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French Cathedral

The French Cathedral, actually the French Church of Friedrichstadt, stands on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt, facing the German Cathedral. Although not a cathedral in the strict sense, its name comes from the French word dôme (dome). The original building was constructed between 1701 and 1705 for the Huguenot community by Louis Cayart and Abraham Quesnay, inspired by the Huguenot temple at Charenton-Saint-Maurice. In 1785 Carl von Gontard added the domed tower, which is not structurally part of the church and was built to give symmetry to the Gendarmenmarkt ensemble. The tower houses a viewing platform open to visitors, with panoramic views over central Berlin, and the Huguenot Museum Berlin, which since 2021 has offered an overview of the history of the Huguenots in the region and of the congregation itself. In the basement, beneath the prayer hall, there is a restaurant. The church, badly damaged in the Second World War, was rebuilt between 1977 and 1981 and remains active with religious services and concerts. Its Eule organ, built in 1985 in French Baroque style and overhauled in 2023, is played at services and concerts; every Monday at 4pm there are 30 minutes of organ music, and on the first Tuesday of each month at 8pm a major concert with guest organists.

Things to do at French Cathedral: 2 missions

• Contemplate the views from the public viewpointTake in the panoramic view of the centre from the public viewpoint on the domed tower.
• Climb to the viewpoint open to visitorsTake in the panoramic view of Berlin from the viewpoint open to visitors.

Near French Cathedral

Source: franzoesische-kirche.de