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New Parliament building Reichstag/Bundestag
The Reichstag is the seat of the German Bundestag or federal government
and, with its new dome, one of the biggest crowd-pullers in Berlin.
It's colourful past reflects the dramatic moments in German history
since the 19th Century.
After reunification, the German Federal Government decided to use the
post-war building as a parliament again. The new Reichstag was opened
in 1999, designed by the British Architect Sir Norman Forster. He was
asked to take into consideration both the weighty history of the Reichstag
as well as its function as a modern working parliament. It was important
that the new dome would be open to the public. Before renovation work
began in 1994, the old building became the stage for one of the most
spectacular art events in Europe: it was 'wrapped' by the artist Christo.
The glass dome, which was at first very controversial, has now become
one of the newest landmarks in the city.
Observation of the dome: daily from 8.00- 24.00. last entry at 22.00.
Observation of plenar hall, guided tours:
Lectures in the plenar hall Monday to Friday 9.00 17.00 Saturday and
Sunday 10.00 to 16.00 on the hour (unless plenary sessions in progress)
Booking is necessary. Guided tours (not when plenary sessions are in
progress): 10.30, 15.30. and 19.3
Visitors need to book (Max. 25 persons)
Guided tours about architecture and art: Saturday, Sunday and on banking
holidays: 11.30. Booking is necessary. (Max. 25 persons)
Reservation with the visitors service "Deutschen Bundestag"
is recommended for individuals and for groups (min 10 people)
Visitors service: Tel: 030-22 73 21 52, Fax: 030 227 30 027,
Access is by the "west" entrance
Free admission
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin-Tiergarten
Tel.: 030- 227 32 152
Fax : 030- 227 30 027
www.bundestag.de
Transport
Suburban train "Unter den Linden" S 1, 2, 25
Bus 100, 200, 248, 257, 348
Jewish Museum
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, this quite extraordinary building is an
important monument to the past and current lives of the many Jewish
people in Germany. The museum attempts to highlight the similarities
and the differences between Jewish and German lifestyles, exploring
traditions and progression from the Middle Ages to the present and offers
insights into German-Jewish life in the diverse displays of personal
documents and objects. There are very personal things included, not
just the personal effects and stories from famous Jewish people. The
museum felt it was especially important to document the lives of ordinary
people so curators have recently focussed on collecting mementos from
Jewish families.
The building was completed in 1999 and between February of that year
and February 2001 over 350,000 people visited the empty structure. They
even paid 8 DM to see an empty building and this made it one of the
most popular tourist attractions in Berlin (despite the fact it contained
no exhibits until two years later). Many people argued that the building
should be left empty, as a memorial to those killed in the Holocaust.
However, it is now full of objects, but the zig-zagging layout can be
confusing for some people. The building was always meant to be confusing
and somewhat threatening, as Libeskind felt that this was appropriate
to the history of the German Jews. The displays in this innovative Museum
have been divided into themed sections covering German Jewish history
in all its breadth.
Jewish Museum Berlin
Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
Tel 030 308785 681
General: info@jmberlin.de
Tours: fuehrungen@jmberlin.de
www.jmberlin.de
Opening Hours
Monday from 10.00. to 22.00
Tuesday-Sunday from 10.00-20.00
Admittance will be granted until 19.00. Tuesdays-Sundays, and 21.00
on Mondays.
Nearest underground Hallesches Tor, bus 91
Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum Berlin
Private Museum: Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum And Graphic Collection Hans
Pels-Leusden e.V
This small museum contains 200 drawings and graphic works by this remarkable
German artist, several of which are well-known, such as her lithography
Brot! (1924). After having lived and worked more than 50 years in Berlin,
Käthe Kollwitz died in 1945 in Moritzburg near Dresden. The unique
collection of her work includes 15 original posters and some striking,
humane sculptures. The collection of Self-portraits (1988/89 - 1938)
as well as the woodcut series War (1922/23), works relating to the theme
of Death (1903 - 1942) are moving testimonials to women's experiences
of war during the first half of the 20th Century. The Memorial to Karl
Liebknecht (1919/20), is typical of the compassionate strength of her
figurative work in this impressive collection. Twice a year special
exhibitions are held, showing works of other artists, who may be connected
in various ways to Kathe Kollwitz.
