Berlin cathedral opens newly renovated crypt to house coffins of Prussia's ruling dynasty

"The most recent final resting place for 91 members of the family is Berlin Cathedral's crypt, which opens to the public this weekend after a €29m, six-year renovation. Sonja Tubbesing, the cathedral official responsible, describes it as the church's biggest building project since its post-war reconstruction."

"As one of the biggest dynastic burial sites in Europe, the crypt is comparable to the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna or the Escorial in Madrid. The cathedral's central location on Unter den Linden, Berlin's main boulevard, means it also attracts crowds-in 2019, the year before the crypt closed for renovation, it drew around 765,000 visitors."

"Before the restoration, moisture and heat had damaged the sarcophagi-many of which are extraordinarily ornate-and mould had formed. The crypt was, the cathedral said in its press release, 'in urgent need of renovation worthy of its wonderful furnishings'. It also needed barrier-free access for wheelchairs."

Berlin Cathedral's crypt, containing 91 members of the Hohenzollern dynasty, has reopened following a six-year, €29 million renovation. The crypt, one of Europe's largest dynastic burial sites comparable to Vienna's Capuchin Crypt and Madrid's Escorial, required extensive restoration due to moisture, heat, and mould damage caused by increasing visitor numbers. The cathedral, built by Kaiser Wilhelm II around 1900, attracts approximately 765,000 annual visitors. The renovation addressed climate control issues threatening the ornate sarcophagi and added barrier-free wheelchair access. New ventilation and air conditioning systems now protect the remains. An education room with interactive displays precedes the crypt viewing area, enhancing visitor experience while preserving these historically significant burial monuments.

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