The Ultimate Guide to World War I Sights in Berlin and Potsdam

Berlin may not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of World War I tourism—unlike Verdun, Ypres, or the Somme, it saw no battlefronts, bombings, or trench warfare. Yet, as the capital of the German Empire during the war, Berlin was the political nerve center of a collapsing monarchy and the stage for the country’s shift into republicanism. The remnants of that era are scattered and subtle, but for those who look closely, Berlin offers a compelling mosaic of sites connected to the First World War.

Here’s your guide to discovering World War I history in Berlin.

Also check out my guides to all WW2 and Cold War Sights in and around Berlin!

Berlin City Palace (Berliner Schloss / Humboldt Forum)

In this reconstructed royal palace, Kaiser Wilhelm II announced Germany’s entry into World War I in 1914. Just four years later, from the very same structure, he abdicated the throne and fled into exile. Though today’s Humboldt Forum focuses more on art and anthropology, the palace's history carries the weight of imperial collapse.

Brandenburg Gate

On December 10, 1918, nine divisions of German soldiers marched through the Brandenburg Gate, returning from the Western Front—not in triumph, but still under the illusion of being “undefeated.” Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert addressed the troops, praising their honor even as the empire they fought for collapsed.

Reichstag

The iconic inscription “Dem deutschen Volke” (“To the German People”) above the west portal was only added during WWI—in 1916—after years of delay and imperial hesitation. Ironically, it was a wartime attempt to appease growing public dissatisfaction with monarchy.

Neues Palais, Potsdam

The lavish palace in Sanssouci Park served as the principal residence of Wilhelm II during the war. It was here that the imperial court maintained a veneer of splendor even as the empire unraveled outside its gates.

Military Barracks in Potsdam

Potsdam, a key garrison town, still has visible remnants of WWI-era military life: the Garde-Ulanen-Kaserne, the Rote Kaserne, and the Gardes du Corps barracks all housed elite imperial troops. Most are now repurposed, but their facades recall the militaristic spirit of Wilhelmine Germany.

Kaiserbahnhof Potsdam

This lesser-known royal train station is where Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria departed for exile. A few remnants of their life—including furniture and personal effects—were stored or passed through here. Today it's a relic of vanished imperial routines.

Handwerksvereinshaus / Sophiensäle

This 19th-century craft guild hall became a political forum during the 1918 revolution. Karl Liebknecht used it to rally support for the uprising. A plaque commemorates the site’s role in the revolutionary aftermath of WWI.

Staatsratsgebäude (State Council Building)

This 1960s GDR government building incorporates the original portal of the old City Palace—the very balcony from which socialist leader Karl Liebknecht proclaimed the "Free Socialist Republic of Germany" on November 9, 1918, just hours after the Kaiser’s abdication.

Neue Wache Memorial

Originally commissioned by King Frederick William III, this neoclassical building became Germany’s official memorial to the fallen of World War I in 1931. It’s now a general memorial to the victims of war and dictatorship, but its roots are in the trauma of WWI.

Anti-War Museum

Founded by pacifist Ernst Friedrich in 1925, this small museum in Wedding preserves anti-war artifacts, photos, and exhibits with a focus on World War I. A moving, activist alternative to traditional military memorials.

Brieftaubendenkmal (War Pigeon Memorial)

Hidden in Spandau, this quirky monument commemorates the homing pigeons used for military communication during WWI. Originally unveiled in 1939, the Tauben (pigeons) were melted down during WWII and recreated in 1963. A curious but heartfelt tribute to wartime logistics.

Jewish Cemetery Weißensee

One of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, Weißensee features a significant WWI section—testimony to the over 100,000 German Jews who served in the war, defying later Nazi myths of Jewish non-participation.

Columbiadamm Cemetery, Neukölln

More than 7,000 German WWI soldiers lie here, including one Indian prisoner of war. Originally a Prussian military cemetery for Tempelhof garrison, it’s somewhat hidden today—tucked behind a mosque, quiet and haunting.

Invalidenfriedhof

This military cemetery near Hauptbahnhof holds over 100 WWI dead, including famed fighter pilots like Hans-Joachim Buddecke and Erich Bahr. Field Marshal Hermann von Eichhorn, assassinated in Kyiv in 1918, is also buried here. Grave markers reflect varying ways families dealt with grief and memory.

Südwestkirchhof Stahnsdorf

Outside Berlin, this enormous cemetery includes British and Italian military plots for prisoners of war who died in German captivity. 1,172 British and 1,650 Italian soldiers rest here. There’s also a German WWI memorial within the grounds.

Waldfriedhof Grünau

This peaceful cemetery includes a secluded war memorial made of natural stones and trees. The inscription reads:“1914–1918 / Ihren gefallenen Söhnen / Die Heimat Grünau”(“To their fallen sons / The homeland Grünau”).

Friedrichshagen War Memorial

At the cemetery on Peter-Hille-Straße 84, a large stone bears a biblical quote and honors the “sons of Friedrichshagen who fell in the World War.” A moving example of local, community remembrance.

German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum)

Its permanent exhibition includes key artifacts from WWI—uniforms, propaganda posters, and personal diaries. An excellent starting point for understanding Germany’s 20th-century descent into war and revolution.

Final Thoughts

Berlin’s World War I heritage may not be front and center—but it is very much present, in cemeteries, memorials, train stations, and overlooked corners of buildings where empires fell and revolutions rose. This guide helps bring those fragments together into one coherent journey across a city haunted more by what it became after the war than by the war itself.