The History Of Karl-Marx-Allee In 1 Minute

Karl-Marx-Allee is a ‘socialist boulevard’ renamed during the time of two Germanys. In a part of the GDR’s reimaginings of East Germany in a post-war world, architects and city planners went about reorganizing this expansive strasse, but they had initially picked another iconic emblem of socialism before they settled on Marx.
Before it was Karl-Marx-Allee, it was called Stalinallee from 1949-1961 in a way to pay homage to the party’s symbol of socialist tenacity. They had changed the name from the original Große Frankfurter Straße. The boulevard stretches from Friedrichshain to Mitte, approximately two kilometers in length, and is dotted with impressively tall buildings (for Berlin) that mirror the wedding-cake style aesthetic of the Soviet Union.

The boulevard was commissioned to be redesigned as a bustling metropolitan area with shopping, a cinema and other trappings of commercialism as well as apartments for the working class. A little bit of an odd juxtaposition in theory, but never the less went under way under the supervision of a handful of important East German architects at the time: Hermann Henselmann, Hartmann, Paulick, Hopp, Souradny, and Leucht.

A statue dedicated to Stalin was placed on the boulevard in 1951, which stood as a proud talisman of communism until 1961, the same day the name was changed. That’s the year the de-Stalinization process really took hold. Even though Stalin represented socialism, even party members knew it was in excess and detrimental, hence, the need for a de-Stalinization after the leader died in 1953.

Stalinallee was also the backdrop for a tumultuous political uprising of workers fed up with aspects the GDR, which was quickly thwarted by the onerous and behemoth-sized military equipment of the communist regime. As workers united to rebel, huge tanks and soldiers curtailed the efforts with brutal force; 125 lives were lost that day. And later, the street would be used for the standard May Day Festivities. After the reunification, there was talk of changing the name yet again, yet it remains Karl-Marx-Allee.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.