Berlin KaDeWe - Kaufhaus des Westens
The most renowned department store one could ever find in the city of Berlin is called The Kaufhaus des Westens. In English, it means “Department Store of the West”. Generally, the term is abbreviated to KaDeWe. The store is situated on Tauentzienstraße, a main shopping street in Berlin. It is in between Breitscheidplatz and Wittenbergplatz, which is close to the heart of the previous western side of Berlin. The store has approximately 60,000 square metres of space with over 380,000 items that are accessible. Its size is equivalent to nine football fields. KaDeWe is regarded as the second largest department store all over Europe. About 40,000 to 50,000 people visit the place daily.
Overall, KaDeWe has seven floors; each floor offers a distinctive kind of products. The 1st floor includes Beauty Accessories, the 2nd floor consists of Men’s clothing, the third floor is allocated to Women’s Fashion, and the 4th floor comes comes with a variety of products such as lingerie, health products, and children’s wear. Meanwhile, the 5th floor is all about interior and design pieces, plus an in-house Wedding and Gift Registry services. Office supplies, souvenirs, toys, electronic, arts, and entertainment are located on the 6th floor. And lastly, food and different sorts of advertisements are on the 7th and 8th floors.
Adolf Jandorf, a Jewish retail industrialist owned the department store. Originally, it was launched in 1907 on Wittenberg Platz having an exterior of 24,000 square metre. It was designed by Architect Emil Schaudt. KaDeWe attracts the wealthy middle class people near the New Tiergarten district. Moreover, the Warenhaus Hermann Tiezz AG bought the store in the year 1927. This is where Hertie derived its name. Two floors were added in 1931 and more expansions took place in the 1990s, focusing on the rooftop and Wintergarten, where the self-service restaurant exists at present.
Its existence, most particularly the ups and down is somewhat comparable to the city of Berlin. In 1943, an American plane collided into the building, which resulted to a massive destruction of the store. After the Second World War, it was renovated. KaDewe was finally opened once again to the public on July 3, 1950. Part of its new look is the elegant and lavish gourmet Food Hall, which was excitedly swamped by visitors who are very enthusiastic to get a taste of Western style cuisine. In 1996, a last surge of reconstruction took place, including two floors of gastronomic haven with a magnificent view, exceptionally prominent with the locals and tourists.
The KaDeWe has remained intact and amazingly survived all the chaos that occurred during Germany’s past years. The events that took place such as the First World War, the consumer metropolis in the Golden Twenties, the Great Depression, the Nazi years, the Second World War, the Wirtschaftswunder in 1950, and the reunification of Germany in 1989 have allowed KaDeWe to preserve its pleasant atmosphere. A grand celebration was organized as the store celebrated its 100th anniversary in its 500 square metre lobby. Guests as well as celebrities attended the event. The Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit was also present during the occasion.
Tourists who happen to visit the wonderful city of Berlin must visit KaDeWe. Whatever one’s purpose is, whether buying praline truffles, dining in the elegant restaurants, or simply looking around through the ceramic section, KaDeWe is truly a place where one could shop to their heart’s content. It is beyond doubt, that the store is well known as a shopping paradise in Berlin.