Tiergarten Berlin
The History of Berlin’s Green Lung
How did Tiergarten in Berlin come into existence?
The Großer Tiergarten was established in the 16th century as a fenced hunting ground for the Electors of Brandenburg. From 1742 onwards, Frederick the Great commissioned Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to transform the area into a public pleasure garden. In the 19th century, Peter Joseph Lenné redesigned it as an English-style landscape park.
THE BERLIN LOCALS RECOMMEND.
Why were the trees in Berlin’s Tiergarten cut down?
Tiergarten was severely damaged during World War II and was almost completely stripped of its trees after the war due to an acute shortage of fuel. According to historical records, only around 700 of the original 200,000 trees remained standing. Between 1949 and 1959, the park was reforested with the help of numerous tree donations.
Facts at a Glance
- Name: Großer Tiergarten
- Location: Berlin-Mitte, Tiergarten district
- Size: Approximately 210 hectares
- Origins: Electoral hunting ground in the 16th century
- Transformation into a public park: From 1742 under Frederick the Great
- Key landscape architects: Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff and Peter Joseph Lenné
- Destruction: World War II and post-war deforestation
- Reforestation: 1949 to 1959
- Protected status: Listed historic garden
- Most famous landmark: Victory Column at Großer Stern
Alright, friends,
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard tourists in Berlin say, “We had no idea Berlin was so green.” And it’s true that our capital is often associated with concrete, traffic, graffiti and densely built-up neighbourhoods. But Berlin has countless green spaces. One of the biggest reasons for that impression is the Großer Tiergarten, the green lung right in the heart of the city.
I’ve been there countless times myself. Whether for major events like the Love Parade, the Festival of Lights, football fan zones, raves or simply to go for a walk. Yet Tiergarten doesn’t play a particularly big role in my everyday life as a Berliner. Maybe that’s precisely because it feels like such a natural part of the city.
But there’s much more to this park’s history than old trees and royal walking paths.
Tiergarten has been a hunting ground, a royal pleasure garden, a stage for political events, a source of firewood and, for a time, even farmland.
From the Electors’ Hunting Ground: The Origins of Tiergarten
As early as 1527, a hunting ground existed west of Berlin’s former city walls, near the Berlin Palace. From 1530 onwards, the area was expanded with additional land and enclosed by fences.
The Electors of Brandenburg used the area as their private hunting ground. Wild animals were released there, while fences prevented them from straying onto the surrounding fields.
The original Tiergarten was considerably larger than the park we know today.
Parts of it stretched as far as the River Spree and beyond the park’s present-day boundaries. However, as Berlin grew, the hunting grounds gradually became smaller.
The name Tiergarten still reflects its original purpose as a place where wild animals were kept for hunting.
From Hunting Ground to Royal Pleasure Garden
Towards the end of the 17th century, new paths and avenues were created under Frederick III, who later became King Frederick I in Prussia. A broad route was laid out between the Berlin Palace and Charlottenburg Palace, eventually becoming today’s Straße des 17. Juni. Großer Stern, where several avenues intersected, also took shape during this period.
The decisive transformation came in 1742. Frederick the Great had little interest in hunting and commissioned architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to turn Tiergarten into a pleasure garden for the public.
The old fences were removed, making way for geometrically arranged flower beds, pools, labyrinths, sculptures and shaded seating areas.
What had once been an exclusive hunting ground gradually became a public space for recreation.
However, it was still a long way from being a modern public park.
While Tiergarten increasingly became a place for people to relax, the Lustgarten in front of the Berlin Palace also developed over the centuries into an important public square with a history of its own.
What Does Tiergarten Have to Do with Berlin Zoo?
Berlin Zoo opened in 1844. Its origins are closely linked to the earlier use of the western part of Tiergarten, where a royal pheasantry had been established in the 18th century.
The pheasantry originally housed pheasants, which were kept partly for royal hunting and ceremonial purposes.
The later development of Berlin Zoo built on this tradition of royal animal keeping. What began as animals kept by the royal court eventually became a zoo open to the public, now considered the oldest surviving zoological garden in Germany.
Why Was There a Street Called “In den Zelten” in Tiergarten?
In 1745, two Huguenot refugees or their descendants were granted permission to set up refreshment tents in Tiergarten. They served drinks and refreshments to people walking through the park. Over time, these simple tents developed into a popular destination with places to eat and drink.
The street name “In den Zelten” later commemorated these unusual beginnings.
