KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, c. 1899. Designed by Franz Schwechten in the Neo-Romanesque style, the church was built between 1891 and 1895 on the orders of Kaiser Wilhelm II to honor his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I. Courtesy of Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, 1965/75, photo by Erich Andres. Damaged during an air raid in 1943, the church remained in ruins until the 1960s, when architect Egon Eiermann designed a modern replacement. The preserved tower stands as a memorial against war, alongside the new octagonal church and belfry. Courtesy of Deutsche Fotothek.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Berlin Secessionist painter Lesser Ury, Kurfürstendamm bei Nacht (am Zoo) (Kurfürstendamm at Night (by the Zoo)), oil on canvas, 1927.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Lesser Ury, Dame im Café, Berlin (Lady in a Café, Berlin), oil on canvas, 1919.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Café des Westens (1898–1915), photo by Martin Höhlig most likely taken in the 1920s during the transition from Café des Westens to Café Kranzler. From Die Weltstadt im Licht, Berliner Nachtfotografien von Martin Höhlig aus den Jahren 1925–1932.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Café Kranzler (Kurfürstendamm 18/19, from 1932), 1960, photo by Fritz Eschen. Courtesy of Deutsche Fotothek.
KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET
Kurfürstendamm & Joachimsthaler Str., 1957, photo by Willy Pragher. Courtesy of State Archives of Baden-Württemberg

KU’DAMM: WHERE PAST AND FUTURE MEET

As YUN continues to grow, we are thrilled to explore the west of Berlin. We will open our doors at Kufürstendamm, facing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It makes us proud and excited to have our second German store in a place with such a rich past. Today, Ku’damm (as Berliners prefer to call it) is a long avenue where locals and tourists come together, famous for its shopping experience, hosting luxurious and internationally-known brands. However, its history goes way back.

Those cobblestones have been walked for over four centuries.  If Ku’damm could speak, its tale would begin in 1542 with Kurfürst Joachim II of Brandenburg, hence the name of the avenue, who needed a road connecting his palace to his hunting castle. True to its origins, Ku’damm was born into prestige. Its name however only came way later, when the city started to grow and Berlin found in Paris and in the Champs-Elysees the inspiration for the future design of the avenue. 

It was around the same time that the memorial church was first built. As the years passed, Ku’damm became a hub of cultural and intellectual exchange. Things only got more exciting throughout the years. Theaters, cafés and cabaret – By the early 20th century, Ku’damm became the right meeting place for revolutionary visionaries. Think of Walter Benjamin, Rupert Brooke, Else Lasker-Schüler. These names and many more spent days and evenings at Café des Westens (now Café Kranzler) just a three minute walk from YUN.

Later, the Roaring Twenties awakened Ku’damm’s cosmopolitan spirit. The avenue became the melting pot of creativity Berlin is now famous for, hosting artists, scholars, and intellectuals from around the world. This era saw the rise of groundbreaking art movements, from dadaism and cubism to surrealism and the birth of German expressionism.

During the Cold War, as Berlin was divided by the Wall, Ku’damm became the Heart of the West. Investors revitalized its prestige, bringing haute couture and high fashion back to the forefront. But Ku’damm was more than a shopping destination; it was also a stage for historical protests and demonstrations, where voices demanded civil rights and opposed war.

Through every chapter of its history, Ku’damm has remained a symbol of innovation, resilience, and cultural significance. YUN is proud to become a part of it this year.

Visit us at Ku’damm 11 this spring.