25T23 Schinkel’s Berlin: Friedrichswerder Church

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E22, B17.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841) is one of the most important German architects in early 19th-century Berlin, where most of his works are located. They include: Altes Museum, Königin-Luise-Mausoleum, Konzerthaus, Neue Wache, Neuer Pavillon, Schlossbrücke, Schloss Glienicke, Tegelpalais (Humboldt Schloss), and Friedrichswerder Church.

After Napoleon’s French forces came and went, the Prussians decided to tidy up with fresh building projects, especially those with a connection to Gothic or neo-Gothic. Construction of Friedrichswerder church began and ended in 1824 and 1831, respectively. With a total rebuild and renovation after WW2 and a communist dictatorship, the entire space reopened entirely as art space, with the lower floor exhibiting sculptures from the city’s Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), and the upper floor dedicated to the life and work of Schinkel. The venue is open to the public free of charge.

A decent “sacred” hall to exhibit late-18th & 19th-century sculptures.
Photograph from c. 1857, by Leopold Arendt.
Photograph from c. 1885, by Albert Schwarz.
Photo from 1987.
Schinkel marble statue from the portico of Berlin’s Altes Museum. By C.F. Rieck and completed by Hermann Wittig; marble copy by F. Tübbecke, 1884-1899.
Prussian neo-classicism: double statues of Princesses Luise & Frederike of Prussia, by J.G. Schadow, plaster model, 1795.
Princess Luise of Prussia: by J.G. Schadow, plaster model, 1795.
Princess Frederike of Prussia: by J.G. Schadow, plaster model, 1795.
Commemorative plaques near the front entrance: “Friedrichswerder Church: National Gallery, State Museums of Berlin.”
Commemorative plaques near the front entrance: “Built 1824 to 1830 to the designs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel / destroyed 1944-45 / rebuilt 1982-1987.”
South facade, from Werdescher Markt.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 17 and 30 May 2025. I received neither request nor compensation for this content. This post composed within Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

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