Kollwitzplatz, Berlin

Kollwitzplatz is a triangular public square enclosed by Kollwitzstraße, Knaackstraße and Wörther Straße. Its most striking feature is the monument to Käthe Kollwitz, the artist whose work is so closely associated with this place. The sculpture has stood here since 1961, and children often climb on it.

The square itself honours her husband Karl Kollwitz: he was a physician and politician who lived and worked here from 1891 to 1940, and the square took his name in 1947. That creates a memorable tension between the name beneath your feet and the figure in the sculpture. The site began as Wörther Platz, created in 1875 during the development of the surrounding residential quarter.

In 1886, Berlin’s parks administration laid it out as an ornamental square, with paths arranged around a broad planted area. Today, the protected public garden includes several play areas and roughly 80 trees, including lime trees, oaks and horse chestnuts. The surrounding neighbourhood has become one of Prenzlauer Berg’s most expensive residential areas.

Look at the statue’s human scale and worn surfaces: its popularity is not only historical. It is a memorial that has become part of everyday play.