German Gymnasium, London facts for kids

The German Gymnasium in London, seen from the west end.

The German Gymnasium is a special building in London, England. It stands between the busy King's Cross and St Pancras train stations. Today, it is a German-themed restaurant and bar. This building reminds us of the large German community that once lived in London.

Building a Place for Sports

The German Gymnasium was built between 1864 and 1865. It was made for the German Gymnastics Society, a sports group started in London in 1861 by Ernst Ravenstein. Just after it opened, the National Olympian Association used the Gymnasium for its first-ever sports games in 1866. This shows how important the building was for sports at the time.

A medal made for the opening of the London German Gymnasium in 1865.

Close-up of the laminated roof timbers and supporting brickwork.

The east end of the building in 2024.

Edward A. Gruning designed the building, and Piper and Wheeler built it. It has two and a half floors and is made of colorful bricks. A very special part of the building is its roof. It is made from strong, layered wood beams with cast-iron pieces. This type of roof was an early example of using laminated wood to create wide, open spaces inside. The roof beams are about 20 meters (65 feet) wide! Similar ideas were tried for the roof at the nearby King's Cross Station.

London's German Community

Long ago, many German people lived in London. Poorer Germans, especially Jewish people, often settled in the East End of London. Wealthy Germans usually lived in the West End. Many German professionals and middle-class families chose to live in North London areas like Islington and St Pancras.

The area around Charlotte Street, which is also part of St Pancras, became very well known as a German center. People even called it Charlottenstrasse. This name came from a famous street in Berlin, Germany, called Charlottenstraße.

Protecting a Historic Building

Part of the German Gymnasium's western side was removed. This happened to make space for the new international train station at St Pancras. A new wall was built to match the rest of the old building.

The German Gymnasium is a very important historic building. It has been listed as "Grade II" on the National Heritage List for England since January 1976. This means it is protected because of its special history and architecture.

Nearby Tube Stations

• King's Cross St Pancras