The disappeared Palace of the Republic

[@eastgermanyinvestigated]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your comments, experiences, opinions and suggestions! Really interesting to read them all.

[@vapordave2234]

I love you, sweetheart

[@DaveSCameron]

Hey, new sub and I'm something of a Germanophile having lived and worked there often. I wonder is this Palace here what we know of as the Schloss (sic)? Best wishes from Liverpool UK 🇬🇧 📚

[@ulin4226]

Hello Olaf - love watching your videos! Grew up in the FRG near Venlo but my mom was from Halle and her side of the family was ‘trapped’ in the DDR. After the reunified, I worked near Chemnitz or ‘Karl-Marks-Stadt’. Lots of DDR history there besides the ‘Nischel’! 😉 Would love to see a video about that town.

[@eastgermanyinvestigated]

@@ulin4226 A video about Chemnitz sounds like a great idea. I have added it to the list. Thanks!

[@eastgermanyinvestigated]

@@DaveSCameron You mean the Schloss at 7:42?

[@davidbarts6144]

Sad that it's gone, but then again there's lots of people that were sad the Stadtschloss was gone. They could have easily kept the Palast if they had wanted to (asbestos had been removed, restoring the interior would have cost less than building an entirely new structure), but clearly the authorities did not WANT to keep it. Demolition of buildings has long been used to symbolize political change; this is both how the Palast was born and how it died.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Eh, maybe have kept it as part of history? I can argue that most Soviet Era buildings were poorly designed, constructed, and maintained. A new symbol to represent a unified Germany's future was also possibility. What we've learned in the U.S.A. is that we can't save every old building because of aforementioned reasons. As long as the building's history was documented for history, the palace still 'exists'.

[@karl104]

@@JayYoung-ro3vu As i know several of the ppls who constructed and built the palace ande the hotel I can say that did it at the best of their ability, whit the techniques of the day. This was a prestige project for them.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

@karl104 I can agree. I will pose a question to you, emotional aside: how many monuments to a divided Germany are needed to remind the future generations? Which ones represent best that era? True, the Palace might have been one. Then again, such projects showed Soviet backed authority in the former East Germany territory.

[@karl104]

@@JayYoung-ro3vu To do this in english is difficult, but i will try: My world are those who actually build. Power is pressed down on them. The cement, the iron bars and the stone and glass have no religion or politics. It has physical properties. IF you are one who take part in useing those properties to make something. you have the right to be proud. As I am a bit "up on the ladder" i know quite a few soviet system elite. Today some of them florish some have failed. in other words the are human too. I just dont see why its important to win, to be superior.

[@Amalung54]

Indeed the most particularly extreme piece of socialist rape architecture ever, built on the site of the former late 19th-century Berlin City Palace. It was an act of barbarity, because once the Berlin City Palace had been the residence of the German Emperors and sadly was severely damaged in World War II. Instead of restoring the ruins, the communists had the ruins blown up by ideologically reasons to build the so called "Palace of the Republic" there, better known as Palazzo Protzi (Palace Garish), or 'Erich's lamp shop'. It truly was the happiest day of my life when, during a visit to Berlin, I was able to see Erich's already half-torn-down 'lamp shop', finally being allowed to piss on the pathetic, contaminated with asbestos remains of this ugly monstrosity. The square on which this monstrosity stood was restored and the Berlin City Palace was rebuilt with a reconstruction of the facade that was true to the original. Unfortunately there are still some of these communist monstrosities that need to be torn down and stamped out. It is best to continue in Potsdam, where the reconstruction of the Prussian garrison church is awaiting completion. It will certainly be a pleasant experience when the reconstructed carillon of the garrison church rings its old song again above the city. 'Üb' immer Treu und Redlichkeit" (Always practice loyalty and honesty).

[@tomekhauzer]

I am from Poland and in 1980 I was with my classmates from high school on a trip to East Berlin. Yes, I was in that Palast Der Republick .Remember being very impressed with the interior of the building and trying same fruit cocktail in one of the cafes. In general, I think East Berlin in that time was a more modern, clean and safe city (in my eyes) , comparing, for example, the Polish capital Warsaw.

[@ekesandras1481]

because the Soviet Union used East Berlin as a showcase for their political system. That's why the East Germans were allowed to pump more money into raising living standard, instead of heavy industries or armament, to impress Western foreigners (which didn't work nevertheless). The Soviets didn't care for the wellbeing of average Polish people or how Warsaw appeared to visitors, because not a lot foreign tourists and diplomats came there. Fortunately the Poles rebuilt Warsaw by themselves after the end of communism and for a large part they reconstructed the pre-WWII cityscape, insead of socialist concrete brutalism, which gave back the city its charm.

[@Channel-sp3fp]

Warsaw is now safer than Berlin.

[@scottscottsdale7868]

I visited E Berlin in 1984. Early Spring before Easter. I was studying in Freiburg. To me East Berlin was like a black and white photo and West Berlin like a Color. My now father in law is from Madagascar which was part of Soviet sphere. He told me he visited Dresden around that time and though it was really great. I guess it all depends on what one is used too

[@TheFrewah]

I went there after the wall fell. Now, I feel it would be nice to visit Poland and try your cuisine and see many things. I also did a one day trip to St Petersburg before 2014. I was nice then but I doubt I will ever want to visit Russia again.

[@spidyman8853]

@tomekhauzer Yes, DDR (GDR) was a safe city back then. Kids used to go every where in Berlin and always felt safe.

[@tdurden7736]

Now I know what happened to this building! I took photos of me and a friend in 1989 by the Marx-Engels statue in front of the Palast. 30 years later I returned and couldn't find it. I did stumble across the Marx-Engels statue in a small nearby park! Danke sehr!

[@lornarettig3215]

I was never inside the Palace but I have a lovely photo of me and a friend sitting on the grass in front of the Dom with the Palace in the background in 2005. I didn’t realise it would be quite a historical photo and now I really treasure it.

[@jimpickrell]

I visited the Palast der Republik in 1982. I was 19 years old, in East Berlin for the day, crossing over at Alexanderplatz, at the time when Communism in Germany was at its high point. I had already eaten, so there was no point in the restaurants in this building, but I did get some ice cream, and it was good. I believe there was a post office, and I spent all my remaining East-Marks on postcards to every person in my address book, at a cost of 10 pennies each, by sea mail to the US. I wrote a few of them in pidgin Japanese, which took 3-4 months to come through, which must have been the time it took to find a policeman in East Germany who could read Japanese script. The building was large and spacious and had the atmosphere of a K-Mart lamps department. It is an architectural low. Chrome and glass and space and lack of theme or style or feeling. Still, it was there for people to use, and they did. While I never would have built something like this, it has historical value. The new building, does not. It is not an old building and it is not an interesting building. I would have left this place in service as a monument to the history of East Germany. I am a big hater of communists, but we oppose them by remembering them and preventing this kind of thing from being repeated. For those who are interested, the nearby DDR Museum is fun. Students today do not have a good feeling for what it was like in Communist times. This is too bad. There is a quote, something like "those who do not know history, are bound to repeat it." Jim Pickrell

[@eastgermanyinvestigated]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Jim!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

A structure that was a part of the Palast der Republik is still standing! To get into the Palast, people had to get tickets. It started as just a single booth inside the palace but as demand grew, they realized this needed to change and so they found a suitable building across the river and converted the entire lower floor of the building in the Spreeufer 6 as a ticket office. And to make sure that this ticket office was official and belonged to the Palast der Republik, they slapped on the official golden monogram “PdR”. The same monogram shown at 3:31. This monogram remains today! And that's not all, a government building from the GDR still exists on the island as well. The State Council Building, which houses the ESMT Berlin campus. ESMT Berlin has been quite passionate about preserving the building's history. The interior has a large glass mosaic by Walter Womacka that shows the struggles of the German working class with portraits of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. The interior also has a ballroom with a preserved GDR emblem made of one million mosaic stones. But wait, it gets better, because it doesn't just have GDR history! When they demolished the original Stadtschloss, they didn't demolish everything. They kept a balcony, and this balcony was added to the exterior facade of the State Council Building. They viewed it as important because it was the balcony Karl Liebknecht, who led the Spartacist uprising declared a new socialist republic in 1918. It's also the same balcony the Kaiser declared war against Russia. So while I get people wanted the Palast to be turned into a GDR museum, the ESMT campus makes up for it.

[@0raj0]

In 1980 I was in Berlin and we got into the Palast without any tickets. Part of the Palast was apparently a museum, maybe that was what tickets were needed for.

[@jonathanbrowne7213]

It was eye-opening to see the scenes from the heyday of the Palast. Thank you for putting together this enlightening piece. I visited the Palast in December 1989 - I was a student in England and travelled to Berlin and Prague to understand the changes that were sweeping over Europe. The Berlin Wall was still in place and I crossed the border every day on a one-day visa at Checkpoint Charlie. This was a comical performance since even the border guards knew that the DDR was ending. At the end of my visit, it became possible for citizens of BRD and DDR to cross at the Brandenburg Gate - waves of people flooded across that day. The Palast felt to me like an empty airport terminal. I guess few people were interested in seeing the monument at that time. I looked up and saw that it was only partially lit. Perhaps some of the bulbs needed replacing. It reminded me of the commentary during the preceding weeks when East Germans had been escaping to the West through Hungary. People joked that the last person to leave the DDR should turn out the lights. As I looked around that day, I had the feeling that Palast would surely be torn down. It was inconceivable to me that a unified Germany would want such an eyesore in the middle of an undivided Berlin, but watching your video makes me wonder whether it was the best choice to replace it with a mock-baroque replica.

[@JeroenBIG]

You were there just 13 years after the palace was built. I wonder how the upkeep was. I mean; lightbulbs in those days had to be changed regularly.....

[@stephenmoerlein8470]

I was in East Berlin in 1983 on a one-day visitor visa, and remember seeing the Palast der Republik on Museum Insel. Although I did not go inside (i did not know if it was a restricted government building or not), i recall how starkly modern it appeared compared the the rest of rather drab East Berlin.

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

Cope

[@bladesideentertainment7002]

I like the new building much more, better than some drab rectangle with glass on it...

[@h6502]

​@@AlexanderLittlebears is this a bot? someone visits and remarks that the building looked nicer than the drab looking city. nowhere saying that it being gone was a good or a bad thing. "cope" makes no sense here.

[@sctarry0456]

​@@h6502people can't behave normal around anything related to socialism unfortunately

[@mleblanc55]

Thank you for this... in 1981 we visited East Berlin with my wife's uncle who was from Braunschweig but who did a lot of business in the East. We passed by the Palast, and I remember him telling us that the Swedes had designed it, and the enormous cost overruns caused some locals to call it "the ballast of the republic".

[@skataskatata9236]

palast, yes, but it was not a republic.

[@matthiasbauer5163]

The Swedes designed the adjacent "Palast Hotel" on the other side of the road, but not the palace. The palace was designed by an East German architect, Heinz Graffunder.

[@nevingussack2410]

I had read years ago online that the lamps inside the Palast der Republik were purchased from West Germany.

