Kaufhaus Jonaß, Cultural heritage monument in Prenzlauer Berg, Germany
Kaufhaus Jonaß is an eight-story building on Torstraße in Pankow, constructed between 1928 and 1929 with a clear modern design and stone facades. The structure uses a steel frame and follows New Objectivity architectural principles, creating a balanced composition of horizontal and vertical lines.
The building opened in 1929 as the first credit department store and represented an innovation in retail concepts. It was seized from its Jewish owners following 1933 and repurposed by Nazi organizations throughout World War II.
The building reflects how urban spaces can reinvent themselves, hosting different communities across decades. Visitors today experience it as a place where contemporary social life unfolds within a framework shaped by earlier generations.
The building is located on Torstraße in the Pankow district and now operates as a hotel and club with multiple facilities. Information panels at the entrance present the building's history through photographs and texts, helping visitors understand its complex past.
The building combines modern retail innovation with careful material choices, blending steel and stone in a way that appears timeless. This approach to mixing industrial efficiency with traditional craftsmanship was not common in commercial buildings of that period.
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