Berlin - St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale

St. Hedwig's Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Berlin. It was erected from 1747 to 1773 by order of Frederick the Great according to plans by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff in Baroque style. In its architectural form as a round central building, the church was based on the Pantheon in Rome.

Construction lasted from 1747 to 1773. In 1753, the king approved a lottery to raise funds to continue the construction. However, the outbreak of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) brought construction to a standstill. In 1765, the unfinished building, with its partially open dome, suffered increasingly from the harsh weather. The Berlin Dominicans sent a plea for help to their superiors, as 64,000 thalers were still missing to complete the construction. It was not until 1773 that construction could continue, thanks to financial help from Rome and the king.

The cathedral was severely damaged by Allied bombing in 1943. Only the damaged shell of the building was left standing. Reconstruction started in 1952.