The Unter den Linden is one of the most beautiful boulevards in Berlin. Built at the instruction of King Friedrich Wilhelm, the idea behind creating the Unter den Linden was to beautify the city of Berlin. Stretching from the Palace Bridge at the Museum Island to the Brandenburger Gate at the Pariser Platz, Unter den Linden was the route taken by the king from his palace to the hunting grounds in Tiergarten.
During the reign of Friedrich II, the Unter den Linden boulevard was transformed into a cultural center with the construction of the Berlin State Opera house and the state library. Further with the victory over Napoleon, many neo-classical style buildings were constructed in the vicinity of the boulevard. One of them is the Berlin Neue Wache, which primarily served as the royal guardhouse but was later transformed into a memorial to the war victims. The brave generals of the German army are also commemorated with a number of statues dotting the street. One such statue that has stood the test of time and the destruction of the war
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periods is the bronze statue of Friedrich II, which was designed by
Christian Daniel Rausch.
After the Second World War, the Unter den Linden was on the verge of turning into ruins with the trees being cut for firewood and some of the monuments destroyed. But steps were taken during 1960s to preserve and renovate the buildings in the boulevard. Some of the famous buildings decorating the streets in the Unter den Linden are as follows:
- The Humboldt University
- The Staatsoper
- The Schloßbrücke or the Palace Bridge
- The Zeughaus or the German Historical Museum
- The Altes Palais
- The Staatsbibliothek
The Unter den Linden is a must-visit spot in Berlin to check out the glory of Germany’s historical past.
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