Königstor

The Königstor (King's Gate) in Berlin refers to two historic city gates that stood on the important trade route to Bernau and the northeast. The older gate was located at what is now Alexanderplatz and was originally called the Oderberger Tor before being renamed Georgentor after the Georgenvorstadt district lying in front of it. After the ceremonial entry of Frederick I as King in Prussia in 1701, it was given the name Königstor. With the construction of new fortifications, it lost its strategic importance and was demolished in 1746; today the Königsbrücke (King's Bridge) with its colonnades commemorates it.

The later Königstor was part of the Berlin customs wall and was originally called the Bernauer Tor. It was renamed in 1810, when King Frederick William III and Queen Louise returned to the city from Königsberg after fleeing Napoleon. This spot was also where Captain Alexander von Blomberg died in 1813, killed during a failed attempt to free Berlin from the French occupation. Because the wall stood in the way of the city's growth in the 19th century, the gate was torn down between 1866 and 1869.

Today, the Platz am Königstor in Volkspark Friedrichshain recalls this history. A monument has commemorated Blomberg's death since 1913 and was valued in East German times as a symbol of German-Russian brotherhood in arms. The square's name has been officially in use again since 1991 and is frequently used in cultural and commercial contexts, even though it is not a postal address.