From Fasaneriegarten to Fasanenstrasse – the beginnings in the 18th century

In 1775, when the Kurfürstendamm was little more than a wide bridle path linking Berlin’s city palace on Unter den Linden with the hunting lodge at Grunewald, Frederick the Great commissioned the creation of a “royal pheasant garden” on the site of today’s Fasanenstrasse. The princely retreat was later replaced by the expanding city, though its poetic name remains as a legacy.

Development into a boulevard and construction of Villa Grisebach

Following the founding of the German Reich in 1871, Bismarck succeeded in transforming the bridle path into a splendid boulevard, modelled on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Thanks to its prime location, Fasanenstrasse soon became a sought-after address for aristocratic and upper middle-class families. In 1891–92 the architect Hans Grisebach (1848–1904) built a magnificent house for his family, which also included a studio for himself. It was one of the first single-family townhouses in Berlin. A celebrated figure in his field, Grisebach designed both commercial and private buildings across Berlin and the wider German Reich, including the residence of the “museum general” Wilhelm von Bode on Uhlandstrasse and the home of the poet Gerhart Hauptmann.

War destruction, post-war period and monument preservation controversies

Fasanenstrasse was severely damaged during the Second World War. In the post-war years, several houses, rebuilt only makeshiftly, were transformed into provisional hubs of Berlin nightlife. No serious consideration was given to the quarter’s future until the mid-1970s, when a public debate over 19th-century architecture and the importance of its preservation was initiated. Heated discussions erupted regarding the fate of the Wintergarten ensemble at Fasanenstrasse 23, 24 and 25. For a time, it seemed as though all three buildings might be sacrificed – either converted into retail space or demolished to make way for a more “car-friendly” city. At that time, 19th-century historicism ranked low on the prestige scale of architectural heritage. During the 1970s, groups of visitors were guided along Fasanenstrasse to stand before the Grisebach villa, where they were shown the façade as a particularly egregious example of architectural hypocrisy.

Monument preservation, restoration and current use of Villa Grisebach

It was not until 1980 that the ensemble was added to Berlin’s list of regional historical monuments. The city then decided to convert the Wintergarten building into the Literaturhaus. In 1984, Deutsche Bank acquired numbers 24–25 and meticulously restored them to their historical splendour. Number 24 became the Käthe Kollwitz Museum, while number 25, the Villa Grisebach, now stands as a brilliant testament to turn-of-the-century living around 1900. Upon completion of its restoration in 1986, the Grisebach villa became the home of the newly founded Grisebach auction house.