Fasanenstr. 24, 10719 Berlin (Charlottenburg)
Tel: 0 30-882 52 10
E-mail: info@kaethe-kollwitz.de
Open daily, except Tuesday
from 11.00 - 18.00 including
Sundays and holidays
Nearest underground: Uhlandstrasse
Museum for the Present - Berlin (Tiergarten)
Hamburger Bahnhof
This former railway station was opened in 1996 and now offers an exhibition
area of about 8,000 square metres. Most of this is dedicated to art
from the second half of the 20th century onwards, but the building also
hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists and themed shows. The permanent
collection contains works from Berlin's State Museums as well as from
private Berlin collectors. These include internationally renowned artists
such as Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein,
Anselm Kiefer and Joseph Beuys. The collection also includes over 450
drawings by Joseph Beuys as well as his "The secret block for a
secret person in Ireland", and about sixty by Andy Warhol. The
whole of the ground floor in the western wing is devoted to works by
Joseph Beuys. They include well-known installations such as "The
End of the 20th Century" 1982/83, "Unschlitt/Tallow"
1977, and "Richtkräfte" (Directional forces) 1974-77
created from one hundred wooden blackboards. Look out for The "Berlin
Circle" by the English artist Richard Long and a work by Günther
Uecker, both directly inspired by the Hamburger Bahnhof.
Also on show are representatives of Minimal Art and the Italian movement;
Povera. There are few, if no works by women artists unless they are
included in the temporary shows. These are often more interesting than
the rather predictable assortment of '20th Century Masters'. Instead
of a chronological display, the curators chose to arrange the work in
a less formal way, which allows for each piece to be seen from different
angles. The gallery is still very reminiscent of a railway station,
with it's traditionally high ceilings. It is a lot cleaner than any
public transport building, however, but the gallery attendants still
have the strict zeal of train ticket collectors. The modern extensions
upstairs can be confusing, but the place is well lit by glass roofs.
There is a good bookshop with a few English language titles from the
stimulating and diverse temporary shows. The entire place feels like
a showcase: proof that Berlin isn't going to be left out in the cold,
and so the atmosphere is rather lifeless. Even the café feels
like entering a railway station when all the trains have departed, but
at least there is somewhere to have a drink when enough art has been
absorbed for one day.
Address and opening hours
Hamburger Bahnhof
Museum for the Present - Berlin
Invalidenstrasse 50-51
Tues to Fri 10.00- 18.00.
Thurs 10 .00 - 22.00.
Sat and Sun 11.00- 18.00
How to get there:
U-Bahn station Zinnowitzer Strasse
S-Bahn station Lehrter Stadtbahnhof
Bus numbers 157, 245, 248, 340, Tram numbers 6, 8, 50
Pergamon Museum Antikensammlung , Collection of Classical Antiquities
The Collection of Classical Antiquities contains Greek and Roman works
including not only architectural remains, sculptures and vases, inscriptions
and mosaics but also bronzes and jewellery. It is on display in two
locations: the Pergamon Museum and the main floor of the Altes Museum.
With an annual figure of 850,000 visitors the Pergamon Museum is among
one of the most popular museum destinations for visitors. Its main attraction
is the Pergamon Altar (2nd century BC). The frieze depicting the battle
between the Gods and Giants is regarded as a masterpiece of Hellenistic
art. The next room contains the market Gate of Miletus, an outstanding
example of Roman architecture. Inside the building there is also the
Museum of Ancient Near Eastern Art.