In the 19th century, the area also became a gathering place for political meetings. On March 6, 1848, a public assembly took place here, where protesters called for an end to state censorship, among other demands.
Tiergarten was therefore not just a place for relaxation, but also a setting for social and political change.
The historic street later disappeared as part of the redevelopment of Berlin’s government district.
How Peter Joseph Lenné Transformed Tiergarten
The appearance of Tiergarten today is largely the work of landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné.
In 1818, Lenné was first commissioned to develop plans for redesigning the park. However, his original proposal was rejected by King Frederick William III. It wasn't until between 1833 and 1840 that a revised design was finally implemented.
Lenné drew inspiration from English landscape gardens. Strictly geometric flower beds gave way to winding paths, open meadows, groups of trees, lakes and small islands. Some of the park's marshy woodland areas were drained, while new bridle paths, walking trails and bridges made the park more accessible.
Among its distinctive features were Luiseninsel, Rousseau-Insel and Rosengarten.
Lenné created a landscape park whose basic design still shapes Tiergarten today. His approach combined the appearance of a natural landscape with carefully planned sightlines and recreational spaces.
Tiergarten During the German Empire: Monuments and National Symbols
During the 19th century, Tiergarten increasingly became a place of Prussian historical remembrance.
Numerous monuments commemorated monarchs, poets, composers and other historical figures. These included statues of Queen Louise, Goethe, Lessing and Richard Wagner.
One particularly striking feature was Siegesallee, commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1895 and completed in 1901. This monumental boulevard was lined with numerous statues of Brandenburg and Prussian rulers.
The Victory Column also belongs to this chapter of history. Originally erected on Königsplatz in front of the Reichstag, it commemorated Prussia's victories in the Wars of German Unification.
At the eastern edge stood Brandenburg Gate, which had already acquired its present-day neoclassical appearance in the late 18th century.
How the Nazis Transformed Tiergarten
During the Nazi era, Tiergarten became part of the monumental plans to redevelop Berlin.
Under the direction of Albert Speer, the capital was to be radically reshaped according to the Nazi regime's vision.
Charlottenburger Chaussee was widened from approximately 27 to 53 metres to form a major east-west axis.
In 1938/1939, the Victory Column was moved from its original location in front of the Reichstag to Großer Stern.
It still stands there today. Parts of the historic Siegesallee were also altered as part of the redevelopment plans.
The wide road still cuts through the park today. Since 1953, it has been called Straße des 17. Juni, commemorating the popular uprising in East Germany (GDR).
World War II: How Tiergarten Was Destroyed
World War II brought the worst destruction in the history of Großer Tiergarten.
Allied air raids and the Battle of Berlin in the spring of 1945 damaged or destroyed countless trees, paths, bridges and monuments.
After the war, the situation deteriorated dramatically. Berlin lay in ruins, fuel was scarce, homes were damaged and food and other essential supplies were in short supply.
Many Berliners had no choice but to find wood to heat their homes. Trees were cut down and shrubs cleared throughout Tiergarten. The bitterly cold winter of 1946/1947 made the situation even worse.
Of the original 200,000 trees, only around 700 are said to have remained standing.
Where dense woodland and shady paths can be found today, there were once vast stretches of bare land.
Why Were Potatoes Grown in Tiergarten?
After World War II, the largely deforested Tiergarten was temporarily used as farmland.
Food supplies were critically low. Many Berliners therefore tried to grow vegetables on any available land.
The British occupying authorities also permitted parts of the park to be temporarily used for food production.
Around 2,550 allotments were established in Tiergarten, where potatoes and other vegetables were grown.
The former royal pleasure garden had become one enormous vegetable garden.
Historical photographs show vegetable plots against the backdrop of war-torn Berlin, sometimes with the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate in the background.
Recreation and landscape gardening mattered little at the time. Survival was what counted.
How Was Tiergarten Rebuilt After 1945?
As early as July 2, 1945, Berlin's city administration decided to restore the park. However, materials, workers and, above all, young trees were in short supply.
On March 17, 1949, Mayor Ernst Reuter symbolically planted a linden tree, marking the beginning of the reforestation effort.
Numerous West German cities supported the project by donating trees. Around 250,000 young trees were provided in total. During the Berlin Blockade, some of these donations even reached West Berlin by plane.
Between 1949 and 1959, Tiergarten was largely replanted under the direction of park director Wilhelm Alverdes.
Much of Tiergarten's tree cover today is therefore the result of the reconstruction efforts following World War II.
The Baumdank-Denkmal in Tiergarten still commemorates the support provided by other cities.