[@nevingussack2410]

@@goldenhawk352 interesting. Believe it or not, the GDR had some trade with the US, according to my research so nothing surprises me.

[@van0tot100]

@@nevingussack2410 Well everyone knows that. I have been a hotel in East-Berlin that had an elevator from the 70's made by a Western company. It wasn't as there wasn't any trade at all. Especially high ranking party members had access to Western stuff.

[@jthie6802]

I was on vacation in Berlin last weekend and visited the new palace and I have to say I really liked it. In my opinion, it has a very positive aspect to the cityscape, since the palace was also historically there. I also liked the exhibitions, many were free and as a student you can also visit the paid ones for free. Only criticism a few more trees around would be nice at thirty degrees you need more shade.

[@DZstudios.]

It is indeed awesome

[@ligametis]

But they didn't even rebuilt it nicely. They skipped the most interesting oldest part in the back.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

I can relate, I have a bowling alley and a bunch of restaurants in my palace too! The difference is the public aren't allowed to visit. However for the public, we have Kim Il-sung Square. This is where all our famous military marches take place, as well as rallies and firework shows for national holidays. It is 75,000 square metres or over 807,000 square feet. The square is the kilometre zero of the country from where all national road distances are measured. The grand building behind our grandstand is the Grand People's Study House. It was built in April 1982 to celebrate Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday as a "centre for the project of intellectualizing the whole of society and a sanctuary of learning for the entire people". The building can house up to 30 million books, this includes 10,800 documents, books, and "on the spot guidance" that Kim Il-sung wrote. The same goes for Kim Jong-il. Yes, the building has Western works as well like Harry Potter, which is promoted as a good example for kids in the DPRK's state-run newspaper. There are also computer rooms within the study house so the people can access the intranet. Computer education is compulsory and computer science has become the most popular area of study, besides the Juche, for officers and university students.

[@notactuallymyrealname]

I've never been to Berlin but I think that I have been to the Bulgarian analog of the Palast der Republik, NDK in Sofia. When I lived there in the 00s, it was difficult for me to really grok the function of the place given Bulgarians' complicated relationship with the USSR, but this video really helped me put it in perspective. Thank you! Looking forward to checking out more of your work on this channel.

[@thomasherbig]

Outstanding video. It definitely captured the gist of the place accurately. I remember going to a number of concerts there. The hall was quite attractive-looking, although I don’t recall the quality of the acoustics for classical orchestra concerts. The restaurants were OK, although it was generally hard to get in, even with long-standing reservations. The architecture was much maligned, but I thought it was quite well-proportioned and visually interesting. Yes, the golden glass exterior was a bit much, but it didn’t bother me personally. The chief architect went on to design the modern entrance to the Pergamon Museum (where he got me a summer job laying bricks) and the restoration of Schinkel‘s old Schauspielhaus, which had remained a ruin until the late 70s and has now risen with incredible beauty as the Konzerthaus.

[@matthiasbauer5163]

I visited the Palast as a teenager several times whenever we were on a visit in East Berlin. I fondly remember the restaurants and bars, the only places in the GDR where you could get "fancy" soft drinks like Ginger Ale and Tonic Water. Often there were exhibitions or activities in the foyer. I remember an exhibition of Loriot's funny cartoon drawings and easter egg painting activities. Otherwise it was just a fun place to stroll around aimlessly. After reunification, the Palast could have easily been combined with a (slightly reduced) version of the baroque Schloss, which would have resulted in a more complex, more interesting architectural composition, I believe. Nowadays, the dull modern wing of the Schloss with its repetitive fenestration facing the Spree River is the location where the Palast used to stand.

[@Andris-ml4oo]

Communist garbage should not be preserved.

[@philipandersson4932]

Interesting video! ☺️ I used to live in Berlin as a kid, prior and during the time of the demolition, I still remember the building. It certainly wasn’t a thing of beauty, it was in stark contrast to the surrounding buildings on that little island, but it was massive and cool looking in a way. It really felt like a thing of the past, the embodiment of the East German ideal. It almost felt like you could hear the echoes of all the people that once were there enjoying them selves. Almost a bit haunting.

[@Hongaars1969]

Welcome back, your channel remains the best for any DDR related history. A huge thank you for this channel

[@TanteA_]

I have been there very often in the 80s in my teenage years. It was always nice to sit in the "Espresso Bar" and have the legendary "Palastschnitte" (a slice of bread, decorated with fine cheese, salami, ham and fruits) after a visit in the German State Opera House. Also the TiP (Theater im Palast) was a good adress. I remember listening there to all six Brandenburg Concertos in two evenings. Of course a Palastschnitte and a Gin Tonic after. Nice memories.

[@hahahaha5444]

The best English speaking channel. I love researching about the gdr since 2013. My FRG father got the chance to visit it in the 80s

[@gurujaketube]

Nice video. I visited that Palast in February 1990 and again in Summer 1990. At the time, I really liked it. It spoke to me as a monument to a more equitable society than the one I came from, the USA. While the Wall had already fallen by the time of my first visit, vestiges of the old DDR remained and it was a privilege for me to witness them before they too had been dismantled. These included a vast department store, restaurants and a disco, as well as the ballet and theatre.

[@shanebrown2009]

Ah yes a more equitable society. Equitably miserable. Unless you were politically connected that is, then equity goes straight out the window. The nostalgia of communism by people like you is revolting.

