THE REINCARNATION OF POTSDAMER PLATZ

Berlin is a city of consistent change, almost like it’s part of the metropole’s DNA to keep evolving since centuries. Few areas in Berlin however have such a dynamic history as Potsdamer Platz and its surroundings. This can be accredited to its proximity to the diplomatic quarter on the one hand, and Tiergarten Park on the other hand, the city centre’s “green-lung” and largest inner-city forest, perfect for an after-lunch stroll or a Sunday picnic.

The entire area became representative of the German capital’s image to political leaders from all over the world since the end of the 19th century, with landmarks close by such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Siegessäule, and many embassies of some of the most powerful nations of the globe. While Potsdamer Platz used to be one of the busiest heavy traffic areas in Europe in the 1920s, it was almost utterly demolished during the Second World War because of the main headquarters of the National Socialists, which were also situated there.

After the war Potsdamer Platz became known to locals as the “tri state area”, as it marked the border between the British, the American and the Soviet sector. When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961 right through Potsdamer Platz, it turned the entire area into fallow land for almost three decades. Typical for the open-minded artistic spirit of the Berliners though: Despite being right in range of the snipers positioned on the East Side of the Berlin Wall, the West Berliners regularly hosted Sunday flea markets here, created art-sculptures of army jets and tanks and some of them even settled in a small caravan colony. Once the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the DDR rejoined the Federal Republic of Germany, Potsdamer Platz turned into the city’s largest construction site, reconnecting with its history of a thriving cultural, economic and touristic city center.

Nowadays Potsdamer Platz and its surroundings attract locals and tourists with a variety of entertainment offers, cultural heritage, impressive architecture and shopping opportunities. Are you in for a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, or a visit of one of the world's leading collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries in the Gemäldegallerie, or do you wish to watch the latest blockbuster in English at the CineStar? Or perhaps you want to go on a shopping-spree in the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden and the Mall of Berlin, and afterwards dine in one of the countless gourmet restaurants on Alte Potsdamer Strasse? Or you take walk through the popular Gleisdreieck Park, to forget about the stress of everyday life. The offers are countless, and so demand for living space around the corner is high.

While the inner circle of Potsdamer Platz around the breathtaking Sony Center is a mostly cultural and economic hub with lots of office space opportunities, its direct surroundings offer a high living standard. Especially the view from the renowned Potsdamer Strasse right onto the Landwehr Canal (the Spree river’s main side canal) and apartments around Magdeburger Platz are in high demand at the moment because of the surrounding nature and the family friendly feel of the area, while still only being within a short foot walk distance right from the heart of one of Berlin’s most lively sights. The area is on the rise, and because it was undervalued for so long due to its post-war-history, its value will grow even more for a longer time to come. Please feel free to contact us if you are looking for an apartment around Potsdamer Platz, and we’ll be happy to advise you.