The Kurfürstendamm (Ku'dam) -- stretches out for 3.5 kilometers from Rathenauplatz to Tauentzienstraße; since the middle of the 16th century the Electors of the region Brandenburg used this dam as a bridlepath between town castle at the river Spree and hunting lodge in the Grunewald forest; Three hundred years later foundation and speculation fevers of the rich bourgeoisie -- foundation of the "Kurfürstendamm Society" under leadership of Deutsche Bank. Otto von Bismarck who was close to the speculator circles made the Ku´dam to the splendor boulevard into dependence on Champs Elyssée after his return from Paris 1887. The bridlepath was widened on 53 meters (per 10 meters for the two roads, per 5 meters for middle promenade and bridlepath, 4 meters for the sidewalks and 15 meters for the frontyards on the two sides). Splendid apartments with all comfort (10-15 room apartments, marble stairwells, elevators, central heating and electrical light). Most of them had five floors. The corner buildings were provided with splendid stucco ("stucco" Bismarck's) and dome. Only 43 habitable houses came through the war. Before the settlement of more or less luxurious business - especially since 1910-, the Kurfurstendam was a pure living address. The yearbook "of the millionaires" of the year 1913 mention not less than 120 with the address Kurfürstendamm. Popular for the twenties. Join of live, trade and industry. The Jewish business people were driven away by the Nazis (from 118 stores between Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and Knesebeckstraße there were 25 in 1939 , the Jewish presence disappeared completely after it here). The Jewish advocate and later American prosecution counsels of Robert Kempner lived at Meineckestraße 9. The "jewish agency"in the neighboring house Nr.10 helped until 1941 ten thousands of Jews to get the emigration. The house belonged to the "Jewish Rundschau" which position opposite the Nazis was still moderate positively in 1933. The synagogue in the Fasanenstraße burned in 1938; The Ku´dam was covered by the fragments of the so-called "Reichs (empire) Crystal Night". The portal of the present Jewish parish rooms is from the destroyed synagogue where the famous religion philosopher Leo Beck took up his office as a community director in 1912. The ruin burned out was blown up in 1958.
The Ku´damm became center of West-Berlin after the wall was constructed. Also today it is still the boulevard of the superlatives.

Tauentzienstraße with KaDeWe and Wittenbergplatz - from Ansbacher Street at the Wittenbergplatz to Ranke Street and Breitscheidplatz; the place like the street is named after the Prussian general of the wars of liberation 1814 count Tauentzien of Wittenberg. Despite the impressive name the street was unpaved until 1888. A year before the turn of the century a steam streetcar then wheezed along here (from Nollendorfplatz to Halensee.) The beginning of the modern age. In an enormous foundation frenzy houses were feverishly stamped out of the ground. Tauentzienstraße became a distinguished living and business street of the "new west". The residential area around the Nollendorfplatz lost gleam and sank soon down to the so called "old west" (still 1890 the end of town in the west was at the Nollendorfplatz ; behind it fields extended to Wilmersdorf). The construction of the electrical subway in 1902 carried out from the Warschauerstraße up to the "knee" today called Ernst-Reuter-Platz. The subway drove up to the Nollendorfplatz as an el (for reasons of cost). The upper classes in need of quiet achieved that it had to be put under the expensive plaster starting from the border to Charlottenburg. For this it was allowed to be prolonged up to the Wilhelmplatz, today Richard-Wagner-Platz. Addresses: at Nr.13/corner Ranke Street lived the narrator and dramatist Herrmann Sudermann ("Sodom's end" ); Nr.18/corner Nürnberger Street Max Planck; opposite in number Nr.9 was housing the Bund neues Vaterland (federation for a new native country - international, culture connecting spirit) to which belonged numerous famous scientists, among others Albert Einstein. At the beginning of 1916 this federation had to be dissolved - as it was called "group of native country traitors". Nearby in Passauer Street 5 the Malik publishing house was located (founded by the brothers Wieland and Helmut Herzfelde and friendly pacifists in 1907; Fight against fascism).
However, the best known address is the Nr.21, the KaDeWe. Constructed according plans of the architect Schant and opened in 1907 it was the first department store outside the town centre around Leipziger Street and Alexanderplatz. Hermann Tietz ("Hertie") took the house in 1927. Today, merely parts of the façade and the entrance area in Passauer Street still convey an impression of the architectural design of the thirties. It bears the name "department store of the west" (KADEWE = Kaufhaus des Westens) from the beginning. It is deduced from the "new west" striving for progress. The Wittenbergplatz is the result of the generous town planning's of James Hobrecht in 1862. The restored subway station Wittenbergplatz was modified by Alfred Grenander to a five tracked interchange station for three lines in 1911-13.

The 124.5° bend - behind the Wittenbergplatz of left hand on the middle promenade is a present of France for the 750th anniversary in 1987.
The corner building on the other side of the street is the home of the Urania. The Urania Company was founded in 1888 by the scientists Foerster and Siemens as an information center for science and research. Until today scientific lectures and the like are still hold in the new building of the Urania.

We turn left here, go past the Urania and reach now the Hotel Berlin. The area around Lützow Platz was destroyed completely in the war. Opened in 1958 the Hotel Berlin is a primordial cell for the Berlin after-war hotel business.
We cross the Landwehrkanal. There behind on the right hand side the Bauhaus archives is situated. Behind it on the left hand side of the street we see a completely new constructed building line. Inestimable the new office of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union). Behind this are located the embassies of Malta, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico and with the green disguising slats the embassies of the Scandinavian countries. The new building of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is located in opposite at the junction Tiergarten Street. Here we turn right into the Tiergarten Street.