Did You Know That about Berlin: Wertheim am Leipziger Platz

Going Deeper Underground

In 1905, standing at the window of the building on the corner Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Straße and looking north-west, Waldemar Titzenthaler, a brilliant but controversial Berlin photographer (a ardent nationalist and anti-Semite) made this stunning photo of Berlin's legendary department store, Wertheim am Leipziger Platz.

He captured its stunning southern façade along Leipziger Straße (designed by Alfred Messel, Wertheim's architect-in-chief).

After the Second World War ruins of the store - quite a lot of it survived the air-raids and the Battle for Berlin - were demolished to make room for the new edifice: the Berlin Wall with its accompanying fortifications.

All that remained of the old Wertheim store was torn down. All but for the cellars - especially the former Wertheim vault under No. 126a on the right edge of the building where the gate is.

Fast-forward to 1991 and this is where united Berlin's first club venue with a fixed address moved in. The club's name? "Tresor" - The Vault.

“Tresor” club entrance (the club itself was a subterranean venue, at home inside the actual department store vault). Photo by Michael Lange via 90erberlin