Most people who visit Berlin know the history behind the wall that divided the city during the Cold War. But another historic wall is waiting to be discovered in the middle of the town. This is the Old City Wall of Berlin that witnesses the city’s medieval past and can be found close to Alexanderplatz.
If you walk around the U-Bahnhof Klosterstraße, you will find your way into Littenstraße. There, you can see some reddish-brown walls made of a combination of different materials. Bricks, stones, and large rocks were added and removed through the centuries.
Around 150 meters of the former first wall are now standing. From the 2.5km that existed in the past, only a small piece survived as the rear walls of houses in the area.
Sometimes called the Berlin Stadtmauer, the medieval wall of Berlin was erected back in the 13th century to protect the city. This defensive barrier was highly needed since there was nothing else in the landscape where you could build a fort or a castle and protect the area. Berlin grew and grew through time, and its medieval borders became a part of the past.
By the 18th century, Berlin’s city wall no longer marked the city limits, and another wall was built around it. This wall was used to tariff products entering and leaving the city and became known as the Berlin Customs Wall. There were two Berlin Walls before the city was divided during the Cold War, with another Berlin Wall if you are still following.
This medieval Berlin barrier was forgotten through time, and it was only in 1948, after the Second World War, that they were discovered. During the cleanup of wartime debris, the wall’s stretch was found and declared a city landmark.
Today, you can visit the remains of the medieval city walls and try to imagine how Berlin used to be. This older version of the Berlin Wall is around Littenstraße and Waisenstraße in Mitte.
We wrote something about the medieval past of Berlin when we talked about the Franziskaner-Klosterkirche and its ruins. This building is close to the first wall of Berlin, and you should explore both when you are there, close to Alexanderplatz.
The Old City Wall of Berlin
Littenstraße with Waisenstraße
Berlin-Mitte, 10179
Germany
