Let us start our story of the KaDeWe with a journey to the roaring twenties, a time when Berlin advanced to be the dazzling epicenter of modernity. In this bubbling metropolis, which celebrated the avant-garde and excess like no other city in the world, the KaDeWe was a magical place for a new society, hungry for life and luxury after the horrors of the First World War. Here, in this cultural melting pot, where the boundaries of society were not just blurred but outright shattered, stood the KaDeWe – not just a department store, but a beacon of luxury and modernity. It was the place where the future had already begun, while the rest of the world was still shackled by the past. The KaDeWe was far ahead of its time – a promise that anything was possible in this city.
The first neon sign of the Berlin KaDeWe; today to be found in the Jewish Museum Berlin.
One of the many things that have cemented KaDeWe’s worldwide fame is undoubtedly its legendary gourmet food hall with its iconic Champagne Bar. Imagine an eccentric Berlin aristocrat visiting the delicatessen with his parrot. This true connoisseur delighted in the finest cheeses and caused a great stir among the visitors. With a critical look that almost seemed human, the parrot picked out the most exquisite delicacies – a piece of cheese here, a grape there – each time accompanied by a nod of approval from his master and the amused astonishment of the onlookers. Or imagine when the diva, Marlene Dietrich, came to clothe herself in the latest Parisian chic – closely surrounded by curious Berliners eager to catch a glimpse of the global film star.
Since its founding in 1907, this department store has endured tumultuous times, including two world wars, the division of Berlin, and the reunification of Germany. In November 1989, the “shopwindow of the West” experienced the biggest rush of visitors in the company’s history. The day after the fall of the Berlin Wall, 200,000 people wanted to shop here in a single day, many to spend their welcome money on Western luxury products. Each of these eras has left its mark, and the store has continually reinvented itself.
KaDeWe in 1907
The current financial difficulties of KaDeWe may come as a shock to many, but a look at the history of the house shows that there have always been challenges, and KaDeWe has always used these as opportunities for renewal.
In an era where the digital age with online shopping dominates our daily lives, KaDeWe still stands as a shining monument of physical experience. It reminds us that the sensual experience of strolling through opulent halls, touching the finest fabrics, sampling exquisite delicacies, and personal conversation cannot be replaced. It proves that in an increasingly virtual world, the magic of the personal and tangible remains irreplaceable.
In the coming months, many will speculate, debate, and philosophize about the future of KaDeWe. But the Berliners hope that the story of KaDeWe is not yet over and that it will rise again like a phoenix from the ashes. Perhaps the new miniseries “Eldorado KaDeWe” in ARD Mediathek can provide some insight into the turbulent history of the place. It manages to connect the story with a great friendship and bring many narrative threads together. My verdict: a must-see film production on this subject.