The English Garden: A Gift from Great Britain
At the initiative of the British occupying forces, a landscaped garden covering around four hectares was created southwest of Bellevue Palace.
More than 5,000 trees were donated from the private gardens of King George VI and British citizens.
On May 25, 1952, the Englischer Garten was officially opened in the presence of British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. Berliners therefore jokingly referred to the garden as “Garten Eden” for a time.
The tea house there later became a popular destination for visitors.
The history of the Englischer Garten shows that rebuilding Tiergarten was not just a Berlin project, but was also made possible through international support.
Tiergarten During the Division of Germany
The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 also changed the role of Tiergarten.
The park lay entirely within West Berlin, while the border with East Berlin ran immediately to the east. For many West Berliners, it became an especially important green space for recreation within the enclosed city.
As existing road connections through central Berlin had been cut off, a roughly 1.2-kilometre-long relief road was built in just 44 days in 1961.
It ran through the eastern part of Tiergarten and was intended to ease traffic between the northern and southern parts of West Berlin.
Originally intended as a temporary solution, the road remained in place for decades.
Love Parade, Fan Zones and the Return of Major Events
After German reunification, Straße des 17. Juni became one of Berlin's best-known venues for major events.
The Love Parade took place here between 1996 and 2006. In 1999, it attracted around 1.5 million participants, according to estimates at the time. Later, large football fan zones followed, including during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
I also associate Tiergarten with events like these. The Love Parade, fan zones, raves and the Festival of Lights are all part of my memories of this place.
However, these major events also had their downsides. Millions of visitors, litter and heavily worn green spaces repeatedly sparked debates about how best to protect the park.
Tiergarten After German Reunification
With the return of the Bundestag and the German federal government to Berlin, the eastern part of Tiergarten in particular underwent major changes.
New government buildings were constructed, historic embassies were renovated and public spaces were redesigned.
A major turning point came with the opening of the Tiergarten Tunnel in 2006. This made it possible to remove the relief road that had cut through the park for decades.
Previously separated sections of the park were reconnected. Some historic paths and sightlines were restored based on Lenné's original plans.
At the same time, transport projects, tourism, major events and nature conservation continued to compete for space and attention. Since 1991, most of Großer Tiergarten has been protected as a listed historic garden.
What Historical Monuments Can You Find in Tiergarten?
Today, Tiergarten is not just a green space but also an important place of remembrance.
The Soviet War Memorial on Straße des 17. Juni commemorates Soviet soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Berlin in 1945.
Other memorials honour Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, who were murdered by members of right-wing paramilitary Freikorps units in 1919.
In the southeastern part of Tiergarten stands the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism, inaugurated in 2008.
In 2012, the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe Murdered Under National Socialism was unveiled near the Reichstag.
Among the old trees and walking paths, these memorials tell stories that go far beyond the park's original purpose.
Why Is Tiergarten Still So Important to Berlin Today?
Covering around 210 hectares, Großer Tiergarten is one of Berlin's most important inner-city green spaces. It provides a habitat for numerous animal and plant species, helps improve the city's climate and offers a place to relax right in the heart of the capital.
If you take Bus 100 through Berlin, you'll pass some of the city's best-known historic landmarks around Tiergarten. But Berlin has plenty of other remarkable open spaces too. Tempelhofer Feld, for example, shows how a former airport was transformed into an enormous public park.
When I walk through Tiergarten today, I don't automatically think about the Prussian electors or the post-war years. To me, it's simply a park where I've experienced all kinds of things over the years.
The fact that wild animals were once kept here for the electors to hunt, that thousands of Berliners later grew potatoes here, and that entire cities eventually helped rebuild the park is pretty remarkable.
Most of the trees we walk beneath today aren't centuries-old remnants of an untouched landscape. They're there because, after the war, people decided to bring this park back to life.
Tiergarten isn't just Berlin's green lung. It's also a piece of the city's history of survival.
Berlin isn't a tourist attraction. Berlin is a city.
See you in the real Berlin – or right here in the next blog.
Take care 🖤
Book "Der Tiergarten" by Harald Neckelmann | Book "Rund um Berlins Großen Tiergarten: Das Herz der Hauptstadt einst und jetzt" by Manfred Gengnagel | Website "https://dertiergarten.de/geschichte" | Website "https://naturschutz-und-denkmalpflege.projekte.tu-berlin.de" | MOST IMAGES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES AND DO NOT SHOW THE ACTUAL LOCATION.
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