1960 - 1989

1961

13 August: Erection of the Berlin Wall. Subsequently, Kurfürstendamm was transformed into a political stage for demonstrations and state parades, including an American military parade one week after the construction of the Wall.

1961

20 November: Young Berliners protested against the construction of the Berlin Wall.

1961

17 December: Inauguration of the restored Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and its annexes by the State Bishop Otto Dibelius.

1962

22. February: The U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy visited Berlin.

1962

29 June: The German Parliament ratified the Berlinhilfegesetz [Berlin Aid Law]. As a result a construction boom started on Ku’damm, which was up until this point still very much marked by the war. The new high-rise buildings were a symbol of economic recovery in the Federal Republic. Ku’damm became the “display window of the Western world.”

John F. Kennedy Besuch in Berlin
Landesarchiv Berlin/ Max Jacoby 90101 – F Rep.290
1963

26 August: President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin. Together with the Governing Mayor Willy Brandt and Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer his parade travelled down Kurfürstendamm.

1965

Completion of the 123,5 meters high Europa Centre at Breitscheidplatz. At the time, the building was the biggest of its kind in Germany and was solemnly inaugurated by Governing Mayor Willy Brandt.

1966

The German Socialist Student Union (SDS) rents an office at 140 Kurfürstendamm. From then on there are numerous protests organised by the student movement on Ku'damm.

1967

Opening of the department store C&A Brenninkmeyer on Joachimstaler Straße/ Ecke Augsburger Straße.

1967

Rolf Eden establishes his famous discotheque Big Eden. In 2002 he sold the club, located on 202 Ku'damm.

Bild schoß mit
Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz No 30030483
1968

11 April: Attempted assassination of Rudi Dutschke (one of the most prominent spokespersons of the student movement) in front of the German Socialist Student Union (SDS) offices on Kurfürstendamm 140. The assassination was followed by street battles in many German cities. He passed away eleven years later as a result of related health issues.

1971

The extensive Wertheim shopping centre opened between Kurfürstendamm 230-233 and Augsburger Straße 36-42.

1972

The Ku’damm-Eck was completed.

1972

Hotel Kempinski installed the first indoor hotel swimming pool in Germany.

1975

The Ku’damm Karrée was opened.

1979

30 June: The first Berlin Gay Pride Parade. Every two years, the route leads along Kurfürstendamm to this day.

1981

The Schaubühne theatre ensemble moved from Hallesches Ufer to the former cinema Capitol on Kurfürstendamm 153.

1981

The first 25k of Berlin marathon was held, with Ku’damm forming a section of the route. The same year, the Berlin Marathon also ran down Ku’damm for the first time.

1983

7 March: The legendary SFB (now rbb) talk show „Leute“ was broadcast for the first time from Café Kranzler.

1983

12 August: Opening of the Globe-Fountain on Breitscheidplatz.

1983

25 August: A bomb detonated on the Maison de France premises at 211 Kurfürstendamm. There was one fatality and 23 injured.

1984

The City commissioned the working group “Designing Public Spaces” to improve the damaged image of Kurfürstendamm.

Skulptur „13.4.1981“ von Olaf Metzel
Landesarchiv Berlin/ Kasperski, Edmund F Rep.290 289244
1987

To mark Berlin’s 750th anniversary Breitscheidplatz was restructured and several sculptures were installed along the boulevard , including Wolf Vostells „Beton-Cadillacs", Joseph Erbens „Pyramide", Matschinsky-Denninghoffs „Berlin" und Olaf Metzels Skulptur „13.4.1981".

1987

1 July: The first stage of the Tour de France started in Berlin and included Kurfürstendamm.

Loveparade
© Peter Adamik
1989

1 July: The first Loveparade ran down Ku’damm. In 1996, after complaints of residents and shop owners, the route was diverted away from Kurfürstendamm along the Straße des 17. Juni.

Besucher aus der DDR
Landesarchiv Berlin/ Albrecht, Wolfgang F Rep.290 311630
1989

9 November: Fall of the Berlin Wall. Kurfürstendamm is taken over by GDR cars, becoming a centre of the celebrations.