Museum Guide Berlin 2015

Disclaimer

I do not assume any liability for the accuracy and currentness of the information provided throughout this book, nor for the contents on the cited websites. The publication of links to GoogleMaps is in line with their terms of use. Publishing maps from GoogleMaps is not allowed; therefore, this book does not contain any maps.

Preface

The capital has far more museums than rainy days and a vibrant art scene. This is precisely one of the many reasons why from a cultural point of view Berlin is hard to beat.

This museum guide reflects the current scene of the capital. I did my best to take all museums into account, but I might have missed some. The museums are sorted by district and listed alphabetically with their original German name.

Two of the museums are located outside the city borders, but thematically, they do belong to Berlin. The “Berliner S-Bahn Museum” (commuter train museum) is located in Potsdam, right on the border with Berlin. The Olympic Village from 1936 belongs to the municipality of Wustermark.

Berlin, July 2015

Claudia Stein

http://www.stein-books.com check for updates!

1 The Maps

In this book, you will only find links to online maps from Google. The links to Google Maps comply with Google’s terms of use. Showing these maps in the book would not be legal. You can print or downloaded them to a smart phone, for example. This also facilitates route planning.

2 Good to know!
2.1 Public Transport

On the website of the Berlin transport company (http://www.bvg.de), you can see how to reach your destination by public transport. It might be easier to use Google Maps if you decide to navigate through the museums with the help of the maps I listed for smart phones. A good app is “moovit”, it operates in several languages and uses very little data volume.

2.2 Welcome-Card & Museum’s Pass

The so-called „Welcome-Card“ combines public transport with the entrance to several museums. It also contains discount vouchers for shops and restaurants. The card is sold in hotels, the official tourist information centers and at the box office of the participating museums. For more information, please visit http://shop.visitberlin.de/

2.3 Payments

Many foreign tourists are quite astounded that credit card payment is rarely offered in Germany. And most of the time, only the German debit card is accepted. Make sure you have enough cash on you before you get in the line of the box office.

2.4 Free entrance

All public museums are free of charge for minors (up to 18 years of age). These museums are labeled “Staatliche Museen Berlin – SMB”.

The following museums are free of charge for everybody:

Charlottenburg

• Abgusssammlung antiker Plastik der Freien Universität Berlin

Cast Collection of Ancient Sculptur

• Architekturmuseum der Technischen Universität Berlin

Museum of Architecture at the Technical University of Berlin

• Bröhan-Museum (1st Wednesday of the month)

• Gedenkstätte Plötzensee am Gefängnis Plötzensee

Memorial Plötzensee at the Plötzensee prison

• Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis Kirche

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

• Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Dahlem

• Alliierten-Museum

Allied Museum

• Bernhard-Heiliger-Stiftung/ Offene Ateliers

Bernhard-Heiliger-Foundation/ Open Studios

Gatow

• Militärhistorisches Museum, Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr

Museum for Military History/ German Airforce Museum

Grünau

• Grünauer Wassersportmuseum

Grünau Watersport Museum

Grunewald

• Gleis 17 – Memorial for the deportation of the Jews

Platform 17 – Memorial for the Deported Jews

Hellersdorf

• DDR Wohnung

GDR flat

Hohenschönhausen

• Mies-van-der-Rohe Haus

Karlshorst

• Deutsch-Russisches Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

Köpenick

• Gedenkstätte Köpenicker Blutwoche Juni 1933

Memorial for the Köpenick Blood Week June 1933

• Hauptmann von Köpenick Exhibition

The Captain of Köpenick Exhibition

• Museum Köpenick

Kreuzberg

• FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum

• Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Artists‘ House Bethanien

• Kunstraum Kreuzberg/ Bethanien

Art Room Kreuzberg/ Bethanien

• Topographie des Terrors

Topography of Terror

• Zweirad-Museum

Bicycle Museum

Lichtenberg

• Museum Lichtenberg

Marienfelde

• Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde

Memorial Marienfeld Refugee Transition Camp

Marzahn

• Bezirksmuseum Marzahn-Hellersdorf

District Museum Marzahn

• Bockwindmühle Berlin-Marzahn

Post Mill Berlin-Marzahn

Mitte

• Akademie der Künste (Tuesdays 15.00-19.00)

