The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at one end of the Kurfürstendamm is the main Protestant church in the western city centre and, with the ruins of the old tower, forms a permanent monument to peace and reconciliation.
Built between 1891 and 1895 in a neo-romanesque style to the plans of Franz Schwechten and intended to express the splendour of the first Hohenzollern emperor, the church was destroyed by bombing in 1943. Remains of the elaborate decorations can be seen within the ruined tower.
Facing this, the new octagonal church, constructed between 1959 and 1961 to the plans of Egon Eiermann. The visitor is immediately impressed by the interior with its atmosphere of peace and meditation and the intense blue light falling through the honeycomb of concrete windows. Above the altar hangs the figure of Christ, created by Karl Hemmeter, and to one side the Stalingrad Madonna by Kurt Reuber.
The 5,100 pipes of the Schuke organ regularly resound in services, daily prayers and numerous concerts. In the Memorial Hall in the Old Tower, the Coventry Cross of Nails; also an exhibition describing the history of the church. The carillon plays every hour on the hour. The Foyer, the extension on the Kurfürstendamm side, provides opportunities for dialogue and pastoral care during the week. The ensemble of old and new is completed by the free-standing bell-tower and the single-storey chapel for baptisms and weddings.