berlinsights.de is back in Berlin, after more than a year working in South Africa. When we looked at our former premises Unter den Linden (UdL) 40, we found that the 10.000 sqm between Mittelstr. and UdL are currently being completely refurbished, works tasked to the David Chipperfield group by investor Harm Müller – Speer from Hamburg. He had made the deal for the “French Palais’ in 2014, winning the bid from among 350 potential parties interested in the historic building. The same investor of the Spreedreieck (near Friedrichstr.140), the former and famous ‘Tränenpalast’ and the ‘Hackesche Höfe’, among others, is said to expand office space by up to 17.000 sqm. His shame came with Berlin’s municipality that first opposed partial damage of the historic site: monument protection is ‘holy’ for Berliners, or at least he had to wait a bit for the building permit. By now, mid-2020, people hardly realize that works are speeding up. As for now, media stay silent, although ZDF is right next door. Who wants to know more, tours can be organized.
When visiting Berlin Kreuzberg, the Admiral’s bridge across Landwehr canal (kilometer 7,70) is one of the bridges completed in late 19th century (1882). Strengthened several times, the bridge was renovated in 1984 and remains under protection = “Denkmalschutz”. Linking the shores of Fraenkel and Planufer, both sides have their historical highlights such as house number 88 – 94, Planufer, for their beautiful architecture. Just scroll around to learn about Fraenkelufer, named after Prof. Dr. Albert Fraenkel (1948 – 1916): as German doctor, he was never appointed to a Chair, due to his Jewish descent. Fraenkel had long passed away when Fascist desaster in 1933 became massive with Berlin’s chief of police storming the building because of its then Jewish management, and the famous Fraenkel Synagoge just opposite the hospital. Urban’s original building had been set-up in 1890, thanks to a generous lady with three first names: Wilhelmine Eleonore Ottilie BESCHORT who had donated approx. one fifth of the total seed sum for the building. By the way, Fraenkel made it to the head of the women’s clinic nearby. He became extraordinary professor at Berlin’s Charité, and also director of internal medicine at the Urban hospital, today a simple concrete building: the start of this new Urban hospital had been inaugurated in 1966 by former Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt.