1. A budget traveller’s Guide
INBERLIN

2. SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Berliner Dom
Potsdamer platz
Auguststraße
Gendarmenmarkt
Pergamonmuseum
Neues Museum
Peacock Island
Berlin Olympic Stadium
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26
44
54
66
72
116
122
10-16
HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
FEATURES
A whistlestop tour of Berlin’s
history in ten key dates.
4-5
6-9
A brief summary of the guide.
All the information you need to
explore Berlin from where to
stay to how to flirt in German.
ONLY INBERLIN ART & CULTURE
The Buddhist House
Book burning memorial
Neue Wache
Victory Column
Alexanderplatz
Checkpoint Charlie
Saint Hedwigs Cathedral
Brandenburg Gate
Charlottenburg Palace
Nikolaiviertel
Sanssouci Gardens
Reichstag
Unter Der Linden
Rotes Rathaus
20
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
Concerts at the Bode-Museum
East Side Gallery
Hamburger Bahnhof
Boros Collection
Scharf-Gerstenburg Collection
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Gay Museum
Museum of Film and Television
Bauhaus Archive
Old National Gallery
Hauptstadt Zoo
Gemäldergalerie
Singuhr Sound Gallery
Museum Berggruen
Aquarium Berlin
Berlin Concert Hall
Monster Cabinet
Boros Collection
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39
40
41
42
43
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
56
57
58
59
CONTRIBUTORS142 - 145

3. CONTENT MUSEUMS CAFES &
RESTAURANTS
BARS & NIGHTLIFE
SHOPPING OUTDOORS
& TOURS
100 & 200 Bus Tour
Schwarzlicht Minigolf
Baum Haus Comedy Open Air
Tiergarten
Wannsee Lake
Bearpit Karaoke
Teafelsee
Charlottenburg Gardens
Britzer Garten
Alternative Berlin Tour
Brewers Berlin
Express Tour
Lake Tegel
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
Jewish Museum
Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt
Topography of Terror
GDR Museum
Memorial to the Murdered Jews
STASI. Exhibition
German History Museum
Ramones Museum
Museum of Musical Instruments
Milestones-Setbacks-Sidetracks
Altes Museum
Helmut Newton Foundation
62
63
64
65
68
69
70
71
74
75
76
77
Katerholzig
Berghain
Mein Haus Am See
Club der Visionäre
Beirbar
Dr Pong
B Flat
Weinerei Forum
Suicide Circus
Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap
Fassbender & Rausch
Rocco
Burgermeister
Fraulein Burger
Tiki Heart Café
Amar Indian Restaurant
Bonanza Coffee Heroes
Burger de Ville
White Trash Fast Food
Anna Blume
Franken und Grunewald
Barcomi’s Café
El Rief
Marheineke Markthalle
Curry
Clärchens Ballhaus
Mutti
Rosenburger
Café im Literaturhaus
Schwarzes Café
Café am Neuen See
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119
120
121
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
Mauerpark Flea Market
Les Galeries Lafayette
Sing Blackbird
Do You Read Me?!
Saint George’s English Bookstore
KaDeWe
Stiefelkombinat
Made In Berlin
Turkish Market
Dussman
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135
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140
141
142
143
3

4. 4
Multicultural, innovative
and colourful are just a few
of the adjectives that spring
to mind when thinking of
Berlin. Everything you see
in this city hides a secret
which is ready to be uncov-
ered.
While walking through the
streets, if you look carefully,
you will notice that most of
the monuments, the parks,
the roads and even open air
spaces try to convey a piece
of Berlin’s controversial his-
tory.
With this guide we want to
introduce you to the most
interesting places that you
absolutely must see.
We start with a brief history
of the city, it may seem bor-
ing, but be assured that it’s
very important to be aware of
the past in order to better ap-
preciate some of the sites.
The survival guide that
comes next provides you with
the most important informa-
tion about hostels, public
transport and other places
you might need to go.
Then we cover different sec-
tions. Culture is an impor-
tant part of Berlin and we
have highlighted the best bits
along with an excellent guide
to the museums and art gal-
leries.
INTRODUCITON
By Martina Cocci

5. 5
Cafés and restaurants can be
considered one of the most in-
teresting aspects of the city, as
they mirror its multicultural-
ism. In Berlin you will find ev-
ery kind of food from Turkey to
China, from Italy to North Eu-
rope.
Nightlife is another important
feature, young people here have
a wide selection of clubs, bars
and pubs, so you’ll be spoilt for
choice.
Even shopping lovers can sat-
isfy their needs, not only in the
shopping area of Ku-dam, but
also thanks to the opportunities
that the city provides for vin-
tage shopping and flea markets.
During the warmer seasons it’s
very enjoyable to spend an en-
tire day in one of the various
outdoor areas of the city: Tier-
garten, Wannsee and Tegeler
See. Last but not the least you
will also find a piece of advice
about the best guided tours both
on foot and with other means of
transport.
So, don’t miss the oppor
tunity to discover Berlin, espe-
cially if you have a low budget.
Follow our suggestions and you
won’t be disappointed!

6. The earli-
est mention
of Berlin in a
title deed. In the 13th cen-
tury, itinerant merchants
founded the trading posts of
Berlin & Cölln near today’s
Nicholaiviertal. A profitable
medieval trade route, the
Ascanian margrave of Bran-
denburg decided to amal-
gamate the two towns into
one for political and security
purposes in 1307.
23 years after
Martin Lu-
ther nailed his
95 theses to the all-saints
church in Wittenburg, Ber-
lin finally converts to Prot-
estantism. Berlin prospered
for the immediate few de-
cades until it was thrown
into the medley of the thirty
years war (1618-48). Elec-
tor Georg Wilhelm (1620-
40) attempted to keep Ber-
lin neutral although this
only succeeded in Berlin
being battered by both sets
of belligerents. As a result
destruction, starvation,
murder and disease ran rife
through the city’s decimated
streets.
FrederickWil-
liam I, known
as the great
elector, succeeds his fa-
ther Georg Wilhelm as
elector of Brandenburg.
His reign is categorized
by a policy of encourag-
ing immigration and reli-
gious toleration.
The German
empire is found-
ed. Berlin is de-
clared the capital under
the command of Wilhelm
I of Prussia. Berlin’s pop-
ulation skyrockets from
800,000 to 1.5 million in-
habitants.
Kaiser Wilhelm goes into
exile in Holland as riots
break out after Germa-
ny’s heavy defeat in WWI.
Food shortages and left-
ist political aggravation
characterize these tumul-
tuous years, resultantly
the government resigns
and seeks peace with the
allied forces.
At the end of WWI in
1918, a republic was pro-
6
HISTORY 1237
1539
1871
1640
By Thomas Bamford

7. claimed in Berlin. In 1920, the
Greater Berlin Act incorporated
dozens of suburban cities, vil-
lages and estates around Berlin
into an expanded city. This new
area encompassed Spandau and
Charlottenburg in the west, as
well as several other
areas that are now
major municipalities.
After this expansion,
Berlin had a population of around
four million. During the Weimar
era, Berlin became internation-
ally renowned as a centre of cul-
tural transformation at the heart
of the Roaring Twenties.
The darkest hours of Berlin’s his-
tory begin. The American stock
market collapses in 1929. Ameri-
ca would call in all of its foreign
loans and Germany was spared no
slack, even after the massive rep-
arations it was forced to pay un-
der the Treaty of Versailles. This
crippled the economy
of Germany and em-
ployment rose to over
6 million people. As
history has proved over and over,
economic depression causes the
rise of extremism – during this
period National Socialism and
Communism were vying for the
power of German government.
Hitler obtained full power after
claiming emergency powers from
Chancellor Von Hindenburg after
the Reichstag fire. The fire was os-
tensibly caused by Dutch anarchist
Marinus Van Der Lubbe, although
many historians still speculate
that the Nazi’s caused it them-
selves in order to gain emergency
powers.
7
1920
1933

