Berliner Dom – The Largest of Berlin Churches

Berliner Dom – A Protestant Berlin Cathedral:

 
Berliner Dom is located on the north side of Museum Island and is the largest of the Berlin churches. As we stroll along Unter den Linden towards the River Spree we can already see its unmistakable mighty dome peaking above the treeline. But the awesome size of this Berlin cathedral is best appreciated when you stand at its front lawn and see it towering over most of the buildings in the historic centre of Berlin.

The Many Reincarnations of Berliner Dom

Although Berliner Dom is a cathedral by name, it was never the seat of a bishop. Its Baroque structure looks old but this building is a 20th century construction. However, Berliner Dom stands on the site on which many other churches previously stood, the earliest of them being St Erasmus Chapel, the chapel of the Hohenzollern royal court. The chapel was elevated to collegiate church status in 1465 and from there it grew in importance achieving the status of Domkirche when it became a court and parish church under the various electors.

When Frederick the Great came on the scene, he replaced the cathedral with a new Baroque structure to the north of the palace in 1747-50. Then in 1822, as a celebration the union of Prussia’s Lutheran and Reformed communities, a renovation was carried out, transforming Berliner Dom to a Neoclassical style . But when Wilhelm II came to the throne, he ordered the demolition of the cathedral in 1894 and the construction of the present much larger building which was completed in 1905.  Berliner Dom was severely damaged during the World War II bombing by Allied Forces and restoration was completed in 1993.

Berliner Dom Today

Berliner Dom today is one of the main attractions of Germany’s capital city. In terms of the historical importance of the Berliner Dom , its Hohenzollern Crypt holds 94 sarcophagi of Prussian royals and five hundred years of Brandenburg-Prussian burial culture. The tombs of Frederick I and Queen Sophie Charlotte are the most impressive. Other interesting features include the Sauer Organ, the Neo-Baroque pulpit and stained glass windows and its 1850 main altar.

Climb the 270 steps to the Dome gallery and you’ll be rewarded with a views of Museum Island, the Synagogue, Gendarmenmarkt, the Reichstag, and the Rotes Rathaus.

Berliner Dom Concerts

With its great acoustics, Berliner Dom is a regular venue for organ music and a very interesting line-up of classical music performances in Berlin.
For what’s on at Berliner Dom and to book concert tickets, see Here.
 

Opening Hours:

Berliner Dom is open Mon – Sat: 09.00 – 20:00 | Sun & Holidays: 12:00 – 20:00.
For Cathedral tour reservations phone +49(0)30 202 69 119.

How to get to Berliner Dom:

From Brandenburg Gate, it is a pleasant stroll along Unter den Linden to Museum Island.  Otherwise, any of the below transport means will get you close to Berliner Dom.

• U-Bahn: U2, U5, U8 (Station: Alexanderplatz)
• S-Bahn: S5, S7, S9, S75 (Station: Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt)
• Tram: M4, M5, M6 (Tram stop: Spandauer Straße)
• Bus: 100, 200 (Bus-stop: Am Lustgarten)

Address:
Berliner Dom
Am Lustgarten 1
10178 Berlin