The eastern boroughs of Berlin were within the occupation zone allocated to the Soviet Union. With the formation of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) in 1949, the new Communist rulers were determined to show that its workers could be housed appropriately. Huge areas of Berlin lay in ruin, and the need to rebuild housing was urgent. The government made the decision to transform the devastated Frankfurter Allee into a great avenue worthy of Socialism and its people.

The result was the Stalinallee. Beginning at a rebuilt Alexanderplatz and running for over a mile eastwards to the Frankfurter Tor (Frankfurt Gate), the new street was planned in the best Stalinist "wedding cake" style. The flats are spacious and airy, with shops on the ground floors lining the road. However, this type of accommodation proved too expensive to be used all of the time.

A few years after Stalin's death, the street was renamed Karl-Marx-Allee. It has been thoroughly restored since reunification.

Copyright (c) 2005 John Howard. All rights reserved.