Ehemalige Geschäftszentrale der Dresdner Bank

The Ehemalige Geschäftszentrale der Dresdner Bank stands in Berlin's Mitte district beside Bebelplatz, marking an important chapter in banking architecture. Ludwig Heim designed it in the Italian Renaissance style.

Construction ran from 1887 to 1889, and the Dresdner Bank used the building as its headquarters until 1945. Its main façade faces Behrenstraße beside Bebelplatz. The premises occupy much of a block bordered by Behrenstraße, Hedwigskirchgasse, Französische Straße and Markgrafenstraße. Two internal courtyards organise the central layout.

A frieze by Nikolaus Geiger enriches the exterior, while Corinthian pilasters and half-columns shape the nine-axis main front. Bavarian granite and Saxon sandstone frame it. The original banking hall reached the first floor and used skylights above functional rooms for everyday banking operations. Later alterations followed the bank's growth. Ludwig Hoffmann directed an extension in the 1920s, and Richard Paulick largely reversed those changes during post-war repairs in 1952. The building later served the SED district leadership and the State Bank of the GDR. Between 2003 and 2006, conversion created an office and hotel complex that houses Hotel de Rome. Its stone façade and banking hall connect Berlin's financial past with the building's successive uses.