Kurfürstendamm (avenue)

Kurfürstendamm

Kurfürstendamm, colloquially called Ku'Damm, is the most popular street in Berlin next to Unter den Linden. Kurfürstendamm begins next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and extends more than two miles to the west until you reach the residential area of Halensee.

Although until the late 19th century Kurfürstendamm was little more than a footpath, at the beginning of the 20th century it became the preferred meeting place for intellectuals and artists. It was at this time when the first theaters, cafes, cabarets and nightclubs emerged.

During World War II the zone was badly damaged by the Allied bombings and it was not until the years 50 when it began to recover.

The center of West Berlin

During the 28 years that Berlin was divided by the Wall, if Alexanderplatz was the nerve center of Berlin Communist, Kurfürstendamm was of West Berlin.

The millions of landmarks that began to inflate the West German Government to help the recovery of East Berlin made shops, restaurants and businesses established in the area.

With the reunification of Berlin, Kurfürstendamm slightly lost status as the city center and Potsdamer Platz won this title.
Kurfürstendamm today

The upper Kurfürstendamm and its continuation, Tauentzienstraße, form one of the main commercial districts of Berlin. In this area are concentrated the main fashion shops (most, international franchises), electronics and sports of the city.

In this area there are also several shopping centers, among which KaDeWe, the "Harrods of Berlin" (next to the metro Wittenbergplatz) is worth noting. As a curiosity, its name is an acronym of Kaufhaus des Westens, in Castilian, Department Stores of the West.

The lower part of the street is much quieter and its shops more select.