Examples of Greek architecture can be found in the hall of Hellenistic
architecture adjoining the great hall to the north. The northern wing
of the Pergamon Museum contains classical sculptures from the Archaic
age to the Hellenistic period, ancient copies of Greek originals as
well as Roman art. This is a very traditional museum, and perhaps could
be made more interesting if considered in the light of Germany's history
during the past two hundred years. This social and historical context
of collecting adds another dimension to these relics from a previous
era. On the first floor there is the Museum for Islamic Arts which includes
an exquisitely carved façade of an eighth century Caliph's Palace
from Mschatta in present-day Jordan.
Greek and Roman art and sculptures can be found in the Altes Museum.
The main highlight, the art of the Etruscans, will go on show when major
restoration work on the building has been completed. Until then an exhibition
of Greek works of art is open to the public on the newly designed main
floor of the building. This thematically arranged exhibition includes
stone sculptures, clay and bronze figures, friezes, vases, gold jewellery
and silverware. Three information displays provide details on additional
topics such as Greek myths, ancient city culture and the archaeological
sites investigated by the Berlin museums.
The post-war division of Germany led to a division of the Graeco-Roman
collection, and now the collections are being united. In the eastern
part of the city the Pergamon Museum was re-opened in 1959. In the west
of the city smaller art treasures which had been stored for safekeeping
in West Germany were exhibited in the western Stüler building opposite
Charlottenburg Palace from 1960 to 1995. Vases, bronze figures and other
small objects are now on exhibition in the Altes Museum to mark the
reunification of the long-divided collection.
Plaster models of antique art are on display in the Replica Collection
in Berlin-Charlottenburg near the Egyptian Museum. In the nearby Replica
Workshop replicas are available for sale.
Address and opening hours
Collection of Classical Antiquities - Antikensammlung Pergamon Museum,
Entrance Am Kupfergraben and Altes Museum, entrance Lustgarten Berlin
- Mitte
Tues to Sun 10.00- 18.00. Thurs until 22.00
How to get there
U-Bahn and S-Bahn station Friedrichstrasse
S-Bahn station Hackescher Markt
Bus numbers100, 200, 348 (Lustgarten), 147 (Universitätsstrasse)
Tram 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 50, 53
Museum of Ethnology, Dahlem
Housed in an exciting modern building, displaying huge boats from around
the world in a cavernous, darkened space, this should be one of the
highlights to any trip to Berlin. With a total of 500,000 objects from
throughout the world and large numbers of sound recordings, documentary
photographs and films, the Museum of Ethnology ranks among the largest
and best of its kind. The museum collects, preserves and researches
into cultural products from pre-industrial societies, mainly outside
Europe.
The museum currently includes the following collections: Africa, American
archaeology, American ethnology, Europe, the Islamic Orient, eastern
and northern Asia, south and south-east Asia, the South Seas and Australia,
as well as the ethnology of music. Other facilities include the Children's
Museum and the Museum for the Blind.
At present only a few of the different collections have permanent exhibition
areas. The exhibition "American Archaeology" presents the
great diversity of pre-Hispanic cultures in Meso-, Central and South
America from 2,000 BC to the first half of the 16th century. Exhibits
include unique stelae from Guatemala with carved reliefs, painted stoneware
vessels of the Maya, Aztec stone figures of gods and a selection of
gold objects from Central America, Colombia and Peru.
The permanent South Seas exhibition presents cultures from Oceania and
Australia. The Boat Hall contains a great variety of vessels including
a twin-hulled boat from Tonga which visitors can climb on board.
For many years old and highly developed cultures rarely belonged to
the European image of Africa, but bronze reliefs and figures as well
as terracotta portraits from Nigeria disprove this prejudice. Masks
and ceremonial figures, musical instruments and objects from everyday
life from the turn of the century give an impression of the immense
creativity of the peoples of West Africa.
