Neue Wache facts for kids

The Neue Wache, Berlin, showing the neoclassical facade

The inside of the Neue Wache, showing the Käthe Kollwitz sculpture Mother with her Dead Son. The open roof lets in light and weather.

The Neue Wache on an East German stamp from 1973

The Neue Wache (which means New Guard House) is a famous building in the center of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. You can find it on the north side of a well-known street called Unter den Linden. This building was designed by a famous architect named Karl Friedrich Schinkel and was finished in 1816. It is a great example of a building style called neoclassicism, which means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.

When it was first built, the Neue Wache served as a guardhouse. It protected the troops of the Crown Prince of Prussia. Since 1931, the building has been used as a special memorial to remember those who died in wars.

Why Was the Neue Wache Built?

King Frederick William III of Prussia ordered the Neue Wache to be built. He wanted a new guard house for the nearby Palace of the Crown Prince. This new building would replace an older guard house for the artillery.

Who Designed This Important Building?

The King asked Karl Friedrich Schinkel to design the building. Schinkel was the most important architect of the neoclassical style at that time. This was Schinkel's first big project in Berlin. His design made the Neue Wache a very important building in German history.

Images for kids

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  Neue Wache

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  Another view of the Neue Wache

See also

In Spanish: Edificio de la Nueva Guardia de Berlín para niños