At the start of the 20th century, many of Germany’s famous cities looked markedly different from how they do today. This gallery showcases what major cities, including Berlin, Munich and Dortmund, looked like in the early 1900s and compares that with how they look today. We'll be covering changing skylines, architecture and classic street scenes, showing how everyday business has changed over the years.

Read on to see 'then' and 'now' images of Germany's most famous cities...

The period between the two world wars was a tumultuous time in Germany. On 10 November 1918, a crowd gathered in front of the Reichstag Building, the seat of Germany's parliament, and heard the proclamation of a new government.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German emperor, had abdicated the day before. Within weeks of this photo being taken, the unrest in Berlin spiralled into an armed uprising that became known as the Spartacist Revolt of 1919.

More than a century later, the Reichstag stands as a symbol of democracy and German unity. Today it houses the Bundestag, the country's lower house of parliament.

The Berlin landmark was heavily damaged as World War II came to a close and required major reconstruction. Designed by Norman Foster, the glass dome atop the building opened in 1999 and is a major tourist attraction, offering stunning views of Germany's capital. 

Dresden was the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony at the beginning of the last century. Just like his emperor, King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated as World War I ended.

The presence of a royal court in Dresden meant a legacy of grand buildings such as a castle and the Zwinger, a Baroque palace complex. Brühl's Terrace, overlooking the River Elbe, was once part of the city's fortifications and was a popular location to be seen strolling.

Dresden has undergone a significant transformation since the Reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990. Notably, the iconic Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, was reconstructed.

During the period of socialist rule before reunification, the ruins of the church lay as a reminder of the Allied air raids of February 1945, which inflicted mass destruction and over 25,000 casualties. Today, the city faces threats of a different kind. This aerial view, from September 2024, captures the flooding of the River Elbe in Dresden following heavy rainfall in Central Europe. 

Aachen was a major political centre during the 8th and 9th centuries when it grew into the de facto capital of the Carolingian Empire, under Charlemagne, the Emperor of the Romans. Long after that empire fractured into the basis of the entities that evolved into nation-states, Aachen became the place of coronation for Holy Roman Emperors.

The Ponttor, seen here in the 1920s, was constructed in the 14th century as one of the city gates.

A century on from that shot of the historic Ponttor, much more is known about Health and Safety. Railings have been erected in front of the foregate's arch and traffic lights now control the flow of vehicles.

Signage has been erected, indicating that there is no entry to vehicles on the road to the right of the historic tower. City air is much cleaner these days and the soot-blackened stonework of the foregate and crenellated wall behind it appears to have been cleaned.

Long skirts and large hats were fashionable attire for the women of Bremen, in northern Germany, in 1910. Back then, hand-painted signage was still commonplace, as evidenced by the sign advertising the Hotel zur Sparkasse on the left of the frame, photographed on the corner of Am Brill and Grützmacher Street in the Old Town.

Tramlines embedded into the cobbled street facilitated an electrified public transport system. Pictured here, trams can be seen passing each other.

This aerial photo provides a panoramic view of central Bremen today, with the market square at the heart of the Old Town. In front of the city hall stands a statue of Roland, one of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne's most celebrated knights.

Not quite in view but also near the city hall is the city's other iconic statue, the Town Musicians of Bremen, depicting four animals from a fairytale. The spire rising above the clock tower just off the market square is part of the Church of Our Lady.

Love this? Follow us on Facebook for more travel inspiration

This aerial photograph from 1925 shows how the twin spires of Cologne Cathedral dominate the skyline of North Rhine-Westphalia's most populous city. A celebrated example of Gothic architecture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, the cathedral is Germany's most-visited landmark, attracting in the region of six million visitors every year.

Construction of this place of worship, near the River Rhine, took more than 600 years to complete.

A century on, Cologne Cathedral continues to dominate the skyline of the city in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, the most densely populated area of Germany. Many of the other buildings around it have been replaced. Few remained standing at the end of World War II, due to the destruction inflicted by Allied air raids.

The Museum Ludwig stands between the cathedral and the river. It hosts a noteworthy collection of modern art, including several works by Pablo Picasso and the pop artists Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

In January 1923, French troops occupied Dortmund as part of a wider invasion of Germany's industrial Ruhr area to extract World War I reparation payments. The presence of foreign soldiers resulted in widespread resentment and passive resistance.

In this photo, members of the French occupation force are seen outside of the security police barracks on Lindemannstrasse. Items are being loaded onto a truck for transport away from Dortmund.

Today, Lindemannstrasse is part of a residential district. This photo depicts some of the blocks of flats you'll find along its length. Lindemannstrasse was named after Ernst Lindemann, the first mayor of Dortmund, and is in the Kreuzviertel area of the city.

The Bürgermeister Lindemann pub lies towards the end of the street, near Moellerbruecke S-Bahn station and is a popular place to drink when the local football club, Borussia Dortmund, has home games. The club's home ground, Signal Iduna Park, formerly known as the Westfalenstadion, is within walking distance.

This colourised image from Dusseldorf in the early 20th century shows that broad-brimmed hats were worn by most men. Long before sun cream became everyday protection against the damage caused by ultraviolet rays, hats helped protect people against skin cancer.

At the time the photo was taken, motorcars were still an expensive novelty rather than a means of transport for the masses. The grand building in the centre of the photo is the city's Kunsthalle or art gallery.

Art continues to play a significant role in Dusseldorf's cultural life, but the Kunsthalle now has a Brutalist façade. The premises is also home to the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, or 'Art Club for the Rhineland and Westphalia', a member-based institution that hosts contemporary art exhibitions and acts as a place to exchange ideas relating to art. Located on the edge of the Old Town, it is one of several highly regarded art institutions in the city.

Essen is in Germany's Ruhr area and this photo from 1915 shows the Krupp steelworks. At that time, Essen and the surrounding region were key to the country's industrial output. In 1915, much of the steel was being used for the war effort, with battleships, guns and U-boats being crafted from the metal.

Pictured here, we can see chimneys rising into the sky and workers' housing situated close to the factories. The railway lines facilitated the delivery of raw materials and the transportation of output.

Formerly among the planet's largest coal mines and coke production facilities, a term that has far different connotations today, the Zollverein is another legacy of Essen's industrial heritage. Its coke-fuelled steel production.

It's now a leisure hub and hosts art and cultural events. Pictured here, the Global Gate installation can be seen. It is an interpretation of the Brandenburg Gate by Marcus Schaefer and the artist Super*me consisting of 37 freight containers.

See how we've ranked the world's most beautiful museums

This scene on the Römerberg in Frankfurt am Main dates from around 1900. It was captured by a French amateur photographer and shows people crossing the square, which is named after the building that has been the city hall since the 15th century.

It depicts half-timbered buildings on the eastern part of the square, known as the Samstagberg. Following their destruction in World War II, the medieval buildings were faithfully rebuilt in the 1980s.

This recent photograph shows buildings on the western side of the Römerberg, including the gabled municipal building that gives the area its name. The reconstructed area is known as the New Old Town and was officially reopened in 2018 with a festival to mark the occasion.

With a name in English that sounds like something that might come from a DC comic, the Fountain of Justice is known locally as the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen and stands on the popular square.

Food was scarce in parts of Germany during and after World War I. The butcher's shop in the foreground of this Hamburg scene has broken windows, looted during one of the uprisings that erupted after Germany's defeat.

Soldiers stand guard by the damaged shop. Signage indicates that a printing press was next door to the butcher and a pharmacy occupied the premises a couple of doors along the street.

Today, central Hamburg has some of Germany's best shopping streets. Neuer Wall, seen in this photograph, is the location of luxury stores, including global fashion and jewellery brands.

As a relatively flat city, Hamburg is ideal for cycling. What's more, it also boasts a well-planned public transport network. Less than a 10-minute walk from where this photo was taken, it is possible to enter the 'corridor of sighs', part of the Stadthaus Remembrance Site, which tells the story of victims of state oppression during World War II.

This photograph from May 1922 records a scene from the fur exposition held in Leipzig, Saxony. Pelts from a variety of animals were displayed for members of the public to examine. They were subsequently auctioned.

Men can be seen in bowler, homburg and trilby hats. Meanwhile, the women examining the furs are also wearing broad-brimmed hats. Despite being a natural product, the popularity of furs has dropped significantly over recent decades.

Leipzig was a major trading hub before World War II. Yet while the city was part of the German Democratic Republic, buildings looked drab and uncared for.

Since German Reunification, restorations have helped give buildings such as the Old Town Hall, seen here at night, new vigour and colour. Held in the springtime, the Leipzig Book Fair is today a major event. The city has an upbeat feel, in part thanks to its large student population.

This group portrait photographed during 1914 in Munich, Bavaria, records members of a cycling club and their families. In contrast to today's Lycra-clad cycling enthusiasts, the men stood with their bicycles are wearing shirts, jackets and trousers.

None of them has a safety helmet on but, sensibly, most are wearing breeches that extend slightly below their knees, ensuring that their trousers don't get entangled in chains. The bearded chap, second from the left, holds a penny-farthing bicycle.

Being relatively flat and with plenty to see and do, Munich is a great city to explore by bicycle. Rides along the River Isar are popular with residents on sunny days.

The person seen here sits on a park bench in the Englischer Garten, a public park criss-crossed with footpaths and cycling lanes. The twin towers of Munich's Frauenkirche cathedral rise above the park's foliage. Beer gardens inside the park sell litre-glasses of Radler, a blend of beer and lemonade that's name translates into English as 'cyclist'.

This hand-coloured lantern slide from around 1910 depicts the house formerly occupied by Albrecht Dürer, the artist who lived from 1471 to 1528. Dürer lived in the building from 1509 onwards.

Though many buildings in Nuremberg were destroyed or severely damaged during World War II, the property escaped with only light damage. Yet in this scene, its roof appears to be sagging and the exterior paintwork is faded.

Fast forward more than a hundred years and the exterior of the Albrecht Durer House looks much more vibrant. The timber framing has been painted a bold red and the walls between are flawlessly white. Flowerboxes also add a dash of colour.

The roof looks as if it has been restored too with the snow guard, which prevents dumps of snow from falling onto the street below, visibly different to the low railings of 1910.

This image shows the ceremonial opening of the first electric tram service in Potsdam. From 2 September 1907, trams produced by Gottfried Lindner AG ran between the central station, Sanssouci Palace and Charlottenhof Station.

Several of the children jogging alongside the tram wear uniform-like costumes. The tram is adorned with flowers and flags, adding to the sense of occasion, and carries a group of gentlemen wearing top hats.

Electrified trams continue to roll on the streets of Potsdam, though today's have a more angular appearance and lower, more easily accessible doors. As in the photo from Potsdam more than a century ago, people can be seen cycling too.

The tram passes beneath the arch of the Nauener Tor, one of the three city gates that remain in Potsdam. Built in 1755, the landmark was restored in the late 1990s when it was once again given its original colour.

This photo taken in or around 1912 shows people on Invalidenstrasse in Stuttgart, by the main entrance of the city's central railway station. The vehicle to the left of the image has a roof rack for transporting luggage.

Meanwhile, a man carries a suitcase on his shoulder while another case is on the pavement. Wheeled suitcases were not sold until the 1970s. Ankle-length skirts were common for women at this time.

In mid-2024, cranes towered over central Stuttgart while tents covered the construction site that will eventually become the city's new railway station. The station will be part of Europe's new high-speed rail network and a major hub along the Paris-Vienna corridor. It is expected to open in December 2026.

Wine production is well-established in and around the city. Here we can see rows of vines growing on the hill behind the building site.

The polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in this house in Weimar, Thuringia. The building to the right of the column was his primary residence from 1782 to 1832.

The German government met in Weimar between February and August 1919, debating the constitution of the new but relatively short-lived regime. Consequently, the period from the end of World War I to the government's fall in March 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's principal residence overlooking the Frauenplan public square in Weimar remains a popular tourist attraction. The building is now the location of the Goethe National Museum and 18 of its rooms are open to the public.

Visitors can view some of the furniture that he used along with artworks and scientific specimens that he collected.

Now see how we've ranked Germany's hidden gems