Berlin City Palace: A History from 1918 to 1950
Setting the Context
We are standing at the Humboldt Forum in the heart of Berlin. This location, also known as the Berlin City Palace, was once the seat of power for the Electors of Brandenburg, the Kings of Prussia, and eventually, the German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm I.
The Berlin City Palace stood here from 1443 until its demolition in 1950. After that, the communist government of East Germany replaced it with the Palast der Republik. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Palast der Republik was also demolished, and a decision was made to reconstruct the Berlin City Palace. Today, three of its facades replicate the original design, while one features a modern architectural style.
The Humboldt Forum, which now occupies this space, has been the subject of controversy since its opening in 2021. One of the main reasons is its collection from the Ethnographic Museum, which includes numerous objects looted or acquired from colonial officers in former German colonies in Africa.
Today, we explore what the Berlin City Palace was used for between 1918 and 1950—a period in which Germany transformed from a monarchy to a democracy, then to a dictatorship, and finally to a communist state.
The Palace During the Weimar Republic (1918–1933)
At the end of World War I in 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate the throne, marking the end of the German Empire. In November of that year, Germany transitioned from a monarchy to the Weimar Republic.
Karl Liebknecht, the leader of the communist Spartacus League, famously used one of the palace balconies to declare that Germany would become a socialist republic. However, just two hours earlier, the Weimar Republic had already been announced at the Reichstag, establishing Germany as a constitutional federal republic for the first time.
Despite the palace having over 1,200 rooms, only a fraction were used as imperial apartments. Much of the structure served administrative purposes. To depoliticize the palace, authorities decided in 1920 to transform a large portion of it into the Museum of Decorative Arts. By September 1921, it was opened to the public as the Palace Museum and soon became Berlin’s most visited museum.
Additionally, various sections of the palace were rented out to trade unions, state organizations, policy firms, and scientific societies, which regularly hosted public lectures. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), a key organization facilitating academic exchange programs, also moved some of its operations into the palace during the 1920s.
Housing shortages were a pressing issue in Berlin during the late 1920s. Women, in particular, faced difficulties in securing housing as they required additional facilities such as water and lighting. Consequently, part of the palace was repurposed as a women’s daycare center.
In 1925, the world’s first Sports Museum, originally called the „Museum of Physical Exercise,“ was established on the palace’s third floor. Additionally, the palace grounds frequently hosted open-air concerts until 1941.
The Palace Under Nazi Rule (1933–1945)
Germany’s experiment with democracy came to an end in 1933 when the Nazis seized power. Under their rule, the Berlin City Palace was largely neglected. The DAAD continued its activities within the palace, but now they were influenced by Nazi ideology. Even a theater museum that opened during this period only focused on „Aryanized“ theatrical works.
The area in front of the palace became a venue for Nazi military parades, and the palace’s museum was used for exhibitions filled with Nazi propaganda. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the palace’s facade was draped with massive Nazi flags, further cementing its symbolic transformation under the Third Reich.
As World War II intensified, air raids on Berlin increased. By 1943–1944, most of the palace’s museums had shut down. In 1945, Allied bombing raids struck the palace, leaving it partially destroyed and severely burned.
Post-World War II and Demolition (1945–1950)
At the end of World War II, Berlin was divided among the Allied victors. The Berlin City Palace fell under the Soviet-controlled zone, which later became East Germany. Despite suffering extensive damage, the palace remained largely intact, and from 1945 to 1950, parts of it continued to be used as exhibition spaces.
Interestingly, the Soviets even used the palace as a filming location for the war movie The Battle of Berlin, firing live artillery at it to depict combat scenes.
However, in 1950, Walter Ulbricht, the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED), announced the decision to demolish the palace. The ruling East German government viewed the palace as a relic of Prussian militarism and imperialism and did not want to restore it.
To carry out the demolition, 19 tons of dynamite were used, bringing down a structure that had stood in Berlin since 1443.
Remembering the Palace’s History
The Berlin City Palace’s history reflects the dramatic political changes Germany underwent between 1918 and 1950. From the end of monarchy to the rise and fall of democracy, from Nazi rule to Soviet control, the palace stood as a silent witness to these transformations.
Today, as the reconstructed Berlin City Palace houses the Humboldt Forum, it remains a controversial structure, symbolizing not only Berlin’s past but also the ongoing debates about history, memory, and colonialism.
To learn more about the palace’s history and its complex legacy, join us on our Humboldt Forum walking tours.