The site of the mall was originally home to the Wertheim department store, which was the largest department store in Europe until it was destroyed in World War II.

Since the location was very close to the sector boundary defined by the Potsdam Agreement, the entire Leipziger Platz remained undeveloped for the following four decades.

IN 2005, the ruins of the former Wertheim store were demolished, making way for redevelopment.

[5] In the spring of 2012, soil on the construction site collapsed near the tunnel of the U2 subway line below.

The bears stand for the motto "Hand in Hand for Tolerance / WE ARE BERLIN", meant to symbolize the diversity of Berlin; the bears wear sashes with the words “Respect,” “Diversity,” and “Tolerance.”[9]