Schloßplatz (Berlin)

Schloßplatz (German for "Palace Square" or "Castle Square") is a square located on Museum Island (Museumsinsel) in Berlin, Germany. It measures about 225 m by 175 m, with its long side oriented on an axis approximately southwest/northeast. At its west corner is the Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge), from which Unter den Linden leads west to the Brandenburg Gate. From the same corner Karl-Liebknecht-Straße runs northeast alongside the square and on to Alexanderplatz.

"Schloßplatz" is also a common name for squares in many German-speaking countries. Other cities which have a Schloßplatz include Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart and Dresden.

It was the site of the Berliner Stadtschloss (Berlin City Palace). From 1949 to 1990 it was part of East Berlin, the capital of East Germany. In 1950, the remains of the city palace were blown up, and in 1951 the square was renamed Marx-Engels-Platz (Marx-Engels Square) after Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. New buildings erected included the Palast der Republik, the Council of State building, and the Foreign Ministry building. The Council of State building contains a balcony from the former city palace, where Karl Liebknecht proclaimed a socialist republic on November 9, 1918.

Following German reunification in 1990, the name Schloßplatz was restored in 1994.

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