English: Former building of the Berliner Handelsgesellschaft (Berlin Trading Company) at Behrenstraße No. 32, now used by the Berlin branch of the KfW Banking Group. The complex with two front buildings on Behrenstraße and on Französische Straße was built 1899 to 1900 by Alfred Messel. It is a typical example of the "bank palaces" in the architectural tradition of Italian Renaissance buildings, constructed in Berlin at the time of the German Empire. The distinction between ground floors and main floors (the latter structured by large columns and pillars) is noticeable at the facades. The two front buildings are connected by a tract with a covered walk. In 1911, Heinrich Schweitzer constructed an annex to the bank building (on the left) at the corner of Charlottenstraße and Französische Straße. From 1949 to 1990, the complex was seat of the East German State Bank. It has been designated as a historic landmark.