Kaufhaus des Westens
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The Kaufhaus des Westens (English "Department Store of the West", commonly abbreviated KaDeWe) is a department store in Berlin, the largest in all of continental Europe. With over 60,000 square meters of floor space and more than 380,000 articles available. It attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors every day.
[edit] History
The store was originally founded in 1905 by Adolf Jandorf, who persuaded the famous architect Emil Schaudt to build his store. It opened in 1907.
In 1927, ownership changed to the Hertie company. Mostly destroyed in World War II, the re-opening was celebrated in 1950. "KaDeWe" soon became a symbol of the regained economic power of Germany during the Wirtschaftswunder economic boom, as well as emblematic of the material prosperity of West Berlin versus that of the East Berlin.
In 1994, the KarstadtQuelle AG corporation acquired Hertie and with it KaDeWe.
[edit] Features
The sixth and seventh floor (added in the early 1990s) are entirely devoted to food, and advertisements tout the place as having two football fields of food. The sixth floor is called delicatessen and is famous for its wide variety of food and beverages.
On the top level one can find a winter garden with a restaurant surrounded by an all windowed wall offering a view over the Wittenbergplatz.
Its sheer size, large selection and fame for excellent quality and its central location in the heart of Berlin near the Gedächtniskirche ("Kaiser Wilhelm" Memorial Church) and the Kurfürstendamm makes it a must for every tourist visiting Berlin.
[edit] External links
- KaDeWe - Kaufhaus des Westens in Berlin (homepage, in German)
- English version of the KaDeWe site