8. HISTORYAfter the fall of
Berlin in WWII,
Berlin is spliced into 4 sec-
tions by the allied powers.
The former population of 4.5
million is almost halved, with
a third of all the city’s histor-
ic buildings and living space
flattened.
Berlin is slashed
in two by the
Berlin Wall. The
Eastern bloc claimed that the
wall was erected to protect
its population from fascist
elements conspiring to pre-
vent the will of the people in
building a socialist state in
East Germany. In operation
however, the wall served only
to prevent the massive emi-
gration & defection (dubbed
the brain-train) leaving for
West Germany. The path
of the wall is marked today
by a double row of cobbles
throughout the city.
A peaceful revo-
lution leads to
the destruction
of the Berlin wall and subse-
quently the dismantling of
the GDR. As communism
began to falter in Poland,
Hungary and Czechoslova-
kia, new exodus points were
opened, breaking a hole in
the iron curtain. On Novem-
ber 9th 1989, East German
official, Gunter Schabowski,
announced that, “perma-
nent relocations can be done
through all border check-
points between the GDR into
the FGR or West Berlin”.
This announcement caused
mass celebrations on both
sides of the wall, many par-
ticipants bringing a chisel
and hammer to take part in
its destruction.
Germany is offi-
cially re-united
by the Grundgesetz consti-
tution article 25. The end
of the process is referred to
as Deutsch Einheit, or Ger-
man Unity. Berlin again
becomes Germany’s capital
and parliament returns to
the Reichstag for the first
time since 1933.
1945
1961
1989
1990

9. 9
Berlin is now a world city of culture, politics, media and science.
Its economy is based loosely on high tech industry and the service
sector. It is a thriving cultural mecca, particularly amongst young
people due to its vibrant nightlife (clubs have no legal obligation
to close) and has become one of the coolest places on the face of the
earth. Berlin is a fully unified and cosmopolitan city and an exciting
destination for travellers.
MODERN DAY BERLIN

10. SURVIVALGUIDE
www.visitberlin.de
Visit Berlin|Official tourist authority info
www.museumsportal-berlin.de
Museums portal|Find information about 200 muse-
ums, memorials and palaces as well as details about
of exhibitions and events
www.exberliner.com
Exberliner|The ultimate city guide from Berlin’s
English - language magazine
www.sugarhigh.de
Sugarhigh|Bilingual daily email magazine featur-
ing the latest in contemporary culture in Berlin - art,
music, fashion, food, film, events, jobs and more.
www.bvg.de
BVG| Berlin’s transport website
useful websites
E Fine, thank you
G Gut, danke
P Goot dang-ke
E Do you speak english?
G Sprechen Sie Englisch?
P Shpre.khen zee eng.lish
E I don’t understand
G Ich verstehe nicht
P ikh fer-shtay-e nikht
E How much?
G Wie viel
P Vee feel?
german phrases
ENGLISH|How are you?
GERMAN|Wie geht’s?
PRONUNCIATION |Vee gahts
By Stephanie Annett

11. 11
Currency|Euro (€) 100 cents = 1€
Language|German
Visas Generally not required for tourist
stays up to 90 days (or at all for EU na-
tionals): some nationalities need a Schen-
gen visa
Money|Cash is king: credit cards are
not widely used, especially in smaller
shops
Mobile Phones|Mobile phones oper-
ate on GSM900/1800. If you have a Euro-
pean or Australian phone, save money by
slipping in a German SIM card
Time| Central European Time (GMT
plus one hour)
Tourist offices|VisitBerlin has offices
at the Hauptbahnhof, the Bradenburg
Gate and on Kurfürstendamm
essential info
Drinking in public is LEGAL!
The blood alcohol limit is
0.05% for drivers and 0.16%
for cyclists. Anyone caught
exceeding this amount is
subject to stiff fines and a
confiscated license.
Cannabis possession is a criminal offense and
punishment ranges from a warning to court
appearances.
EMERGENCY
Ambulance| 112
Fire Department| 112
Police|110
E Where’s ...?
G Wo ist ...?
P Vaw ist
E Cheers!
G Prost!
P Prawst
E I’d like (a beer)
G Ich möchte (ein Bier)
P Ikh merkh.te ein beer
E Where is the toilet?
G Wo ist die Toilette?
P vo ist dee to.a.le.te
legal matters

