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The Berliner Dom (Cathedral) is an Evangelical parish church found in the Mitte district. Once a royal court church, the cathedral is now a house of worship, a concert hall and a museum.

The first building was constructed in 1465 in a Renaissance style and was originally made of brick. The modest court church of the Hohenzollern was replaced by a Baroque cathedral, constructed between 1745 and 1747 and designed by Johann Boumann. In the period 1816-1822, the building was further remodeled in the neo-classical style by the design of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The church was demolished on the order of Emperor Wilhelm II in 1894 and replaced by the present cathedral. Hit by a fire bomb during the Second World War, the building was severely damaged, with a temporary roof constructed to protect the interior. It was only in 1975 when restoration works began and in 1993, Berliner Dom reopened. The building was consecrated in 1996.

The cathedral is built from Silesian sandstone, and its interior contains works of art including glass paintings, paintings, mosaics, and sculptures. The church’s organ is among the most interesting items of the lavishly ornamented interior. The pipe organ was built in 1905 by Wilhelm Sauer and has 7269 pipes and 113 stops. The ensculpted sarcophagi of King Friedrich I and his wife are found in the main church hall. They are cast in tin and gold-plated lead by the design of Andreas Schlüter (1705 and 1713). The crypt contains elaborate tombs where members of the royal family are buried. The oldest tomb (1530) in the church belongs to the elector of Brandenburg Johann Cicero. Saved from the previous building, the main altar was built in 1850. Nativity scenes were painted on the stained glass windows by Anton von Werner in 1905.

The church is open from 9 am to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday, and noon to 8 pm on Sunday and holidays. Admission is free-of-charge for accompanied school groups and children under the age of 14, with standard admission fee of 5 Euros and reduced fee of 3 Euros. Reduced prices apply for severely disabled people, unemployed, retirees, students, school children, and groups of 20 or more visitors. The church can be reached by U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, and bus. Audio guides are available in English, German, Italian, and Spanish.




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