[@Michaelneiss]

As someone who spent his childhood and early adulthood in Berlin, I feel compelled to point out that the GDR palace was a dysfunctional eyesore, which not only destroyed the historical cityscape but also contributed to a stonedead inner city! It had been built with none whatsover respect to the semiotics of the neighborhood and cut into an ancient net of streets and passages which had emerged organically through the centuries. The reconstruction of the older palace (although far from perfect!) has been reconnecting some of those severed links and could - in a best case scenario - inaugurate an architectural healing process that will bestow the people of Berlin with a new heart which can measure up to the legendary Old City bustle, eradicated by WW2 and its aftermath.

[@markusstudeli2997]

I visited the Palast der Republik as a 18 year old tourist and was impressed by its mordernist splendor. Dinner was really inexpensive for western standards, and I even got some Rotkäppchen Sekt for a starter. I understand the wish of the Germans to get rid of this symbol of the DDR regime, but It's exudes

[@parkercushingable]

Yesterday I listened to an extensive interview with Edon Krenz it was the most illuminating discussion of the GDR I've ever heard, outside of your channel of course 😊

[@bannkanchana3957]

Probably not many people can remember the art project "Fassadenrepublik" which happened there, 2004, not long before the palace disappeared. Artists flooded the basement to create a mini venice with islands, channels full of water and boats which you could use to ride between the different islands. It was a crazy project and I felt lucky to secure two of the limited tickets and take part in the performance.

[@HansBezemer]

I've been many times in the "Lampenladen". I've been to the bowling alley (very average), to the restaurants ("Anstehen", "Gibt's nicht", "Alles reserviert") and of course in the lobby. The restaurant had some exotic food from time to time. I remember having had Kangaroo soup one time - but all in all, the food was nothing special - unless you compared it to the Cafeteria where you could get in more easily. You had a good chance to get into "Gastmahl des Meeres" with acceptable waiting times, but often you ended up with complete strangers at your table. I preferred the Balkan restaurant in the Brandenburger Strasse in Potsdam - if you didn't mind illegally extending your "Tagesvisum" to the Potsdam city limits ;-) Me and my brother always ridiculed the "Lampenladen" - and I still don't have much love for it. I always said (even before the Wall fell) "If I had my way, I'd tear down that horrible thing and reconstruct the Stadtschloss". Well, I got my way. Can't say I ever liked that brutalist style anyway. And that's how it was: in some way the "Lampenladen" always felt cheap and fake. Like an imitation Ming vase that actually doesn't fit in the interior. In 1982 *LOTS* of buildings were still in an abominable state, like Gendarmenplatz. It would have been easy to rebuild the Stadtschloss, especially with financial support from the West. But the barbarians had to tear it down, like the magnificent Kaiser Wilhelm monument in front of it, which wasn't even that damaged. BTW, close to the new Stadtschloss you can still find an original part of the old one. And some of the lions of the Kaiser Wilhelm monument can still be found in Tierpark. One could consider tearing down "Lampenladen" historic vandalism, like I consider taking down Stalin in Stalinallee and Lenin on Leninplatz historic vandalism. To me it's like erasing pages in the history books - like it never happened. I still visit the Ernst-Thälmann monument in the park. Not that I have a special liking, admiration or respect for the guy, but it kind of belongs there. But IMHO, the "Lampenladen" is different. I consider the rebuilding of the Stadtschloss as the undoing of a historical injustice. A bit like the Frauenkirche in Dresden.

[@hahahaha5444]

The restaurant service personnel consisted of MfS moles. I share your opinion about histric vandalism

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

Thanks for your first hand testimony, it´s mostly interesting to me what ex DDR citizens think about monuments like the palast. Your story gives context to better understand what ordinary people thought and felt (and still feels)

[@hahahaha5444]

@@AlfaGiuliaQV I think he is from West Berlin, mentioning the "Tagesvisum"?!

[@HansBezemer]

@@hahahaha5444 Actually, I'm a Dutchie with a serious Berlin addiction since 1973. I used to fly by Dan Air to Berlin for long weekends to my then girlfriend in East Berlin - or even spend a whole vacation there. But - before I met her (and after 1989, of course) you could find me very frequently in Westberlin.

[@hahahaha5444]

@@HansBezemer I have met more Dutchies who were interested in German history than Germans. A strong Dutch prevalence were also seen at historical sites in Doorn, Lübeck- Schlutup and Cologne.

[@Act2702]

Thank you for making this nice content. Very cool to have such a details

[@f.gusenburger]

Das Stadtschloss ist äußerlich sehr ansprechend und verschönert das Stadtbild bestimmt eher als der Palast der Republik. Das Problem ist, dass man dem preußischen Glanz der Fassade unbedingt etwas entgegensetzen wollte und das Innenleben nicht wiederaufgebaut hat (auch nicht teilweise). Dort befindet sich jetzt unter anderem das ethnologische Museum, dessen Daseinsberechtigung schon grundsätzlich in Frage gestellt wird. So stelle ich immer wieder fest, dass Besucher das Äußere des Stadtschlosses bestaunen und dann eher enttäuscht sind, dass man drinnen nur Ausstellungen vor weißen Wänden und abgehängten Fenster sehen kann. Mein Fazit: Der Verein, der den Wiederaufbau vorangetrieben hat (und die Fassadengestaltung vollständig bezahlt), hat ganze Arbeit geleistet. Die Stadt und das Land haben dann lieber andere Einrichtungen in die Hülle des Schlosses gesetzt und dabei die Chance vertan, es auch von innen wiederzubeleben.

[@checkcommentsfirst3335]

Seh ich ähnlich. Ich immer dieses lachhafte "künstlerische" und "tiefgründige", dass man den Palast doch irgendwie nicht original aufbaute. Hoffe das wir bei der neuen Schinkler-Akademie wenigstens originalgetreu.

