Bismarckstraße

Bismarckstraße is a major thoroughfare in Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district, connecting Sophie-Charlotte-Platz with Ernst-Reuter-Platz. Its history goes back to the 17th century, when the route was laid out as part of the design of the Großer Tiergarten and was later known as Mühlenweg. During the Gründerzeit, the 19th-century boom years, the path was paved, and in 1867 it was named after Otto von Bismarck. From 1902 it was expanded into a broad grand avenue that runs as a straight extension of Unter den Linden all the way to Pichelsberg and is modeled on the boulevards of Paris. During the Nazi era it became part of the East-West Axis, which the distinctive candelabra designed by Albert Speer still recall today. The street is now part of federal highways B 2 and B 5, and several subway lines run beneath it. Here you'll find a mix of historic architecture and cultural highlights, including the Deutsche Oper, the Fröbelhaus, and the building of the former Schiller Theater. The straight line of sight all the way to the Rotes Rathaus underscores the urban planning significance of this stately thoroughfare.