Berlin 1945: Photos from the end of the war compared with the present
On May 8, 1945, the German Wehrmacht surrendered, marking the end of World War II in Europe. But Berlin lay in ruins. Historical photos from the end of the war provide a glimpse of the devastated city. The contrast with the present is particularly fascinating: How does Berlin compare many decades later? Which buildings remain, and where has the cityscape changed completely?
The Brandenburg Gate through the ages. Above, after the Battle of Berlin in May 1945, and below, the Brandenburg Gate today. Photos: Imago/United Archives International/WHA; Imago/Günter Schneider
People rebuilt Berlin. We now live in a completely different world. Berlin is colorful, international, and peaceful. The horrors of the Nazi era are taught in schools and addressed in documentaries and books. They seem far away. And yet it is still the same city. And the traces of World War II can be found everywhere in Berlin.
We’ve selected 12 locations, including the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, Oranienstraße, and Berlin Cathedral. Using historical photos, we demonstrate the extent of the destruction in 1945. We contrast these with images taken in recent years.
Berlin at the end of the war, Berlin today
The destroyed Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin in May 1945. Photo: Imago/United Archives International/WHA
Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate decades later. Viewed from above, the buildings on the square appear to follow a similar pattern. However, the architecture of the adjacent buildings is modern. Examples include the US Embassy and the Academy of Arts. Photo: Imago/Günter Schneider
Frankfurter Allee
Berlin in the past: Soviet soldiers at the entrance to Frankfurter Allee station in Friedrichshain during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. Photo: Imago/United Archives International/WHABerlin today: Entrance to the Frankfurter Allee subway station in Friedrichshain. Photo: Imago/Pond5 Images
Berlin Cathedral
Mitte was particularly hard hit by the battle. Although the Berlin Cathedral survived, it was severely damaged in 1945. Photo: Imago/United Archives International/WHA
This is what the Berlin Cathedral looks like today. The City Palace in the background has also been rebuilt. Photo: Imago/Westend61
Reichstag
The destruction of the Reichstag had special symbolic significance for the Soviet Union. By May 1945, the building was a ruin. This photograph was taken on July 6, 1945. Photo: Imago/Photo12
Today, the Reichstag building shines in the sun, the glass dome by star architect Norman Foster is a tourist magnet, and people can relax on the lawn in front of the building. Photo: Imago/YAY Images
Berlin at the end of the war, Berlin today: Victory Column
Soviet soldiers celebrate the end of the war in front of the Victory Column on May 8, 1945. Photo: Imago/ITAR-TASS“United in Love”: Today, Berlin is a place of freedom and tolerance. This photo is from Christopher Street Day 2023. Photo: Imago/Shotshop
Hotel Adlon
A mobile hospital in front of the Hotel Adlon on May 1, 1945. Photo: Imago/LeemageBerlin’s premier address shines in reconstructed splendor: the Hotel Adlon on Pariser Platz. Photo: Imago/Imagebroker
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz was almost completely destroyed in World War II. Most of the buildings were demolished and replaced with modern architecture. Photo: Imago/ITAR-TASSAlexanderplatz today – with the Berolinahaus (right), designed by Peter Behrens, one of the few buildings to survive the war. Photo: Imago/agefotostock/Novarc Images Christian Reister
Wilhelmplatz
Wilhelmplatz and the Reich Chancellery were completely destroyed. Photo: Imago/United Archives International/Erich AndresLittle of Wilhelmplatz remains in the current cityscape. This brutalist building, erected in the 1970s as the embassy of the Czechoslovak Republic, stands on the southern half of the square. Photo: Imago/Metodi Popow
Berlin 1945, Berlin today: Potsdamer Platz
The Columbus House on Potsdamer Platz (back left). Berlin in May 1945. Photo: Imago/United Archives InternationalAfter the war, Potsdamer Platz was a wasteland for a long time, and later the Wall turned it into a wasteland. After reunification, the square was completely redeveloped. Photo: Imago/BE&W
Karstadt at Hermannplatz
In May 1945, only ruins remained of the city’s once most modern department store. Photo: Deutsche Fotothek/CC-BY-SA 3.0Karstadt on Hermannplatz is now Galeria. There was some debate about rebuilding the department store based on its historic model. Photo: Imago/Schöning
Oranienstraße
May 1945: Destroyed trams on Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Bundesarchiv, Image 183-J31328/CC-BY-SA 3.0/HofmannThe Hotel Orania on Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg. Photo: Imago/Rolf Kremming
Berlin at the end of the war, Berlin today: Berlin Palace
The Berlin Palace was severely damaged during the Battle of Berlin and demolished after the war. The Palace of the Republic stood on its site until the 1990s. Photo: Deutsche Fotothek/CC-BY-SA 3.0The partially reconstructed City Palace with Humboldt Forum: The south façade follows the historical model. Photo: Imago/Joko
