Address: Germany, Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt square
Start of construction: 1701 year
Completion of construction: 1705 year
Coordinates: 52 ° 30'51.8 "N 13 ° 23'32.3" E
Content:
Short description
Thinking about where to go on a trip this time and, focusing on Germany, namely its capital, almost every tourist in advance, independently or with the help of tour operators, thinks over his future excursions.
View of the south facade of the cathedral
Of course, when visiting Berlin for the first time, every curious traveler dreams of seeing with his own eyes all those sights and architectural monuments that are so colorfully described in numerous guidebooks and brochures. It is impossible to say unequivocally what exactly should be visited and where it is not worth going, because the preferences and interests of all people are different, but if the paths are roads brought the traveler to the Gendarmenmarkt square, then he simply will not be able to pass by the French Cathedral.
This is a truly amazing and mesmerizing place that annually and every day attracts the attention of city guests who come to get acquainted with the historic center of Berlin. By the way, this cathedral has the most real "mirror image" - the German cathedral. They are almost identical to the smallest detail. Such an arrangement of two identical (only at first glance) cathedrals often shocks many tourists, it seems to them that they are just seeing double. This, by the way, was what the architects who built the twin cathedrals were counting on. They are "twins" only outwardly, their history and purposes are, nevertheless, different.
Gendarmenmarkt square is known all over the world precisely because of its twin temples, which, as mentioned above, are located opposite each other. Each of them deserves special attention, in this article we will talk about one of them, namely the French Cathedral.
View of the cathedral from Marktrafenstrasse
French Cathedral in Berlin - a brief history
For the first time, Frederick I, who ruled in the 17th century, thought about creating a huge square in the center of Berlin, who ordered his architects to develop a plan-project for a new square. The beautiful square was laid out already in 1689. Her project was presented and implemented by the talented and well-known architect Johann Arnold Nering in those distant times. Historians have drawn a certain conclusion from the surviving documents: the square got its name, which has come down to our time, thanks to the Prussian gendarmes who were part of the elite cavalry regiment.
It is worth noting that a fairly large number of French lived in the area of the square. Frederick I was a just king of Prussia, and during one of the solemn ceremonies he granted the French Huguenots all the civil rights that the native inhabitants of the country also had. These rights included freedom to choose religion. For the French on the Gendarmenmarkt square and the majestic cathedral was erected, which, by the way, is correctly called the Church of Friedrichstadt... The French Cathedral in Berlin is the colloquial name for a temple built specifically for the reformed French church. However, the "relatives" of the Lutherans were not forgotten, for whom an almost identical "German Cathedral" was erected at the same time. Probably, in this way the king decided to prove that equal rights of native Germans and French are not just big words. In 1701, twin cathedrals flaunted on the square, however, both temples at that time did not yet have majestic domes.
View of the cathedral from the Berlin Drama Theater
The square and two "mirrored cathedrals" in the form in which a guest of the capital of Germany can see them today appeared already under King Frederick II. In 1785, towers appeared on the German and French Cathedrals. The towers, like the temples themselves, were the same - almost the same ... The French Cathedral in Berlin is crowned with the figure of Triumphant Religion, but the dome of the tower of the German Cathedral is the figure of Triumphant Virtue.
The French Cathedral in Berlin - our days and differences from the "twin"
As mentioned above, the French Cathedral is almost identical to the German one. They were built "the same" not only to equalize the rights of the Germans and the French. By the way, the Huguenots from France in Berlin numbered less than 2% of the total population. The architect, building two identical churches, wanted to give the square called Gendarmenmarkt symmetry. The same symmetry as in the Italian Piazza del Popolo. In fairness, it should be noted that the designer succeeded.
During the bombing and shelling of Berlin during the Second World War, the famous French Cathedral was almost completely destroyed. Naturally, in those terrible times, many symbols of the capital of Germany had a hard time: both the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate suffered. It was decided to restore the French Cathedral, which was located on the "eastern side" of Berlin, only in 1977. The reconstruction lasted exactly 11 years.
View of the cathedral from the southeast
“What is the difference between the French Cathedral and the German one, because, as is known from history, already in 1817 all Calvinists, Lutherans and Reform congregations were united into a single Evangelical Church? ", - an uninformed tourist may ask a question. The point is that apart from the difference in the figures on the domes, the two cathedrals perform different functions. Evangelical services are held in the French Cathedral to this day. There is one more difference that is imperceptible to a simple layman at first glance: the French Cathedral and its tower, built by Karl von Gontard, are two different architectural structures, they even have different owners. True, many believers are opposed to the French Cathedral on the Gendarmenmark being called a cathedral at all. By the way, they are absolutely right, the Friedrichstadt Church does not have an episcopal throne, which means that it has no right to be called a cathedral. However, this fact does not in the least bother either guides or travel agencies, who describe the building, from the tower of which a wonderful view of the majestic Berlin opens up, like the French Cathedral.
Arriving in Berlin and visiting Gendarmenmark Square, you should definitely visit two cathedrals at once: outwardly they are almost the same, but the interior decoration, however, as well as their purpose, are very different. Naturally, you should not save on a ticket that gives you the right to climb the tower of the French Cathedral. The view of Berlin from its height is a truly unforgettable sight. The ticket will cost a symbolic amount of 2.5 euros. In addition, the French Cathedral houses an interesting museum, which contains exhibits that belonged to the French Huguenots in ancient times.
View of the dome of the cathedral
On the square, built during the reign of King Frederick I of Prussia, there is a huge number of cozy restaurants and shops where you can safely go shopping - the prices in them, despite the huge number of visitors, are moderate.
