Evening concert at the Memorial Church
Around 70 minutes of classical music with the Berlin Orchestra, inside Eiermann's blue-glass octagon. A full refund applies when you cancel more than a day ahead.
The church behind the concert
A memorial, and a room for music
The church the bombs left
The original church, consecrated in 1895, was dedicated to the memory of Kaiser Wilhelm I. It was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The great tower stood, its top broken away, and Berliners soon called it der hohle Zahn, the hollow tooth. It is still there, and it is why this church looks like two buildings.
Eiermann's answer
After a competition in 1956 the architect Egon Eiermann planned to clear the tower away. Public protest saved it. He built around it instead: an octagonal church, a bell tower, a chapel and a foyer, all in concrete, steel and glass, with the ruin kept as a memorial. The new church was consecrated in December 1961.
Blue light from Chartres
The walls are concrete honeycomb filled with hand-cast glass by Gabriel Loire, who worked in Chartres and studied the colour of its cathedral windows. Loire said the blue stood for peace and the flecks of colour for joy. Inside, the glass closes the room around you and the traffic of the square feels far away.
A church that plays music daily
Services, organ vespers and concerts fill the calendar here, and the building has an organ built for the room by the Berlin firm Karl Schuke. A ticketed evening concert is one more use of a space made for sound as well as silence.
The music, piece by piece
What the programme draws on
The listed programme mixes Baroque and classical works for strings, voice and organ. These six sketch the kind of music the evening draws on; the programme moves with the date.
- Pachelbel
Canon in D
Johann Pachelbel's Canon was first scored for three violins and continuo and paired with a gigue. Nobody knows when he wrote it, and it sat in obscurity for centuries before a 1968 recording made it a favourite for weddings.
- Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
Four violin concertos, one for each season, published in Amsterdam in 1725 with sonnets that say what each should call to mind. Vivaldi writes flowing streams, singing birds and storms into the music.
- Schubert
Ave Maria
Schubert composed Ellens dritter Gesang in 1825, one of seven songs from Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake, in which Ellen sings a prayer to the Virgin Mary. It is now best known under the Latin prayer's name.
- J. S. Bach
The D minor organ toccata
Catalogued as BWV 565, this is a showpiece for organ that ranks among the most widely recognised in the repertoire. Bach was long credited with it, though a minority of scholars has doubted that since 1981, and Felix Mendelssohn helped it into print in 1833.
- Mozart
Lacrimosa
A movement from Mozart's Requiem in D minor. He died on 5 December 1791 with the work unfinished, and his draft of the Sequence stops after the first eight bars of the Lacrimosa.
- Widor
Toccata from the Organ Symphony No. 5
The last movement of Charles-Marie Widor's fifth organ symphony, written in 1878 and 1879 while he was organist at Saint-Sulpice in Paris. It is among the most frequently recorded organ pieces.
No single piece is promised for a given evening; the booking page shows the programme as listed.
The room
An octagon of blue glass
The concert takes place in the new church, which Eiermann designed as a single tall room.
The octagon
The nave is eight-sided, about 35 metres across and roughly 20 metres high, with a steel frame and walls of concrete honeycomb filled with blue glass. The main entrance faces the tower ruin.
Chairs, not pews
Eiermann had the room fitted with single chairs rather than benches. He designed the chair himself, with a wooden frame and black straps, and it has been made in series since 1962.
The organ gallery
Opposite the entrance an organ built by the Berlin firm Karl Schuke fills a gallery in the main axis. Eiermann helped shape its case, and the church counts it among the largest organs in the city.
The old tower beside it
The ruined tower holds the memorial hall, with mosaics from the first church. The church site lists the hall's opening and any works under way, so check its visit page before you plan around it.
Inside and around the church
The glass, the organ and the ruin
The nave from the floor, the organ gallery, the glass up close, the double wall, the church after dark and the old tower in daylight.
