Schloßplatz (Berlin)
Schloßplatz (German for "Palace Square" or "Castle Square") is a square located on Museum Island (Museumsinsel) in Berlin, Germany. It measures about 225 m by 175 m, with its long side oriented on an axis approximately southwest/northeast. At its west corner is the Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge), from which Unter den Linden leads west to the Brandenburg Gate. From the same corner Karl-Liebknecht-Straße runs northeast alongside the square and on to Alexanderplatz.
"Schloßplatz" is also a common name for squares in many German-speaking countries. Other cities which have a Schloßplatz include Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Munich and Dresden.
History
It was the site of the Berliner Stadtschloss (Berlin City Palace). From 1949 to 1990 it was part of East Berlin, the capital of East Germany. In 1950, the remains of the city palace were blown up, and in 1951 the square was renamed Marx-Engels-Platz (Marx-Engels Square) after Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. New buildings erected included the Palast der Republik, the Council of State building, and the Foreign Ministry building. The Council of State building contains a balcony from the former city palace, where Karl Liebknecht proclaimed a socialist republic on November 9, 1918.
Following German reunification in 1990, the name Schloßplatz was restored in 1994.
The German parliament has decided to reconstruct the City Palace at Schloßplatz. This new building will have the same exterior as the Prussian palace, but the inside will be a modern conference venue and additional accommodation for Humboldt University.
The Palast der Republik was originally scheduled to be demolished in 2005-06 but this was delayed, and a series of conceptual and performance art events were held in the Palast during the period of reprieve. Demolition of Palast der Republik was completed in 2008.
A temporary exhibition venue Temporäre Kunsthalle Berlin was then constructed on the western side of the Schloßplatz and held a number of contemporary art exhibitions over the following two years.
As of August 2010 the bulk of the site remained vacant, although construction of the new building was scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2010.
The music video for the song 'Ich Will' (I Want) by the German band Rammstein was filmed in this location.
