Portal:Berlin/Article of the month/January

Unter den Linden ("under the lime trees") is a boulevard in central Berlin running from the City Palace to Brandenburg Gate. The street is named after the lime trees that line its grassed pedestrian mall and the two broad carriageways. The avenue links numerous sights and landmarks.

The reconstructed Alte Kommandantur is at No. 1, standing opposite the Zeughaus arsenal, the oldest building on Unter den Linden, now the seat of the Deutsches Historisches Museum. Other notable buildings on the street include the Crown Prince's Palace and the Neue Wache war memorial opposite. Further along, on Bebelplatz, are the Berlin State Opera, St. Hedwig's Cathedral and the Altes Palais, the favourite residence of Emperor William I. Next are the main building of Humboldt University, and House I of the Berlin State Library. At the western end are the Russian Embassy, the Hungarian Embassy, and finally the Hotel Adlon at the corner of Pariser Platz. Well-known statues include Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt in front of the university and Prussian generals Scharnhorst and Bülow.

A street sign carrying the name Unter den Linden dating from before the 1930s was taken away by British forces and can now be seen at the Imperial War Museum, London. → more...