Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Neptunbrunnen
he centrepiece of the parkland just southwest of the TV tower is the
Neptunbrunnen
, an
extravagantly imaginative fountain incorporating a statue of a trident-wielding Neptune
sitting on a shell. A serpent, seal and alligator spray the god of the sea with water, and he
is supported by strange fish and eel-draped aquatic centaurs with webbed feet instead of
hooves. Around the rim of the fountain sit four female courtiers, symbolizing what were
at the time the four most important German rivers: the Rhine, the Vistula, the Oder and
the Elbe. he statue was built in 1891 and was originally on Schlossplatz.
Rotes Rathaus
Rathausstr. 15 • Mon-Fri 9am-6pm • Free •
T
030 90 26 24 11 • U-Klosterstrasse
Across Rathausstrasse from the Neptunbrunnen is a rare survivor of Hohenzollern-era
Berlin in the shape of the
Rotes Rathaus
, Berlin's “Red Town Hall”. So called because
of the colour of its bricks rather than its politics, the Rotes Rathaus has a solid
angularity that contrasts sharply with the finicky grandeur of contemporaries like the
Dom. his is perhaps because it's a symbol of the civic rather than the Imperial Berlin
of the time - a city in the throes of rapid commercial expansion and industrial
growth. he building has lost some of its impact now that it's been hemmed in by
new structures, but it remains a grandiose, almost Venetian-looking edifice; look out
for the intricate bas-relief in terracotta, illustrating episodes from the history of Berlin,
that runs around the building at first-floor level. he Rathaus was badly knocked
around in 1945, but made a good comeback following restoration during the 1950s.
During GDR days it was headquarters of the East Berlin city administration, and
since October 1991 it has housed the united city's administration. Inside a grand
stairwell leads to a coat-of-arms hall with a few exhibits on the city, including some
engaging aerial photos. he building also has a
cafeteria
offering low-price lunches -
accessed via a door on the east side of the building.
he reconstruction of the Rathaus and thousands of other Berlin buildings is largely
due to the
Trümmerfrauen
or “rubble women”, who set to work in 1945 clearing up the
100 million tons of rubble created by wartime bombing and shelling. heir deeds are
commemorated by the
statue
of a robust-looking woman facing the eastern entrance
to the Rathaus on Rathausstrasse. Women of all ages carried out the bulk of the early
rebuilding work, since most of Berlin's adult male population was dead, disabled or
being held in PoW camps by the Allies. Despite this, the male contribution to the
work is also marked by a statue of a man looking wistfully towards his
Trümmerfrau
counterpart from the western end of the Rathaus.
3
Sea Life Center
Spandauer Str. 3 • Daily 10am-7pm, last admission 6pm • €17.50, online discounts offered •
T
030 99 28 00,
W
sealifeeurope.com •
S-Hackescher Markt
he large modern colossus that overlooks the Marx-Engels-Forum from the north,
and incorporates the
Radisson Hotel
(see p.178), is a touristy mall that contains Berlin's
THE U5 EXTENSION AND THE MARX
ENGELS
FORUM
The huge building works in front of the Rotes Rathaus are part of a mighty project to extend
the
U5
underground line across the heart of Berlin between Alexanderplatz and the
Hauptbahnhof. Completion is planned for 2019, but in the meantime viewing platforms allow
passers-by to inspect progress. Much of the work is taking place on the
Marx-Engels-Forum
,
a severe plaza just west of the Rathaus. It's dedicated to the two revolutionary thinkers
Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels and their landmark commemorative bronze - about five times their
former real sizes - will eventually reappear here.
