Kemperplatz was given its name in 1858 after Johan Wilhelm Kemper (1766–1840), the operator of the bar Kempers Hof. The place became popular with the founding of the Architects Association of Berlin in 1824 in Kempers bar. The Lawless Society of Berlin, created by the editor and philologist Philip Karl Buttmann (1764–1829), also held meetings here. After the Nazi regime seized power in 1933, the name of the square was changed to Skagerrakplatz taking its name from the battle of Jutland (Skagerrakschlacht in German) which took place during the First World War. The square regained its original name on 25 October 1946.