Doing Almost Nothing
W.I.P. by J.Y.Ooi part i
part ii
part iii
PART IV
Prehistory
In 1542, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg commissioned a hunting lodge at Grunewald Lake, connecting it to Berlin via a Knüppeldamm—a raised log road through marshland. By 1837, maps depicted the Churfürsten Damm (Elector’s Causeway) originating near the Tiergarten’s Fasanerie, curving southwest to link Charlottenburg (formerly Lützow village) and Wilmersdorf. Ownership disputes erupted in 1842, with Minister von Ladenberg asserting state rights, arguing the causeway initially served electoral hunts. By 1850, the state formally reclaimed it.
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck opposed paving the eastern section in 1872, fearing disruption to his riding path—the last unpaved route from Tiergarten to Grunewald. Envisioning a grand boulevard akin to Paris’ Champs-Élysées, he advocated preserving its width for Berlin’s future growth. A 1875 cabinet decree formalized the avenue’s dimensions: 53 meters wide, divided into dual carriageways, promenades, riding paths, sidewalks, and landscaped front gardens. However, the state declined to fund construction, stalling progress.
British financiers proposed building the avenue in exchange for Grunewald land, but negotiations collapsed due to the forestry treasury’s refusal to cede territory. The newly formed Kurfürstendamm-Gesellschaft (Kurfürstendamm Company) acquired 240 hectares east of Grunewald at a bargain price (1.20 marks/m²), developing both the avenue and the Villenkolonie Grunewald (Grunewald Villa Colony). To attract buyers to the remote area, critical infrastructure was added: a steam tram line (1886), a velodrome, a riding arena, and cultural exhibitions. These amenities catalyzed the district’s transformation into a prestige address.
The aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie increasingly settled in Berlin’s western districts during the late 19th century. Pioneering this westward shift was Johann Anton Wilhelm von Carstenn (1822–1896), a visionary entrepreneur and urban planner. In 1865, Carstenn acquired the estates of Lichterfelde and Giesensdorf, establishing the Villenkolonie Lichterfelde—one of Germany’s first planned villa suburbs. In an open letter that year, he argued: “The only logical expansion for Berlin is southwest toward Potsdam… I laid the groundwork by securing these estates to shape a modern, cohesive urban future.”
As noted by Paul Voigt (1901), industrialization intensified spatial class divisions:
Critical infrastructure decisions further entrenched these divides. During planning for the Großschiffahrtsweg (major shipping canal) in the late 19th century, debates prioritized engineering over urban ecology. Concerns that eastern industrial sites might pollute Berlin’s water supply led to the canal’s western alignment along the Havel River. This choice cemented the city’s westward economic pivot, favoring affluent neighborhoods and sidelining eastern industrial zones.
Luxury retail and emerging sectors—automobiles, film distribution—followed wealth westward. By 1926, urban planner Roman Heiligenthal observed:
Post-WWII geopolitical shifts—including Berlin’s division and the loss of capital status—accelerated the Kurfürstendamm’s transformation. Displaced businesses from the Soviet sector relocated westward, and the avenue emerged as a symbol of West Berlin’s economic resilience, evolving from a residential boulevard into a hub of international commerce and culture.