Potsdamer Platz – beating heart of Berlin

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Potsdamer Platz is located in the heart of Berlin, jsut south of the Brandenburger Tor and the Holocaust Monument. You can get there directly with U2, S2 and S1 lines.

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The square stands on the place of the Potsdamer Tor, one of the eastern entries to old Berlin. From the square (named Potsadmer Platz in 1831) began one of the main arteries of the city. This lead to growing popularity of the area, which was considered, up untill the beginning of World War II, the busiest square in Europe.

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Heavily damaged during the bombing of Berlin, after the war ended Potsdamer Platz found itself in an unfortunate location right on the border between West and East Berlin. Since 1961 the Berlin Wall ran through the square, making it practically unusable for regular people.

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Berlin Wall running through Potsdamer Platz (source: Wikipedia)
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Remains of the Berlin Wall on Potsdamer Platz today

After teh reunification of Germany, Potsdamer Platz experienced a quick and impressive rejuvenation, with high buildings rising on it beginning in the early 1990’s
Today it is one of a very few locations around Berlin with high rise buildings (Breitscheidplatz becomming another one).

 

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The most representative ones include the modern Forum-Tower and Bahntower glass structures, expressionist Kollhoff Tower and the art-deco styled Ritz Hotel.

buildings on and around Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany
It also houses a shopping center and a cinema and thearte complex, which is a main venue for the yearly Berlinale film festival

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