You are entering a place where time seems to stand still, right in the heart of Berlin-Mitte. Amidst
ancient trees and weathered tombstones, history whispers—telling tales of the
people who shaped Berlin: scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists.
Welcome to the Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof—for a very long time, a place of repose
and, simultaneously, a silent witness to Berlin’s turbulent history.
It has existed here since 1762—back then, situated far beyond Berlin’s city gates. The city grew,
and so did its population. In those days, it was customary to bury the dead outside the city limits.
Initially, it was the poorer citizens who found their final resting place here. But over time—
particularly after the cemetery was incorporated into “Greater Berlin”—scholars, artists,
entrepreneurs, and scientists came to be buried here as well. For this district had become home
to an increasing number of wealthy residents, complete with houses, streets, and infrastructure—
a true Berlin “center of knowledge and culture.”
However, the cemetery did not emerge from this period entirely unscathed. During the Second
World War, much like the surrounding buildings, it suffered severe damage. In the 1960s, East
Berlin authorities even threatened to clear the cemetery to make way for a public green space.
Fortunately, it was preserved—and since 1983, it has been designated a protected historical monument.
As you stand here now, you can discover the graves of outstanding figures from German history.
Some of the tombstones are ancient; others tell the stories of scientists, artists, poets, and many
other remarkable individuals who left their mark on Berlin and Germany—such as Bertolt Brecht,
Helene Weigel, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Anna Seghers, and renowned artists from the GDR era.
Take your time, look around, and let the atmosphere wash over you.
Dorotheenstadt Cemetery
Aus dem Audiowalk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets
254:05 min Audio
8
Hör dir die Audiotour jetzt an, am besten in der Großansicht.
Oder nutze die App, um den Audiowalk vor Ort zu hören:
Andere Stationen in dieser Audiotour:
A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Red City Hall (2:30 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • New Synagogue (2:19 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Friedrichstadt-Palast (4:02 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park (3:43 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Hirschhof (2:41 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)
