Schloßplatz (Berlin)

The Castle Square and from 1951-1994 Marx- Engels-Platz is a square in the historic center of Berlin on the Spree Island in eponymous district center south of the Museum Island. His situation changed in the course of its history. The historic place had the shape of a narrow rectangle and was located south of the eponymous former Berliner Stadtschloss, but is overbuilt in the present part. The present square was created after the removal of the damaged in World War II and demolished in 1950 lock.

In the current town is known as Castle Square, the entire area on which was once the castle and the adjacent area of a rectangle - west to the lock bridge, northwest of the Spree canal over to the castle bridge and south of the Lustgarten. On the southern side of the square is the built in 1897-1901 as well as the New Royal Stables, built in 1964 former building of the State Council of the GDR, in which parts of the facade of the former portal are integrated IV of the City Palace.

History

Before securing the subsequent palace square here was an end to the Stechbahn, a system for tournament games, the Elector Joachim II was built in 1537. After elimination of the tournament grounds recalled the opening into the street at the Schlossplatz Stechbahn, but disappeared by changing the building in 1866. The former castle stood between three places - the pleasure garden in the north, the castle freedom on the Spree Canal to the west and the historic Castle Square in the south.

In 1830, it came on the court in the course of Schneider Revolution rallies and riots. 1891 on the Schlossplatz, designed by Reinhold Bega Schloßbrunnen, a gift of the Municipal Council for Kaiser Wilhelm II - erected, and the fountain is now called Fountain of Neptune.

After the Second World War, the heavily damaged castle was blown up by a decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the SED, despite many international protests in 1950. The castle or Neptune fountain was incorporated in 1969 and placed on the open space between the Marienkirche and the Rotes Rathaus. 1951 was awarded the stripped area, together with the pleasure garden and castle freedom and the historic Castle Square the name of Marx- Engels-Platz. A built for the party and state leaders of the GDR grandstand was on the east side parallel to the Spree place. The rest of the area now served as a parade ground for large-scale demonstrations and military parades. Started in 1973 instead of the grandstand on the eastern part of the former castle area, the construction of the Palace of the Republic, which was opened in 1976. In 1990, however, came as an asbestos hazard to the closure of the building.

After the reunification took place in undeveloped area of ​​the castle grounds archaeological excavations, with a portion of the castle foundations and basement areas have been exposed. In 1991, the northern part of the Marx- Engels -Platz back its original name Lustgarten back, while 1994 renaming of the rest of Marx- Engels-Platz came in Castle Square. Further excavations in 2008 uncovered the foundations also of the Dominican monastery Coelln. After his asbestos removal was from 1997 to 2002 between 2006 and 2008 the demolition of the Palace of the Republic. To allow a temporary use of the resulting wasteland, the area was then designed with lawns, walk-in wooden grips and seat levels. Beginning of 2013 ended the transitional use it began in preparation for the reconstruction of the Stadtschloss entirely dismantled.

In the future, a new building will be erected in the outer dimensions of the old castle on the castle grounds in accordance with parliamentary vote in 2002, with three baroque palace facades ( north, west and south ) and the Schlüterhof be reconstructed. The east side of the river Spree is modern in design. On June 12, 2013 President Joachim Gauck laid the foundation stone for the new building, which will be used as the Humboldt Forum. Until the opening (according to current planning, 2019) inform the exhibitions in the temporarily erected Humboldt-Box at Schlossplatz 5 on the building project and the concepts for the Humboldt - Forum.

On 13 April 2011 it was announced that has been made in the competition for the planned Freedom and Unity Memorial at the base of the former Kaiser Wilhelm National Monument on the Castle freedom, that is, close to the Castle Square, a decision by the jury. Will be built the monument " citizens movement " of the architect Johannes Milla and the choreographer Sasha Waltz in the form of a large walk-in rocker. This is to show how many people can make a big difference.

Open space competition

In September 2012, the Senate Department for Urban Development praised as the owner of the land from an open international competition open space for the Schlossplatz, including the adjacent and contiguous smaller areas in the north (part of the pleasure garden ) as well as in the south. The competition is designed to answer many technical questions (among emergency access roads, installation areas for utility vehicles, escape routes, bicycle parking, Disabled Parking ) develop, but also creative ideas for the appearance of the remaining open spaces. The plans are to integrate the Metro Station and Museum Island - submit ideas for future function of this open space - on their Hauptstadtrepräsentanzbau At the Stechbahn upon the resignation of the company Thyssen- Krupp.

Is discussed controversial public a recurrence of today located at other locations in Berlin works of art that were created or acquired partly for its original location in front of the former castle. These include the former castle fountain, Fountain of Neptune today, the horse tamer than corresponding figures for the same year (1842 ) established figures lion fighter and Amazone front of the Altes Museum and the Adler column instead of the historical Chip Tower. During the Berlin monuments voted to remain the artwork on their assigned after the Second World War, squares, clubs, citizens advocate a return to the historical sites. The specifications of the Senate (see map) as well as the already running new roads make an ajar historical models design unlikely.

Spelling

The official renaming again happened in Castle Square in 1994, ie before the ß - spelling reform. While it would have after this reform Schlossplatz hot, but so far have not changed the road or in this case place names. The same is true for other lock phrases such as Schloßbrunnen, freedom, bridge in connection with the Berlin City Palace. These proper names are used here as they were used in each case after their time, current valid spelling.