East Berlin Revisited: 5 Key Locations to Explore GDR-era Architecture

The aesthetics of Communist-era architecture might not match up to grander architectural styles, but there's more to the landmarks of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) than simple aesthetics. Spend a captivating day in East Berlin exploring the streets and buildings that remain from the second half of the 20th century, when the GDR controlled the eastern part of the city – up until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. You'll be rewarded with unique experiences, see monuments of this fascinating period up close, and discover lesser-known areas of the capital. Here are the top five examples of GDR-era architecture that encapsulate the period.

Surround yourself with GDR-era architecture along Karl-Marx-Allee. This wide boulevard is lined with monumental Cold War architecture and is the best location to be momentarily transported to a bygone time. Karl-Marx-Allee was originally designed as a display of GDR prowess and as a celebration of workers, who were at the centre of communist culture in East Berlin. When construction began on apartment buildings in 1952, the "workers palaces" were built in Neoclassical style, with ornamentation designed to show East Germans (and opponents in the West) how important working people were to the system. 

By the 1960s, however, this overly elaborate "wedding cake" architecture was falling out of fashion and was considered too elitist. New buildings added along the boulevard had a more functional style. Look out for some of them during your walk down Karl-Marx-Allee, including the Kino International film theatre and Cafe Moskau, an events centre. Don't miss the full-scale replica of Soviet Sputnik satellites standing over Cafe Moskau's entrance. At the eastern end of Karl-Marx-Allee, view the domed twin towers of Frankfurter Tor, built in the 1950s to represent a gateway to the city.

Among the layers of history along Karl-Marx-Allee, you'll find Plattenbau Housing Blocks representing the functional, modernist phase of architecture. These apartment buildings, made with prefabricated concrete panels, are also found in several other areas of East Berlin. An architectural tour of the former GDR is a good reason to get to know some of East Berlin's most interesting areas. Hop on public transport and venture out to some of the far eastern suburbs, way off the beaten track in residential areas where Berliners live their lives.

Marzahn-Hellersdorf is known for its many Plattenbauten apartment blocks. While some of these blocks are reminders of the uniformity of life in Cold War East Berlin, the Flower Tower (Allee der Kosmonauten 145, 12681 Berlin) was transformed by the French artist group CitéCréation with a vast and vivid floral facade. Well worth a look! To step inside an authentic, fully furnished Cold War-era apartment, visit Museumswohnung WBS 70, further east on the Hellersdorf side, for an immersive snapshot of the past. Stay with the Cold War theme when you visit Checkpoint Charlie, the famed crossing between East and West, which is just steps away from the four-star Mercure Hotel & Residenz Berlin Checkpoint Charlie.

Museumswohnung WBS 70

• Address: Hellersdorfer Str. 179, 12627 Berlin
• Hours: Sundays 2pm-4pm or by appointment 
• Transport: Around 4 minutes on foot from Cottbusser Platz U-Bahn station 

Back in central Berlin, there's plenty to explore at the western end of Karl-Marx-Allee. Haus des Reisens, or "the House of Travel" in English, is an 18-storey building just off the famous Alexanderplatz square, where you can also see the striking GDR-era World Clock (1969). Built between 1969 and 1971, Haus des Reisens was home to Interflug, the national airline of East Germany, and the Reisebüro der DDR state travel organisation. Now protected, the building narrowly avoided demolition in the 1990s.

Keep your eyes peeled for the copper relief work on the eastern facade, at the level of the second floor. This highly detailed work, named “Man Overcomes Time and Space”, was created by the German Socialist realist artist Walter Womacka. The building's aluminium curtain wall facade is in keeping with the International Style of architecture, which favoured clean lines and industrial materials.

Haus des Lehrers, also close to Alexanderplatz, was constructed slightly earlier, between 1962 and 1964. The "House of the Teacher" was designed by the GDR's star architect, Hermann Henselmann. Take a stroll around the exterior and admire the frieze wrapped around the mezzanine level. This 127-metre-long sequence of mosaic images, also by Walter Womacka, is named "Our Life" and carries the social and political messages so common to art during this era. The 800,000 mosaic stones make this one of the largest such works in Europe. For a place to stay that also incorporates influences from its urban surroundings, head to Mercure Hotel Berlin City, just a 10-minute drive from Alexanderplatz.

Berlin TV Tower was Hermann Henselmann's most prominent work. Inaugurated in 1969, it was intended to symbolise the strength and superiority of the GDR. Once an icon of communist East Germany, it is today an icon of the reunified city as a whole. The sphere, at more than 200 metres high, was designed to resemble Sputnik satellites and to light up red, the colour representing socialism.

Visit the tower today not only to get a sense of the GDR's mindset and ambitions but to enjoy the pleasures of the modern city. The views from the observation deck are unforgettable, and the Sphere Bar is the highest bar in Berlin. At 203 metres, it is undoubtedly one of the highest in the world and an excellent way to savour alternative nightlife in Berlin.

Berlin TV Tower

• Address: Panoramastraße 1A, 10178 Berlin
• Hours: March-October, 9am to 11pm daily; November-February, 10am to 11pm daily
• Transport: One minute on foot from Alexanderplatz station (S-Bahn and U-Bahn)
• Tickets: Available in advance

Want to dig even deeper into Berlin's history? Check out our insider guide to underground Berlin, and learn all about the hidden bunkers, escape routes and crypts just beneath your feet.