Berlin Alexanderplatz — a journey in time

Berliners simply refer to it as Alex. This rectangular square in what today is Berlin's central Mitte district has served as a parade ground, a marketplace and a space for demonstrations since the 18th century. It has always been a major traffic junction in Berlin, and has served as one of the city's busiest squares. It originally got its name in 1805 when Russian Czar Alexander I visited Berlin.

Measuring 368 meters (1,207 feet) in height, the TV tower dominates the Alex. This is Germany's tallest edifice, built in 1969 as part of the central Berlin urban renewal initiative by the East German government. Located just below the top floor is an observation deck and a revolving restaurant, featuring the best 360-degree panoramic view of Berlin in the city.

In 1969 — the same year the TV tower was inaugurated — the Weltzeituhr (Global Time Clock) also opened on the Alexanderplatz. Since then, it has been a popular meeting spot for Berliners and tourists alike. The clock rotates in a way that it shows the time in the respective time zone in any part of the world. It is embellished with a model of the solar system.

The colorful focal point of the Alex is the Fountain of Friendship between Peoples. The nearby frieze features plant and animal motifs and is made of materials including stone, metal and enamel. When the square was still part of East Germany, the fountain was also known by another, seedier name: "Nuttenbrosche," or "prostitutes' brooch." Here, young women would wait for their paying clients.

The East German regime wanted to send a welcoming message of confidence out into the world by designing Alexanderplatz as cosmopolitan space. Designed for casual socializing and big enough to hold mass events, the Alex became the most important square in East Berlin. It quickly was seen as the crown jewel of the East German metropolis.

Starting in the 1960s, the East German government built mass housing for thousands of people right around Alexanderplatz. These prefabricated buildings, which are seen as typical of East Germany, still epitomize the image of Berlin's Mitte today. Located next door is Berlin's Red City Hall. It is now the seat of the mayor and the Berlin Senate. Tourists are welcome to have a look inside.

The former Interhotel Stadt Berlin at Alexanderplatz towers over the square in the truest sense of the term, at 128 meters (420 feet) in height. When it was built in the late 1960s, it was the GDR's highest habitable building. Today it is a Park Inn hotel and is still the highest hotel building in all of Germany. Visitors can enjoy a special view of the TV tower from its terrace.

Over the course of its history, Alexanderplatz has evolved into one of Berlin's most important transport hubs. Various networks, including regional trains, the InterCity Express rail and three subway lines all cross paths here. There's been a shopping mall to fill the passages between the various platforms since the very beginning. This is why the Alex has always been considered a shopper's dream.

People flocked to the Alex for (window-)shopping since the early 20th century. At that time, various large department stores were built here — such as the famous Tietz department store (pictured right). This was during the heyday of Alexanderplatz. This tradition was taken up again after the fall of the Berlin Wall, with large department stores and shopping malls being built all over the Alex.

In addition to various department stores, office buildings joined the Alex in the 1930s. Berlin was a rapidly growing metropolis on edge. In 1929, a famous novel was published set in the Berlin of that time: "Berlin Alexanderplatz" by author Alfred Döblin. This erudite testimony to these troubled times has since became one of the most important German novels.

With Germany's reunification in 1990, a new era began to dawn for Alexanderplatz. The square opened up for redevelopment. The transformation plans included the erection of 10 residential and office blocks, each measuring roughly a 150 meters (492 feet) in height, all designed by Berlin architects Kollhoff & Timmermann. So far, however, none of the designs from 1993 have been realized.