Address and opening hours
Museum of Ethnology (Ethnologiches Museum)
Lansstrasse 8, Berlin - Dahlem
Tues to Fri 10.00. - 18.00. Sat and Sun 11.00- 18.00
How to get there
U-Bahn station Dahlem Dorf
Bus X11, 110, 183, X83
The building is located in the Dahlem Museum Complex
Gemäldegalerie - Picture Gallery
The Picture Gallery possesses one of the world's finest collections
of European art from the 13th to 18th century. After the collection
was founded in 1830, it was systematically built up and many famous
art works brought together in 1998. The exhibition is arranged in chronological
order and includes masterpieces by artists from every era, from Van
Eyck, Bruegel, Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, to Rembrandt
and Rubens.
This newly built museum is situated in the Kulturforum. It has about
7,000 square metres of exhibition space. A complete tour of the 53 rooms
covers almost two kilometres, so bring comfortable shoes for a visit
to this gallery. Two of the mainsections include Italian painting from
the 14th to 16th century and Netherlandish painting from the 15th and
16th Centuries.
Old German painting of the Late Gothic and Renaissance eras is represented
by masters such as Dürer, Baldung Grien, Cranach and Holbein.
The octagonal Rembrandt Room enjoys a key position at the heart of the
museum. The sixteen works by this artist form one of the largest and
finest collections of Rembrandt paintings in the world. They are surrounded
by examples of Dutch and Flemish painting from the 17th Century. Portraits,
genre paintings, interiors, landscapes and still-lifes illustrate typical
contemporary themes.
English, French and German painting from the 18th Century are displayed
in three rooms. This splendid collection of paintings includes works
by Gainsborough, Watteau and Pesne.
In all the main gallery contains nine hundred masterpieces, so be prepared
for a lengthy visit. In addition there are four hundred works in a study
gallery on the lower floor.
Visitors also have access to a digital gallery with computerized information
in German, English and French. Audio-tours are also available in German
and English.
Address and opening hours
Picture Gallery - Gemäldegalerie
Matthäikirchplatz, Berlin - Tiergarten
Tues to Fri 10 .00. - 18.00, Thurs 10.00. - 22. Sat and Sun 10.00- 18.00
How to get there:
U-Bahn and S-Bahn station Potsdamer Platz
Bus numbers 129, 148, 200, 248, 341, 348
Museum of European Cultures
The Museum Europäischer Kulturen (Museum of European Cultures)
is an important addition to Berlin's museums. Opened in June 1999 it
includes the merged collections of the Museum für Volkskunde (Museum
of Folklore) and the European holdings in the Museum für Völkerkunde
(Museum of Ethnology) in Berlin.
The concept of a museum of the history of European cultures takes account
of increased collaboration within the European community. In the future,
collecting, research projects and exhibitions in the Museum of European
Cultures will explore cultural artefacts and experiences common to all
European countries and will start to identify their particular ethnic,
regional and national characteristics.
A major exhibition about how paintings were used in Europe fills the
main section of the museum. Visitors to the exhibition can see how the
range of images and motifs increased, and compare similarities and differences
between European cultures. The displays will include painted furniture,
magic lanterns, camera obscura, images from churches and people's homes
as well as film and digital images.
The exhibition finishes with a display on how changes in perspective
were influenced by pictures and an unusual view of "people watching"
(Völkerschauen).
Today the aim is to show more about the lives of the people whose objects
are held in the museum. Future exhibitions will be more collaborative,
inviting members of different cultures to be involved, thereby giving
greater depth to the exhibits and ensuring that the museum participates
in dialogue with different social groups.
Address and opening hours
Museum der Europäischen Kulturen - Museum of European Cultures
Im Winkel 6/8, Berlin - Dahlem
Berlin - Dahlem
Tues to Fri 10.00. 18.00, Sat and Sun 11 .00-18.00
How to get there:
U-Bahn station Dahlem Dorf,
Bus X11, 110, 183, X83
Berlin - Charlottenburg
The museum buildings in Charlottenburg are grouped in and around Charlottenburg
Palace. The Baroque palace was built during the 17th and 18th century
and is now the home of the Gallery of Romantic Art and the Museum of
Pre- and Early History in the adjacent Langhans building.