[@Canarywharfdebz]

I am so grateful for this channel. Another excellent video! danke schön

[@snubbedpeer]

I went to West Berlin for a convention in the early 80'ies and with a colleague we walked across via checkpoint Charlie to East Berlin. We walked around and also entered the palast. We weren't impressed because the contrast between east and west was so strong. The luxury depicted in some clips in this video was nowhere to be seen. The lamps must have been turned off (saving electricity?) because we didn't notice them. A small milk shake bar was open so we tried that.

[@aldosigmann419]

The banality of modern design in architecture is soul crushing whether in the east or west....

[@Larkinchance]

while I might agree with you about the style, soul crushing is a bit over the top

[@deepinthewoods8078]

I'm very happy to stumble upon this video. I recognized the building straight away as i have visited it during a school trip to the GDR in 1987. And in recent years i have started to wonder what building this was and what has happened with it. I already suspected that it was demolished as i had never heard of it again. So now i know 😊

[@Bronislaavv]

I was there in 1984 as an American Serviceman. I remember a great meal at a great price , courtesy of Black-market "Ost Marks".

[@stid12300]

That’s interesting - were nato off duty troops able to travel into the Warsaw pact or just east Berlin?

[@michaelwant8501]

​@@stid12300Legally speaking, the whole of Berlin was still under four-power occupation and all troops of the four occupying powers had the right to travel to and through all four Berlin sectors. Additionally, the western forces had the right to use the transit routes between West Berlin and the Federal Republic. However, they could not divert into other parts of East Germany (unless granted special permission). The whole thing is a fascinating historical topic!

[@losmeme]

I was fortunate enough to visit the Palast in the summer of 1989. During that summer I crossed over into East Berlin 4 or 5 times. I was even stopped once by the border guards and had my backpack searched. As a westerner, the Palast was an anomaly to me. I was impressed by the architecture and all the lamps in Erich's Lampenladen. The flower and the socialist art was so different to me, but I also respected it as a manifestation of a culture different from my own. I remember learning what propaganda was that summer. And that it worked both ways. The Palast was evidence that East Germany might not be as bad as American media had made out. Certainly more advanced than I had assumed I would see. The symbolism of the Palast built on the spot where the Stadt Schloss stood was not lost on me either. I remember a schnell embiss in the Palast I had stopped at one day. Very nice to sit and have a coffee in the Hall of the People. I was in the post office a lot too. I would spend my change that I wasn't supposed to leave with on postage stamps. Or mail letters back home. The Palast should never have been torn down. It was too close to the hearts of East Germans, even if a representation of a communist government. This new ersatz schloss is a joke. It only resembles the original obliquely. And given a choice, I think a majority of East Germans would have called for the Palasts renovation into something symbolizing the reunification. I feel very fortunate to have gotten such a close up view of so much in East Berlin three months before the wall fell.

[@michaeloakleaf]

Never been there, but honestly I think it was a pity the first building was torn down. I like old architecture, so the palace of the republic doesn’t really do anything for me.

[@hatersgonnalovethis]

I recommend you to look up Architecture Rebellion, if you want to have nice cities again.

[@pault4955]

A friend of mine is from the former gdr, he described reunification more as a take over than a coming back together. They even tried to remove the walking green man from the traffic lights.

[@fixminer9797]

Well, it’s not wrong. The GDR was formally annexed by West Germany, it certainly wasn’t a unification of equals. Much of what remained of the eastern economy was also quickly absorbed by much richer western companies. But the reality of it is that the east was completely bankrupt and the west had to invest trillions to rebuild it over the years. The east was not really in a position where they could negotiate a better deal. The unification could have been done more fairly, but there was very little time to react. Overall east Germany is still in much better shape than it would have been if the GDR had somehow survived.

[@pault4955]

@@fixminer9797 I agree 100%. The GDR was way behind West Germany and it did need reform. He told me that everything from the old GDR was just swept aside even the good stuff without any discussion and I think that's where the feeling of a takeover comes from.

[@spidyman8853]

The unification of South Yemen and North Yemen did not go well and the Southerners have said that it was a take over or in fact, an occupation. Work that out.

[@DerVersteherPlus]

⁠@@fixminer9797it wasn’t annexed, the GDR joined voluntarily.

[@bloke1972]

Boohoo, East germany was economically depressed totalitarian state, it had nothing to offer and eas completely uncompetitive.

[@LolTollhurst]

One aspect of the money issue, is that it was tax money that were converted into salaries and investments for whatever the new building could support. We should remember the Palats d.R. wasn't usable since the asbestos still scared people enough to not go. Efficient or not, the money paid workers for thorough quality work over 15 years and the space returned to use. You could waste that money a whole lot worse.

[@fresatx]

I love your channel! You should have WAY more views and subscribers. Love to see some Sandman/East German TV/radio episodes! Thank you!

[@MetDaan2912]

I think the historical value of the Palast der Republik is beautifully explained in this video, but nevertheless, I like the new palace better. Traditional architecture is what the world needs.

[@Nietzman]

Rebuilding should have been done straight after the war, this is just a fake. Like the castle in Disneyland. At least the palace was honest about what it was.

[@Nietzman]

But to be honest most architecture that we consider ‘traditional’ was just the trend about 150 years ago. 🤷

[@MetDaan2912]

@@Nietzman that really depends on the sort of building and the place

[@REOGURU]

I suspect the building would have been preserved had it been built in a different location. The East German government made a political statement by building it on the grounds of the Stadtschloss. Thus, when that regime collapsed it made it necessary to remove their statement. The new building is by far more attractive IMHO. Nevertheless, I can appreciate how somebody having grown up admiring that mirrored box would miss it now. Thank you for your video.

