Do you want to explore the fascinating history of Berlin? Then don’t miss the chance to discover Stalinallee, a street that has been at the center of the city’s transformation over the years. Now you can take a trip down memory lane with our collection of historical photos and witness the construction, occupation and use of this iconic landmark of GDR history for your own purposes.
This is Stalinallee in Berlin
A federal highway (B1) many faces and, above all, many names. Right in the heart of Berlin, in the Berlin districts of Mitte and Friedrichshain, lies today’s Karl-Marx-Allee, named after the philosopher and social theorist Karl Marx. It was laid out around 1700 and was originally called Große Frankfurter Straße. On December 21, 1949, on the 70th birthday of Josef Stalin, it was, together with Frankfurter Allee, renamed Stalinallee.
The name Stalinallee lasted for a full twelve years. After the de-Stalinization in the Soviet Union in 1961, it was again separated into Karl-Marx-Allee and Frankfurter Allee. This period was one of the most formative in East Berlin’s architecture. Stalinallee was the showcase project of the East German reconstruction program after World War II. It was developed in three construction phases by architects Hans Scharoun, Hermann Henselmann, Hartmann, Hopp, Leucht and Paulick. The result was apartments that were referred to as workers’ palaces, a sports hall, cafes and the Kino International.
First construction phase Stalinallee
The first construction phase focused on the concept of the decentralized “collective plan” for the redesign of Berlin. This envisaged a more relaxed development. This was to be implemented with so-called “residential cells” (e.g. Friedrichshain residential cell). These consisted of the arcade houses. The architect was Hans Scharoun. But the concept was soon dropped for ideological reasons. The two resulting arcade houses were left to their own devices, thus heralding the second construction phase.
Second construction phase Stalinallee
The second phase of construction followed the style of socialist realism. Accordingly, the architecture was based on the Soviet architectural style (for example, the Lomonosov University in Moscow and the Palace of Culture in Warsaw). Richard Paulick, Hanns Hopp, Karl Souradny and Kurt W. Leucht were chosen as the architects of the development plan.
In 1951, the high-rise at Weberwiese was completed. It was, so to speak, the prototype after the rest of Stalinallee was created. The architectural style went down in history as “decorative regional historicism”. The second construction phase also included the German Sports Hall, which was built in just 148 days for the III. World Festival of Youth and Students in 1952. The hall was closed in 1969 due to structural damage and demolished in 1972. The design of Strausberger Platz began during the second construction phase.
Third construction phase of Stalinallee
The third construction phase symbolizes the dawn of modernity. In particular, it still unites important buildings today. These include the Kosmos cinema and the Café Moskau. But also the Kino International and the Mokka Eisbar, as well as the Hotel Berolina.
The construction of Stalinallee was a massive undertaking involving thousands of workers. However, our photo collection not only documents the construction of Stalinallee, but also provides a unique insight into the lives of the people who moved into the buildings after its completion. By browsing our collection of historical photos, you will gain a deeper understanding of the significance of Stalinallee in the history of Berlin and East Germany. You will see how the street was used by the government as a means of propaganda, but also how it became an important part of the daily lives of the people who lived and worked there.
You can acquire and use the Stalinallee photos for various purposes: for example, for private prints/posters, editorial publications in the media, as part of a cinematographic work for cinema or TV and streaming content, or possibly also for commercial and corporate purposes. Do you have questions about a motif or a specific intended use? Please feel free to contact us.