Directly opposite the domed palace entrance hall, at the beginning of
Schloßstrasse, two impressive buildings are found nearby. They
were erected in 1851 to designs by the German architect Stüler.
These two buildings contain the Egyptian Museum and the Berggruen Collection.
A short walk away, in Sophie Charlotten Strasse, lies the Replica Workshop
which completes the museum complex in Charlottenburg. Copies of Ancient
Greek sculptures are housed here.
How to get there: U-Bahn Richard Wagner Platz
Bus numbers 109, 110, 145, X 26
Bauhaus Archiv
The Bauhaus Archive / Museum of Design in Berlin is an excellent place
to find out about German design at the start of the 20th Century. There
are extensive displays about the history and impact of the Bauhaus (1919-1933),
one of the most important European schools of architecture, design,
and art of the 20th Century. The collection is housed in a building
designed by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus School. Based
on the idea that 'form follows function', the maquettes, drawings and
objects have an appealing simplicity. See how the pioneering designers
might have influenced the ideas for objects in your kitchen or bathroom...
Work includes a beautiful 1924 Brass, silver, ebony Tea-extract pot,
by Marianne Brandt and a substantial collection of paintings, drawings
and sculptures by the masters and students of the Bauhaus. This includes
works by Albers, Feininger, Itten, Klee, Kandinsky, Muche, Moholy-Nagy
and Schlemmer. There are also examples of graphic design, such as posters
and a massive collection of influential photographs, many of Walter
Gropius himself. Paying a visit will be a fascinating way to learn about
how Berlin was thriving creatively in the early part of the 20th Century.
In addition to the permanent Bauhaus exhibition special temporary shows
are dedicated to individual artists, or to current themes in the fields
of art, architecture, and modern design.
The cafeteria is open during museum hours
Klingelhöferstraße 14
D - 10785 Berlin (Tiergarten)
Telephone: 030 - 25 40 02 0
Infoline: 030 - 25 40 02 78
www.bauhaus.de
The museum is open daily except Tuesday from 10.00 to 17.00.
Nearest Underground: U-Bahn Nollendorfplatz
Bus 100, 129 187 und 341 Lützowplatz
Grunewalde Forest (Berliner Forst Grunewald)
Grunewalde is an enchanting place if you appreciate the open air and
enjoy seemingly endless vistas consisting of nothing but oak and ash
trees. This protected open space has 32 sq km of dense woodland to the
east of Berlin. There are some pleasant forest walks, some which lead
down to quiet lakes and an old castle where visitors can order tea and
cakes in a comfortable restaurant at the top of the hill. Take the train
to Grunewalde Station. (Here you can also see the iron monument to the
Jews who were deported from this station from 1941 to concentration
camps. This is not immediately obvious as the text is embedded on the
edge of an empty platform.)
From 'Wannsee' S-Bahn station:
take S-Bahn (line S7) in the direction of 'Ahrensfelde', get off at
'Grunewald' station and follow the signs to the memorial and the woods.
From 'Lichtenberg' railway station:
take the S-Bahn (line S7) in the direction of 'Potsdam Stadt'. Get off
at 'Grunewald'
From 'Zoologischer Garten' railway station:
walk to Kurfürstendamm (about 400 m) and take Bus 119 at the streetcorner
of Kurfürstendamm and Joachimstaler Straße
or take S-Bahn (lin S 7) in the direction of 'Potsdam Stadt', get off
at 'Grunewald' station
Die Brücke The Bridge
This museum has an impressive collection of paintings by the Expressionist
group of artists known as Die Brücke, who worked in Berlin and
Dresden from 1905 to 1913. The collection includes many colourful paintings
by Kirchner, and other German artists as well as Emil Nolde who joined
later. This small, well-designed museum is set in a beautiful location
and offers some quiet respite from the bustle of central Berlin. A good
place to combine a day trip with a visit to the Grunewald Forest.