[@nwadoug]

I visited the Palace twice, both times in the early 90s. By the second time an indoor thrift store was operating on the ground floor!

[@istvanpeterkovacs730]

I had been in the Palast in 1983. I was 13 years old. I don’t remember well, but basically I liked the building.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

I think the best fact here is that it lives on through the Burj Khalifa, that by visiting the Burj, you're technically visiting the palace through its recycled steel! Government legislatures should very much be gathering points for its people, and the Palace of the Republic set an example. Every government legislature should have something like a bowling alley, restaurants, post office, or a place for discussion sessions or performing arts! And while this building was demolished, its older Dresden sister, the Kulturpalast, wasn't! The Kulturpalast opened in 1969. Dresden was heavily destroyed during WWII, so when Dresden was rebuilt, the Kulturpalast was re-designed in the 1960s as the cultural center of the city. It was originally gonna be an ensemble building based off the Moscow Seven Sisters style when it was first planned in 1950. It has hosted conferences, concerts, dances, and other events. It even has an organ! Organs are of course associated with church music, so its inclusion was debated at first, but ended up installing one in 1970. The organ, built by Jehmlich Orgelbau Dresden, was based on a mobile frame so it could be moved on and off the stage. The building underwent several years of reconstruction beginning in 2012 and opened with a new concert hall in April 2017. This was done to better suit its main tenant, the Dresden Philharmonic. When this happened, the original organ was moved to a church in Cottbus, and a new one was installed.

[@yumallah]

Oh damn, it's been a while since I've stumbled upon a comment of yours, Avery. You used to be all over the place.

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

Cope

[@robbieg416]

I've always wanted to learn more about East Germany, so I am very glad to have found this channel.

[@lesteraponte5734]

I like how you can present the perspective of Est Germans in these buildings while still staying above the politics. You are not glorifying or vilifying the DDR but rather giving is a glimpse of what it was like. Good job.

[@mariannenygaard1861]

I was lucky to visit the Palace of the Republic 1982, and yes the life inside the palace didn’t match the life on the outside. Did you know that just before the palace closed, you where able to buy the cups and plates decorated with a hammer and sickle as on the flag of the GDR.

[@overlooked45s]

Interessant en degelijk gemaakt overzicht - dankjewel!

[@prieten49]

I would like to add a bit of information. The recopnstruction of the beautiful exterior and inner courtyard of the Berliner Schloss was entirely paid for by private donations in an amount over €100 million (they are still soliciting funds). Without a doubt, the Palast der Republik was a fine building offering a Disneyworld-like vision of "Real Existing Socialism" in which no expense was spared. It was one of many East Berlin projects that showcased the capital of the GDR to the outside world. The rest of East Germany? Erich Honecker did build thousands of modern apartment blocks to alleviate a housing shortage. But these ambitious building projects didn't quench the population's thirst for more freedoms and genuine democracy, and they also eventually bankrupted the GDR.

[@bjoernaltmann]

It would have been cheaper to repair the Stadtschloß after WW2.

[@austrogalant]

I never visited it, but I think the unique architectural design of the Palast der Republik and it's very modern flexible features were worth saving. Berlin should have saved it, also I never understood why it wasn't recognized by the Denkmalschutz, given what other ridiculous buildings get Denkmalschutz in Germany. In the end it was a political decision to purge this reminder of the GDR and replace it with a reminder of a different undemocratic german state.

[@themcfunnel]

The german empire did hold elections

[@lolita19711]

the new palace is amazingly rebuild,berlin has little history left so rebuilding old buildings is nice,the old building was nice too and shall be remembered

[@ernestkhalimov1007]

I recall alot of the cheerleaders being disappointed it wasn't a faithful replica of the original

[@gr3g0r5]

the palast der Republik was also history. the reality is that the two Germanies didn't unify, the west just took over the east. and it spends a lot of money to erase the easts history. not just in Berlin but also in most other East German cities.

[@bmwman1981]

@@gr3g0r5no one wanted to be reminded of the bad old days they wanted to move on to the new bright future

[@sctarry0456]

​@@bmwman1981in many ways people had better living standards than in the west, they just wanted more free elections and consumer goods, not to become an extension of the west's capitalism

[@sctarry0456]

current day germany is deliberately dishonest about east germany's history and how unifying the "unification" truly was. if they were, right wing populist parties like the afd wouldn't be able to manipulate the population this effectively

[@werre2]

I have to admit - the palast uniforms looked cool.

[@jamesthewineguy]

What was the government authority that approved the demolition? As I recollect a small majority 55% of Berliners wanted the Palast der Republik to remain. Also I recall one of the two main architects wanted to help redesign the Palast to be an arts centre.

[@AndyNL]

perfect reportage, so much special information.thank you

[@grahambartram7944]

I remember seeing it when I first visited Berlin in 2006, and again a year later. It turned out to be a difficult building to get rid of. Unfortunately it didn't fit in architecturally with the neighbouring buildings, such as the Red City Hall, the Dom, the Alte Museum, the German Historical Museum, the Humboldt University and the State Opera. The new building looks like it belongs. Did they incorporate the balcony that the DDR was declared from which had been saved when the original Schloss was demolished and installed in a modern building nearby? Nowadays it is hard to tell where old East Berlin and West Berlin where, you need to look at the street signs and see if the bear has a crown (West Berlin) or no crown (East Berlin - unless the street sign has been replaced since unification ). My guide to Berlin was the retired East German Ambassador to Hungary, who was unable to persuade the Hungarians to plug the leak that let East German "holidaymakers" could get to Austria from Hungary by just driving across an unguarded field. Erich Honecker was not pleased!

