecke.jpg, Eastern end at ''Schlossbrücke'' (Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
Bridge)
File:Kommandantenhaus4.jpg, Alte Kommandantur
The Kommandantenhaus (Commandant's House), also called Alte Kommandantur (Old Commandantura), on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic centre of Berlin is the former headquarter of the city's commandant. It was built in 1654 and renovated f ...
File:Berlin Zeughaus.jpg, Zeughaus (now '' Deutsches Historisches Museum'')
File:Neue Wache memorial, Unter den Linden, Berlin.JPG, Neue Wache (New Guard House) memorial
File:Berlin Opera UdL asv2018-05.jpg, Berlin State Opera
The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great ...
, one of several neoclassical buildings on Bebelplatz
The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany.
The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thorough ...
File:Frontansicht des Hauptgebäudes der Humboldt-Universität in Berlin.jpg, Main building of Humboldt University
File:Berlin Friedrich II Denkmal 09-2017 img1.jpg, Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great, facing east
File:Hotel Adlon (Berlin).jpg, Hotel Adlon
The Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is a luxury hotel in Berlin, Germany. It is on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, at the corner with Pariser Platz, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate.
The original Hotel Adlo ...
File:2005-10-26 Brandenburger-Tor.JPG, Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William II after Prussian invasion ...
at Pariser Platz, which marks the western terminus
File:Berlin Bebelplatz asv2018-05 img3.jpg, Bebelplatz
The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany.
The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thorough ...
File:Humboldt Forum-9148.jpg, The reconstructed Berlin Palace
The Berlin Palace (german: Berliner Schloss), formally the Royal Palace (german: Königliches Schloss), on the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin, was the main residence of the House of Hohenzollern from 1443 to 1918. Expanded by orde ...
See also
*
Berlin Brandenburger Tor station – formerly Berlin Unter den Linden
*
Berlin Unter den Linden station –
U-Bahn station at the Friedrichstraße intersection, served by
U5 and
U6 trains.
External links
Unter den Linden- Interactive 360° Panorama
Webcam: Live-View of the street Unter den Linden with Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany
{{Authority control
Streets in Berlin
Boulevards
Mitte
Prussian cultural sites
Articles containing video clips