Academy of the Arts Berlin

• Berliner Rathaus

Berlin City Hall

• Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt

Otto Weidt Workshop for the Blind

• Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

• Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle (Mondays)

Deutsche Bank Art Hall

• Deutscher Dom

German Dome

• Deutsches Historisches Museum (on 3 Oct.)

German Historical Museum

• Ephraim-Palais (1st Wednesday of the month)

• Forum Willy Brandt

• Gedenkstätte Stille Helden

Memorial Place Silent Heroes

• Knoblauchhaus

House of the Knoblauch Family

• Mendelssohn Remise

• Märkisches Museum (1st Wednesday of the month)

History of Berlin Museum

• Nikolaikirche (1st Wednesday of the month)

Nikolai Church

• Stasi-Unterlagen / Dauerausstellung

Stasi Archives / permanent exhibition

• Tränenpalast - Haus der Geschichte,

“Palace of Tears“ – House of History

Moabit

• Classic Remise Oldtimer-Automobilzentrum

Classic Remise (Oldtimer automobile center)

Neukölln

• Museum Neukölln

Niederschöneweide

• Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit

Documentation Center Forced Labor under the Nazis

Pankow

• Pankow Museum

Prenzlauer Berg

• Museum in der Kulturbrauerei – Haus der Geschichte

Museum in the Kulturbrauerei, House of History

• Pankow Museum Prenzlauer Berg

Schöneberg

• Gedenkort SA-Gefängnis Papestraße

Memorial Site SA Prison Papestraße

• Haus am Kleistpark

House at Kleist Park

• Jugendmuseum Schöneberg

Youth Museum Schöneberg

• Museum der unerhörten Dinge

Museum of Outrageous Things

• Schöneberg Museum

• Schwerbelastungskörper

“Heavy Load Object“

Steglitz

• Deutsches Blindenmuseum

German Blind Museum

• Heimatverein Steglitz

Heritage Museum Steglitz

• Schwartzsche Villa

Villa Schwartz (Culture Department of the district)

Tempelhof

• Tempelhof Museum

Tiergarten

• Akademie der Künste (Tuesdays 15.00-19.00)

Academy of the Arts

• Deutsche Kinemathek (Thursdays 16.00-20.00)

German Film Archive - Museum for Film and Television

• Gaslaternen-Freilichtmuseum Berlin

Gas Lanterns Open Air Museum Berlin

• Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand

German Resistance Memorial Center (Bendler-Block)

• Haus am Lützowplatz

House at Lützowplatz

• Reichstagskuppel

Dome of the Reichstag (seat of the Bundestag)

• Sammlung Daimler

The Daimler Collection

• St. Matthäus Kirche

St. Matthäus Church

Treptow

• Heimatmuseum Treptow

Heritage Museum Treptow

Wannsee

• Gedenkstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz

Memorial House of the Wannsee Conference

Wedding

• Anti-Kriegs-Museum

Anti War Museum

• Dokumentationszentrum Berliner Mauer

Documentation Center Berlin Wall

• Mittemuseum

Mitte Museum

Westend

• Sportmuseum Berlin

Zehlendorf

• Heimatmuseum Zehlendorf

Heritage Museum Zehlendorf

3 Main Categories

Berlin is a special place for many reasons, and this is reflected in the local cultural offer. The city has always been attracting artists, and the number of art museums is noteworthy. Equally remarkable is the number of history museums. Post-war Germany came to terms with German history and made an honest effort not to sweep anything under the rug and present it as it was; from Bismarck to WW I, Nazi's era, WW II, division of Germany, reunification… each subject seems to have its own museum.