The museum opens again at the end of September after renovation. The
forthcoming exhibition August Macke and the Rhein Expressionists will
be on from 28 September 2002 until 5th January 2003.
Brücke Museum
Bussardsteig 9, 14195 Berlin-Dahlem
Tel: 030-831-202, Fax: 030-831-5961, E-mail: bruecke-museum@t-online.de
www.brueke-museum.de
Opening Times:
daily 11a.m. -5 p.m.
Tuesday closed
Transport:
Bus Line 115, Bus Stop Pücklerstraße
U Bahn Oskar Helene Heim or Dahlem Dorf
Martin Gropius Bau
This building used to be sited next to the Berlin Wall, before this
massive structure was dismantled piece by piece. It has since lost its
sense of being positioned in no man's land, but remains one of the most
thriving centres for contemporary art in the city. Changing exhibitions
mean that the place never feels dull, as many are of contemporary relevance
and draw on compelling issues beyond the art world.
Here is New York: The Democracy of Images
Photo Exhibition September 11th, 2001
An exhibition of images taken by amateur and professional photographers
from around the world, and sold (without the name of the photographer
being known) for an identical price to raise funds for the victims of
the attacks on New York in 2002.
A remarkable collection of photographs, on until 7th October 2002. (Open
late on Saturdays until 22.00) The anonymous images are for sale.
New German Architecture
A Reflective Modernism
If you want to know more about the re-building of Berlin and the current
trends in architecture, this show is worth a visit. Twenty six projects
are included as well as the work of German architects who have been
a major influence on building design. A good way to see how architecture
shaped recent German thinking as well as urban spaces.
On until 23rd September 2002
The Second Creation -
Images of the Industrial World
from the 18th Century to the Present Day
Currently on until 21st October 2002
!AVANT-GARDES! Art in Central Europe 1910 - 1930
Opens 10th November 2002 until 9th February 2003
The Martin Gropius Bau also hosts an annual jazz festival.
JazzFest 2002 will be held from October 31st to November 3rd, 2002.
A printed programme flyer will be available towards the end of September.
Interested visitors can send an e-mail to kartenbuero@berlinerfestspiele.de
and the organisers will send it to you immediately.
Please note that the concert schedule is still subject to change. Therefore,
ticket orders won't be possible until the end of September
Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin
Niederkirchnerstraße 7 / corner Stresemannstr. 110
10963 Berlin
Telephone: 030 254 86-112
Fax: 030 254 86-107
E-mail: post@gropiusbau.berlinerfestspiele.de
Web: www.gropiusbau.de
Open daily from 10.00 to 20.00 except for Tuesdays when it is closed.
Public Transportation:
U-Bahn 2 (stop: Potsdamer Platz)
S-Bahn 1, 2, 25 (stops: Potsdamer Platz or Anhalter Bahnhof)
Busses: 129 (Anhalter Bahnhof), 248, 341 (Abgeordnetenhaus), TXL (S+U
Potsdamer Platz)
Prenslauerberg
The large squares and grand blocks of flats in this former East Berlin
district are quickly being renovated to accommodate the growing interest
in this lively area. Mainly populated by students and media workers,
it is now becoming a trendy place to live and socialise. Perhaps this
is due to the fact that many apartments in these streets were cheaper
than in the West, and there are some pleasant inner city parks. The
other reason is that there are numerous cafes and restaurants, particularly
around the Kollwitz Platz, (named after the famous German artist Kathe
Kollwitz). On certain days of the week, an organic market is held down
a side street and is a good place to buy dense but delicious German
bread direct from the bakery. A Jewish cemetery (Judischer Friedhof)
can be found at the corner of the main road but it is relatively hidden.
The Cemetery is open Monday to Thursday 10.00 to 16.00 and Friday 10.00
to 13.00
U Bahn 2 to Eberswalderstrasse or Schonhauser Allée, or tram
13 or 53.
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