12. SURVIVALGUIDE Operated under Berliner
Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG),
Berlin has an extensive
public transport net-
work that makes trav-
elling around the city
faster and more conve-
nient. The public trans-
port system includes the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Trams and
Buses. All the train lines are colour-coded, numbered
and labelled to make life easier. Berlin transport area
is divided into three zones: A, B and C.
U-Bahn
The U-Bahn is Berlin’s underground rapid transit
railway and runs within the city boarders.
Mon-Fri – From 4.00-1.00 every 5 or 10 mins
Weekend – 24 hours, every 30mins after midnight
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn is similar to the U-Bahn but it runs
mainly above the ground.
Mon- Fro – From 4.30-1.30
Weekend - 24 hours, every 30mins after midnight
Tram lines
Berlin has an extensive network of tram lines that
run on dedicated sections on the road. The trams
mostly run on the eastern side of Berlin as buses re-
placed trams in west of Berlin during the division.
Mon-Sun – 24 hour service, every 30mins after mid-
night
Airports
There are two airports that serve Berlin; Tegel
and Schönefeld. The Tegel airport can be easily
be reached by the bus services while Schönefeld
airport can be reached both by buses or the S-Bahn.
public transport
By Lily Woi

13. 13
When picking a hostel it is important
to distinguish what you want from the
hostel experience. Do you sacrifice price
for comfort and location? Or cost effi-
ciency to be far away from attractions?
Below are just a few picks of numerous
Berlin Hostels to choose from.
Berlin Circus Hostel
Offering a huge selection of accom-
modation, from beds in dorms to pent-
house apartments, Berlin Circus is a
fantastic option for those with a bit
more money to spend. This hostel of-
fers an all you can eat breakfast, daily
dinner specials in the circus café and
happy hour nightly in the hostel’s bar,
Goldmans. All this is located within
walking distance of the Rosenthaler
Platz U-bahn (A very central location
for nightlife). What you get from con-
venience in this hostel, you pay for in a
slightly higher cost.
Generator Hostel
Prenzlauer Berg Generator is home to
over 890 beds, offering a huge selection
of cheap but effective dorms. Free Wi-Fi
is included and it has a lively bar area
outside (which offers bring your own
BBQ’s nightly in summer). Happy hour
is 18.00-19.00 and the bar runs from
17.00-2.00. Generator is a great cost
effective way of staying in Berlin. It is
located a short walk from Landsberger
Allee S-Bahn station, but is only a short
ride to Alexanderplatz.
accommodation
Weinbergsweg 1a
Mitte |10119
8/10 Bed Dorm €23
4/5 Bed Dorm €27
3 Bed Dorm €31
Double or Twin €33
Single €50
http://www.circus-berlin.de/cir-
cus_berlin_hostel.html
Storkower Straße 160
Prenzlauer Berg | 10407
Dorms from €5, Female Dorms
from €9, private triples from
€10.50, private twins from
€15.50
http://generatorhostels.com/
By Thomas Bamford

