After devastating war damage, the buildings constructed in 1952-60 along the ­almost two kilometres between Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor were probably the most monumental 20th century street development in Germany. The road was widened to 90 metres, the seven to nine ­storey buildings were built in accordance with party instructions (and contrary to the designs in an urban development competition) in the Stalinist/neo-classical style of the 1950s. Shops and restaurants were situated in the lower one or two storeys, and the upper storeys contained apartments which were comfortable by the standards of the time. The building blocks are up to 300 metres long and vary by protruding and receding sections and different numbers of storeys; the facades are decorated in some places with ornamental ceramic tiles. Following Moscow's instructions, national elements were integrated - in Berlin this meant details based on forms of the Schinkel period. The indi­vidual sections of the development were built under the direction of ­various collectives.

Renamed Karl-Marx-Allee after Stalin's death in 1961, the boulevard is just as impressive today as the day it was completed. Lined with monumental eight-storey buildings in the wedding cake style popular at the time, it is also extremely broad - for a reason. The street needed to be wide enough to hold thousands of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and other military vehicles for East Germany's annual May Day parade.

This building overlooks the fountain at Strausberger Platz. For those approaching Friedrichshain from Alexander Platz, this is the first prominent landmark. It is in the aforementioned style and is arguably one of the most distinguished historical buildings in Berlin.

The apartment has two room, kitchen, bathroom and hall. The complex was completely renovated in 1999. It is on the third floor. The windows of the apartment face South and hence get the sun and look out onto the imposing Straussberger Platz fountain.

The apartment was renovated during the renovations of the building in 1999. The floors of the two rooms and hall are laid with a floating floor of oak parquet flooring. The bathroom was newly furnished and bathroom and kitchen were re-tiled. The entire apartment was rewired and new switches and switch box installed.

It is centrally located in Berlin Friedrichshain and is not far from Alexanderplatz, the Hackeschen market and the Ostbahnhof station, which provides a direct connection to Schönefeld airport. One can take a pleasant stroll under the old trees. Numerous clubs, bars and cinemas can be easily reached on foot. The U-Bahn station "Straussberger Platz" is located directly in front of the building and the U and S-Bahn station "Jannowitzbrücke" is nearby.