History of Berlin Entertainment - Theaters & Zoos

Berlin is not just serious history; it's a city that knows how to party.

The Palaces of Entertainment

In the 1920s, Berlin rivaled Broadway. The Grand Theatre (Großes Schauspielhaus) was an architectural wonder, a "stalactite cave" of expressionist design. Sadly, it was damaged in the war and later demolished.

The Sportpalast

"Sportpalast speech" is infamous, but the venue itself was the Madison Square Garden of Berlin. Ice skating, boxing, and political rallies. It was demolished in 1973, replaced by the "Pallasseum" housing complex, which you can see from the bus near Potsdamer Straße.

Cinema Culture

The Gloria Palast and Tivoli were temples of film. Looking at the ruins of Tivoli in 1993 reminds us how the cultural landscape shifted after reunification.

The Zoo

Berlin has two zoos (a legacy of division). The Tiergarten Zoo is Germany's oldest. Historically, it was a social hub. Even in 1909, the ponds of Berlin were places of leisure.