[@plymouth1141]

Thanks a lot Olaf to share your knowledge about GDR and Cold War. I was little sad when new authorities decided to remove the Palast der Republik because, even if I am not an absolute fanatic of the SED government, i think it's also good to respect few aspect of GDR society instead of only want to erase everything.

[@QuizWriterMark]

Just discovered your channel! Love these videos already. Huge history fan of the DDR

[@jkmjobb1]

Just stumbled upon this great channel! Thanks for your great work, and keep the videos coming! Zum Wohl from Norway!

[@RPe-jk6dv]

this so called palace was not better than every shopping mall in western germany.

[@genkiadrian]

As an East-German from Berlin, I'm glad the Palast der Republik was torn down. I never liked it as it looked hideous. My mother told me stories about disco parties in the basement of the building during the 70s and 80s though and that it was a special place to go before the wall fell.

[@tdb7992]

I am so glad I was recommended this channel. I love learning about East Germany - my best friend has three rooms full of East German paraphernalia. He even has a full VoPo uniform, traffic directing hand signs included. My collection is not nearly as impressive! But we're both Australians so finding the stuff is a nightmare for us. Thanks for making this video, I have now subscribed.

[@karl104]

My best friends father headed the works from the swedish side. So we stayed at the Palast hotel for the inugeration. I DO think That tearing it all down was revenge! IF you can find pictures of the hotel please tell me! It was so super wonderful 1970ties.

[@flitsertheo]

If it hadn't been the seat of the East-German parliament it might have survived.

[@lloyd4956]

Just found your channel 😅. I'm loving it. I would love to see a few episodes about East German TV shows and foods..

[@efnissien]

It's actually ironic that around a week after you posted this video and said 'It's still visible on street view', street view was updated (for the first time in 15 years), erasing even this vestige of the Palace of the Republic.

[@ZGryphon]

Huh, it's weird that there's no "See more dates" tab. Time traveling through the older Street View shots is one of my favorite things to do on Google Maps.

[@royale7620]

​@@ZGryphonThey removed it??? Wow what a bunch of corportatist saddening people

[@ZGryphon]

@@royale7620 Looks that way. Don't know why, or at whose request, but the usual "see more dates" tab isn't there when I check Street View at that address.

[@royale7620]

@@ZGryphon u on phone or PC though?

[@ZGryphon]

@@royale7620 PC.

[@ThurstonCyclist]

I lived in Berlin 1990-1992. I never had the opportunity to go inside, but I always thought the exterior was beautiful. When I visited the city in 2004, I noticed that the Palast was looking quite run-down. It wasn't until 2018 that I visited again, and I was shocked to see it gone. It's a shame that the political realities led to a piece of late 20th century history being destroyed.

[@may_68]

I spent a very enjoyable evening in one of the bars.

[@semkoops]

Ik heb zojuist uw kanaal ontdekt. Ik heb de DDR altijd het meest interessante communistische land gevonden van de Koude Oorlog. Wat leuk dat er een KZbin-kanaal gewijd is aan dit onderwerp! Ik ben geabonneerd

[@jonatan3224]

I rember the post office very clearly, the newly published stamps being on display. Because im a stamp collector this memory stuck with me. It was very busy and a gentleman in a leather coat took a long time sending some documents. I noticed he had a pin on his coat, and thought to myself this must be someone very important. I was 8 years old. Times fly. also i had the worse juice i ever had. Tasted of chemicals and artificials. The aspestos were unkown to me at the time.

[@klaushaunstrupchristensen7252]

I was once told that one of its nicknames was Ballast der Republic. I have never had the chance to truly visit myself. But I have walked by a few times. Greetings from Denmark

[@gustavogoncalves3083]

Thank you very much for this video in English. I'm Brazilian and love East Germany's history.

[@FlyxPat]

I went into the People’s Palace in Prag but not the Berlin one. I visited East Berlin in 1988 via Checkpoint Charlie - we had to change DM for DDM at a punitive rate - but did not get to the Spree Insel area. We went to a ‘Cuban’ restaurant which offered pork chops with pineapple rings, black beans and sauerkraut. I remember there were no brands, shops were just ‘Shoes’, ‘Clothes’, ‘Books’ etc. the bookshop we went into devoted the entire ground floor to ‘socialist economics’, with stacks of books to the ceiling. For the benefit of tourists I suppose.

[@peterlj613]

Have been there in 1984 but frankly do not remember much. But enjoyed visiting Haupstadt der DRR.

[@edocsil123]

I feel like east german culture and architecture are things we're gonna miss when they are gone because it was such a unique time in history.

[@MMadesen]

Its not unique at all, its your average communist architecture present in all of Eastern Europe.

[@edocsil123]

@@MMadesenTalking about the about the anomaly that is berlin. And the palace of the republic is obviously not 'average communist architecture'. Its like comparing your shitty house to Calatrava.

[@van0tot100]

@@UCLAfilm01 Well the Palast was not a brutalist building

[@aSome1]

although I HATE post-modern/Bauhaus/Vkhutemas/Corbusier-ish stuff in architecture, it was an impressive job when it comes to infrastructure...it could have been kept as a museum specifically for GDR...

[@evrtt_trn]

i have a photo book made by the ddr for foreign markets, and the photo of the palast chamber has always had a great impression on me, with sleek design and unique layout unlike the more clumsy soviet stuff. the legacy of weimar modernism certainly elevated ddr architecture above that of other countries in the bloc, at least for the prestige pieces.

