07/03/2008: ECE supports fundraising for the reconstruction of Berlin Palace
Touring exhibition through 30 German shopping centers
Berliner Schloss Association plans to raise 80 million Euro
Hamburg, July 3, 2008 – With a touring exhibition through up to 30 ECE shopping centers, the European market leader in the shopping center business supports the exemplary fundraising campaign of the Berliner Schloss Association, a society for the promotion of the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace. Starting today in Berlin, the exhibition will be subsequently shown in shopping centers in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Essen, Dresden as well as many other places throughout Germany. In addition to numerous information panels and exhibits, the ten-day exhibition includes interactive elements such as a stonemasonry workshop or a drawing and handicraft area for children. The goal of the Berliner Schloss Association is to raise a total amount of 80 million Euro in donations for the reconstruction of the historic palace facades. After rebuilding, the Berlin Palace is to accommodate the Humboldt Forum and serve as a location for cultural events.
Located on the Spree Island, the Berlin Palace used to be the residence of the margraves and the prince-electors of Brandenburg, later of the kings of Prussia and the German emperors. After 1918, it served a number of purposes, including as a museum, but was strongly damaged in World War II. In 1950, the GDR regime decided to demolish the palace, seeing it as a symbol of Prussian absolutism.