Ways to hear music in Berlin's churches
Four ways to hear music or see the church
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Evening concert at the Memorial Church | Around 70 minutes of classical music with the Berlin Orchestra, inside Eiermann's blue-glass octagon. A full refund applies when you cancel more than a day ahead. | Visitors who want the room and a full concert in one evening. |
| Concert at the French Cathedral | Around 65 minutes of Baroque and classical music in the Französischer Dom on Gendarmenmarkt, a church with parts from 1701. Cancel more than a day ahead for a full refund. | Travellers who prefer a historic church on Gendarmenmarkt, or a slightly shorter concert. |
| The church's own organ and choir vespers | Music in the same room on the church's own calendar, on Saturday evenings. Dates, formats and any ticketing are listed by the church. | Visitors who are happy to follow a vespers service and plan around its calendar. |
| A visit without a concert | The church is open to visitors outside services, events and concerts, and guided tours of the ensemble run on a donation basis. Its visit page lists hours. | A daytime look at the blue glass and the old tower. |
Book a concert
Two church concerts in Berlin
Each card opens its dates on the booking site. Below them sits the booking site's own calendar for the Memorial Church, then a rail of other Berlin activities.
Concert at the French Cathedral
Around 65 minutes of Baroque and classical music in the Französischer Dom on Gendarmenmarkt, a church with parts from 1701. Cancel more than a day ahead for a full refund.
More to book in Berlin
Before you go
Plan your evening
Where to go
The church stands on Breitscheidplatz in Berlin's City West, on the Kurfürstendamm. The church names the U-Bahn station Kurfürstendamm and the S- and U-Bahn station Zoologischer Garten as its connections.
Arriving
Be in your seat before the start. Your confirmation gives the time for your date, and as the church notes that streets near the square are sometimes shut, build in some slack.
What to wear
There is no set dress code. The room is tall and glazed, and some guests mention it can feel warm, so layers that come off are easier than a heavy coat.
Seats and access
The concert is marked wheelchair accessible on the booking page. Two ramps lead up to the church podium, and as the nave has no induction loop the church advises sitting close to a loudspeaker.
Children
Unaccompanied minors are not allowed, so anyone under age needs an adult with them.
Around the concert
The square sits beside the Kurfürstendamm and the Bikini Berlin complex, so there are places to eat nearby. The ticket does not cover food, drink or transport.
Guides to the church and the concert
Guides to the church and the concert
Which concert, and which date
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Concert: what to book
What the Gedächtniskirche concert is, who plays, how the room shapes the music, and how to pick a date and compare it with other Berlin church concerts.
Read the guide → Getting there, the room and what to wearKaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Concert: getting there
How to reach the Gedächtniskirche on Breitscheidplatz, where the entrance and the ramps are, what the room is like inside and what to wear for the concert.
Read the guide → The old church and the ruin
The hollow tooth: the old church and its tower
Read the guide → The architecture and the glassBlue glass and an octagon: Eiermann and Loire
Read the guide → The organ and the musicThe Schuke organ and the pieces it suits
Read the guide → A visit by day, free musicVisiting the Memorial Church without a ticket
Read the guide →FAQ
Questions before you book
How long is the Memorial Church concert?
It lasts around 70 minutes, so a meal fits comfortably before or after. The calendar gives each date a separate start time.
What will the orchestra play?
A programme of Baroque and classical pieces, and the booking page lists the works. It can change from date to date, so pick a date and read the programme shown for it.
Where exactly is it, and how do I get there?
Breitscheidplatz, by the Kurfürstendamm. The church names the U-Bahn stop Kurfürstendamm and the S- and U-Bahn stop Zoologischer Garten as its links.
Is there a dress code?
There is no set dress code. Choose comfortable clothes and a layer you can shed, as a few guests find the room warm.
Is the church wheelchair accessible?
The booking page lists the concert as wheelchair accessible, and two ramps lead to the church podium. The nave has no induction loop.
Can children come?
Yes, with an adult. The ticket does not allow unaccompanied minors.
Can I cancel?
Through GetYourGuide you get a full refund for cancelling at least a day ahead, and there is a pay-later option when you reserve.
Can I see the church without a concert ticket?
Yes. The church says it is open for visits outside services, events and concerts, and its visit page lists current hours and any closures, including works on the old tower.
Seventy minutes of classical music inside Berlin's blue-glass church, free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Reserve your seat for the concert ↗The fare shown is for a single adult. Dollars are the display currency here, and the booking page offers your own.