[@szeweisoo153]

Finally the channel has a video with significant views

[@phillipvietri8786]

When I visited Berlin, the Palast der Republik was gone, but the new structure had not yet been built. The Marx-Engels statue had been moved to the corner of the park between the trees. The new building had not yet been erected, but there was a temporary structure called the "Berlin Box" on the site.

[@mr.bob4630]

I was happy when the decision was made to replace the Palast der Republik and rebuild the Berliner Schloss. I must admit, though, that I was disappointed that they did not recreate the interiors and that even the facade was not completely recreated. I believe one day they will have to, and should, remove the modern interior and restore the palace completely to what it was in 1900, but of course with modern infrastructure (heating, cooling, lighting, Internet and telephone ...).

[@germanschindler8781]

Awesome video! It helped me to understand the context in which the Berliner Schloss was built. Thanks

[@Ivarr.Bergmann.Alaska]

I saw the palace in 1996.. some went crazy with spray paint all over the side facing to the river...

[@lexploresoutdoor6938]

Wie gut du Englisch sprichst ist wirklich beeindruckend!

[@KlausZensen]

I was in the Palast in 1988 as a visitor from the BRD, meeting some East German friends. I had a Sony walkman with a cassette tape featuring West German musician Klaus Large, which I wanted to give my friends as a gift. They were excited, but said for "God's sake don't give it to me here. This place is packed with Stasi officers." My friends were afraid to be arrested for receiving a music tape from West Germany...

[@gendy943]

I was astonished at the decision to demolish the Palast dear Republik .It was impressive to me in 1978 as a visitor from Britain to the GDR ( Berolina) ..

[@kayzeaza]

Okay that fact about them reusing the steel is pretty interesting

[@TomaszTomasz-ot6dl]

The special place for electronic music aficionados. Tangerine Dream's "Quichotte" ("Pergamon") live album was recorded there on January 31st 1980 by "DDR Rundfunk", during a "DT-64 Jugendkonzert".

[@Sweetasthesun]

I was there in 2005, I have some photos of it from the trip somewhere.

[@oysteinalsaker]

I was inside the gutted building of the Palast der Republik to see the terracotta warrior exhibition in 2004. Absolutely got two for one there.

[@0raj0]

I am from Poland. In 1980 I was on a trip to Berlin with my family and of course we visited the Palast. I remember being very impressed with it. I think it was a bad decision to demolish it - I think Palast and its surroundings looked much better than the current New Schloss.

[@aragon1r1]

Was there in August 1989, an amazing building. It will also live forever in Udo Lindenberg’s “Sonderzug nach Pankow”: ‘Und ich sag hey Honey, ich sing‘ für wenig Money im Republik Palast, wenn ihr mich lasst‘

[@ec3232]

I was once told by an East German couple that in all of East Germany there was only like 2 bowling alleys and the waiting list to get a lane was close to 6 months

[@rogermoore27]

Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹

[@jmy9595]

The only thing I knew about the Palast was that it’s where Tangerine Dream recorded their Pergamon album. They were one of the first Western acts to perform in the East. It’s a great recording as well.

[@notroll1279]

I'm not sad at all that it's gone. The East German government rammed this project through all legislative barriers - specifically an existing ban on asbestos that had been in place since 1969. They insisted on aesthetics that required the use of that stuff for fire safety, passed a special permit to sail by that ban and used 720 tons of raw asbestos, basically shrugging off the health hazard to any one working in construction and in the building as it would age (and due to sketchy maintenance, communist buildings have a way of aging very fast). It was in a dialogue of ugliness with the GDR's Außenministerium (= Foreign Office resp. State Department) that was also torn down. There was no point in saving a building tht had to be almost torn to the ground to remove that asbestos shit - and to recreate the late GDR's architectural frenzy.

[@mrandquist2653]

I'm an American and have been learning about East Germany lately. I would have kept the building and would have restored it to what it once was because I think it would have been an enormous historical benefit to future Germans. The fact is, the GDR ceased to be 33 years ago, meaning that in eight years it will have been gone for as long as it existed. At some point, long after most of us have died, the last person to have been born in the GDR will have died. Keeping the Palast der Republik as it was and keeping it firmly in the style of East German socialism would have allowed Germans born 100 years from now to have a good idea of what the regime wanted the country to be like. Personally I think they could rebuild it elsewhere and still do this but I would have preferred they keep it at the old location.

[@ugoveronesi3350]

They did a great job demolishing it, it was real rubbish. If they wanted to build a palace for the people they could do it elsewhere, without demolishing the old royal palace.

[@truxton1000]

Was there in 1988, they had a bowling alley in the ground floor/cellar. Had beer with some DDR soldiers, got drunk and walked the streets afterwords with these soldiers, great time!

[@dr.oliebol]

When somebody says "Berlin" picture of PdR pops up in my head. Been there and followed the rückbau when visiting Berlin. From an economic and political perspective I still don't get it. It was also removed because some people were convinced that this would make the unification easier as a lot of (former) East-Berliners still felt like 2nd class people. Also, Berlin was close to bankrupt during the decision making moment about the PdR future; renovating it after the removal of all asbestos would be far cheaper.

[@PlanetaryCitizen]

That was fascinating. I didn't know anything about it. What a shame it was not preserved.

[@giansideros]

It looked like a generic shopping mall or a conference centre, there are much better communist monuments to remember and preserve but not this unimaginative edifice.

[@uryen921]

As a foreigner who loves acient European architecture, I'm happy to see they rebuild the Berliner Schloss. I like communsit style buildings too, but in this case I love the traditional palace more!

[@Hansaman58]

Never entered the building but saw it on my visits to the Hauptstadt Der DDR in the early 1980s.