Café Kranzler
Encyclopedia
Café Kranzler is a famous café on Kurfürstendamm
in the Charlottenburg
district of Berlin
, Germany
.
Today not much is left of the original Café Kranzler opened in 1834 by Austrian
-born confectionist Johann Georg Kranzler (1795–1866) on Unter den Linden
No. 25 at the corner of Friedrichstraße
in the present-day Mitte
district. Including a sun terrace, an ice-cream parlour and a smokers' room, it swiftly gained the reputation of being one of the city's finest cafés. In 1932 a branch was opened in Charlottenburg in the rooms of the former Café des Westens on Kurfürstendamm.
In 1944 the parent house in Mitte was completely destroyed during the Battle of Berlin
, today it is the site of the Westin
Grand Hotel. However after the war the Charlottenburg branch in then West Berlin
went on to become a major tourist attraction in its own right, the current flat-roofed building was erected in 1958. Nevertheless the Café Kranzler has fallen victim to the massive redevelopment programme which has been changing the face of Berlin since the fall of the Berlin Wall
in 1989. In 2000 it reopened as a small bar in the rotunda on the second floor, built-in the Neues Kranzler Eck shopping centre designed by Helmut Jahn
.
Kurfürstendamm
The Kurfürstendamm, known locally as the Ku'damm, is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. The street takes its name from the former Kurfürsten of Brandenburg. This very broad, long boulevard can be considered the Champs-Élysées of Berlin — full of shops, houses, hotels and restaurants...
in the Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Today not much is left of the original Café Kranzler opened in 1834 by Austrian
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
-born confectionist Johann Georg Kranzler (1795–1866) on Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
No. 25 at the corner of Friedrichstraße
Friedrichstraße
The Friedrichstraße is a major culture and shopping street in central Berlin, forming the core of the Friedrichstadt neighborhood. It runs from the northern part of the old Mitte district to the Hallesches Tor in the district of Kreuzberg...
in the present-day Mitte
Mitte (locality)
Mitte is a central locality of Berlin in the homonymous district of Mitte. Until 2001 it was itself an autonomous district....
district. Including a sun terrace, an ice-cream parlour and a smokers' room, it swiftly gained the reputation of being one of the city's finest cafés. In 1932 a branch was opened in Charlottenburg in the rooms of the former Café des Westens on Kurfürstendamm.
In 1944 the parent house in Mitte was completely destroyed during the Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin (air)
The Battle of Berlin was a British bombing campaign on Berlin from November 1943 – March 1944. The campaign was not limited solely to Berlin. Other German cities were attacked to prevent concentration of defences in Berlin, and Bomber Command had other responsibilities and operations to conduct...
, today it is the site of the Westin
Westin Hotels
Westin Hotels & Resorts are an upscale hotel chain owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. As of 2011, Westin operated over 160 hotels in 37 countries.-History:...
Grand Hotel. However after the war the Charlottenburg branch in then West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
went on to become a major tourist attraction in its own right, the current flat-roofed building was erected in 1958. Nevertheless the Café Kranzler has fallen victim to the massive redevelopment programme which has been changing the face of Berlin since the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
in 1989. In 2000 it reopened as a small bar in the rotunda on the second floor, built-in the Neues Kranzler Eck shopping centre designed by Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
.