3.1 Art

• Akademie der Künste Berlin (Standort Tiergarten)

Academy of the Arts (venue Tiergarten)

• Alte Nationalgalerie

Old National Gallery

• Altes Museum

Old Museum

• Bauhaus-Archiv

Bauhaus Archive

• Berlinische Galerie - Museum für moderne Kunst

Berlin Gallery – Museum for Modern Art

• Bode-Museum

• Bröhan-Museum

• Brücke-Museum Berlin

• C/O Berlin

• Dalí

• Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle

Deutsche Bank Art Hall

• Gemäldegalerie im Kulturforum

Art Gallery in the Culture Forum

• Haus am Kleistpark

House at Kleist Park

• Haus am Lützowplatz

House at Lützowplatz

• Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum

• Keramik-Museum Berlin

Ceramic Museum Berlin

• KINDL - Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst

KINDL – Center for Contemporary Art

• Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur

Royal Porcelain Manufactory

• Kunsthalle Koidl

Art Hall Koidl

• Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Artists‘ House Bethanien

• Liebermann-Villa

• Martin-Gropius-Bau

• Museum Berggruen

• Museum für Fotografie/ Helmut Newton Stiftung

Museum for Photography/ Helmut Newton Foundation

• Museum für Gegenwart im Hamburger Bahnhof

Museum for Contemporary Art at the Hamburger Bahnhof

• Neue Nationalgalerie

New National Gallery

• Neues Museum

The New Museum

• Sammlung Boros

The Boros Collection

• Sammlung Daimler

The Daimler Collection

• Sammlung Hoffmann

The Hoffmann Collection

• Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg

The Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection

• Stiftung Olbricht im Me Collector’s Room

Olbricht Foundation in the Me Collector’s Room

3.2 Memorials

• Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

• Dokumentationszentrum NS-Zwangsarbeit

Forced Labor under the Nazis, Documentation Center

• Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand (Bendler-Block)

German Resistance Memorial (Bendler-Block)

• Gedenkstätte Hohenschönhausen, Memorial Hohenschönhausen (Stasi prison)

• Gedenkstätte Köpenicker Blutwoche Juni 1933

Memorial for the Köpenick Blood Week June 1933

• Gedenkstätte Plötzensee am Gefängnis Plötzense

Memorial Plötzensee at the Plötzensee prison

• Gleis 17 - Gedenkstätte für den Abtransport von Juden, Platform 17 – Memorial for the Deported Jews

• Topographie des Terrors

Topography of Terror

• Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde

Memorial Marienfeld Refugee Transition Camp

• Gedenkort SA-Gefängnis Papestraße

Memorial Site SA Prison Papestraße

• Gedenkstätte Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz

Memorial House of the Wannsee Conference

3.3 History

• "Tränenpalast" - Haus der Geschichte

“Palace of Tears“ – House of History

• Alliierten-Museum

Allied Museum

• Anne Frank Zentrum

• Centrum Judaicum (Neue Synagoge)

• DDR Museum

GDR Museum

• Deutsches Historisches Museum

German Historical Museum

• Deutsch-Russisches Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

• Dokumentationszentrum Berliner Mauer

Documentation Center Berlin Wall

• Ethnologisches Museum

Ethnological Museum

• Haus am Checkpoint Charlie

• Jüdisches Museum Berlin

Jewish Museum Berlin

• Museum Europäischer Kulturen

Museum of European Cultures

• Museum für Asiatische Kunst

Museum for Asian Art

• Museum in der Kulturbrauerei – Haus der Geschichte

Museum in the Kulturbrauerei, House of History

• Rotkreuz-Museum des DRK-LV

Regional Red Cross Museum

• Schwerbelastungskörper

“Heavy Load Object“

• Stasi-Museum

• Stasi-Unterlagen / Dauerausstellung

Stasi Archives / permanent exhibition