14. SURVIVALGUIDE
There is usually a supermarket
within walking distance of every
neighbourhood in Berlin. Ex-
amples of supermarkets include
Rewe, Kaisers, Lidl and Aldi.
Local farmer markets are dotted
over the city and have a great
source of fresh produce.
Shops are closed on Sundays,
except bakeries, souvenir shops
and supermarkets based in the
major train stations including
Hauptbahnhof, Friedrichstraße
and Ostbahnhof.
Having no curfew means
Berliners literally party for
the entire weekend. The bars
and clubs are packed from
dawn to dust and beyond.
The clubs don’t start un-
til around 1.00 and don’t
reach their peak until 3.00 –
5.00am. Choose from under-
ground techno clubs to beach
bars to beer gardens - there
is something in Berlin to suit
everyone’s taste.
Entry into super clubs like
Berghain will set you back
about 14.00€ but the smaller
venues will charge about
5.00€ to 10.00€. Drinks are
relatively inexpensive com-
pared with other cities. A
bottled beer will set you back
approx.. 3€
The dress code is very re-
laxed with high heels and
smart shirts looking out of
place. The best advice is to
stick to simple individual
style in dark colours with flat
shoes.
Cheap fast food is the staple diet
here.
The ultimate cult snack food
is Berlin’s Currywurst. This
consists of sliced fried wiener
swimming in spicy tomato sauce,
topped with curry powder. Check
out Curry 36 for the top dog in
town.
like a berliner...
Educate yourself on local flair.
1) PARTYING
like a berliner.
By Stephanie Annett
2) FOOD SHOPPING
like a berliner.
3) EATING
like a berliner.

15. 15
If you would like to know some
phrases that might come in
handy when approaching those
hot but super shy Germans,
then read on:
Did you know that the ULTI-
MATE hangover prophylaxis,
the good ol’ donor kebab, was
actually invented in Berlin as a
simplified version of a Turkish
speciality? This is street food at
its best and the best stalls have
the queues to prove it. Thinly
shaved roasted veal and fresh
salad, doused with a sauce of
your choice. Select from a combi-
nation of Krauter (herb), scharf
(hot) and Knoblauch (garlic).
Choose from the traditional
donor served in lightly toasted
bread or the slightly less messy
‘Durum’ donor served in tortilla
style flat breads. For a supreme
pig out, have your kebab served
over chips in a donor box.
The humble burger is quickly
becoming an integral part of
Berlin’s fast food scene. Hole in
the wall style burger joints have
been popping up all over the city,
offering greasy beef favourites
and veggi delights at rock bot-
tom prices.
Ich würde gerne der Grund für
Deine schlaflose Nacht sein.
I’d love to be the reason for your
sleepless night.
Hat es sehr weh getan, als du vom
Himmel gefallen bist?
Did it hurt when you fell from
heaven?
Glaubst du an die Liebe auf den
ersten Blick oder, soll ich nochmal
vorbeilaufen?
Do you believe in love at first sight,
or should I walk by again?
Ich hab meine Telefonnummer
verloren. Kann ich deine haben?
I’ve lost my phone number. Can I
have yours?
Bist du oft hier?
Do you come here often?
Du hast schöne Augen!
You have beautiful eyes!
Wenn ich sage, dass du einen
tollen Körper hast, würdest du es
mich spürgen lassen?
If I said you had a beautiful body,
would you hold it against me?
Need extra tips! Try Flirtuniveris-
ity.de for complete flirting courses.
4) FLIRTING
like a berliner.

16. ONLY INBERLIN

17. From the iconic Brandenburger Tor to the über-modern
steel and glass of Potsdamer Platz’s Sony Centre, Berlin’s
architecture is a hotchpotch of the old and new. The city is
also home to an impressively diverse collection of current
and former religious buildings and a range of memorials to
historical events – from the Siegessäule to the Neue Wache.
You’ll soon realise that you’re spoilt for choice if you’re look-
ing to while away some time contemplating a slice of archi-
tectural history often without spending a cent.
17

18. Overlooking the Lustgarten park,
this neo-Baroque cathedral with
its elaborate stonework and strik-
ing copper dome was built by Julius
Carl Raschdorff to replace a more
modest 18th-century structure.
Work began in 1894 and was com-
pleted in 1905. The gold- and mar-
ble-filled cathedral is much more
comfortable than you might expect.
It bears a closer resemblance to a
concert hall than to an actual place
of worship. The vividly-coloured
stained glass windows depicting
scenes from the life of Jesus and the
ornately carved and gilded wooden
pulpit are particularly noteworthy.
The organ is also worth a special
mention as it has an impressive-
ly intricate case and 7 200 pipes.
A suggested route around the build-
ing is clearly signposted, and takes
about an hour. This route covers
the main worship area, a museum
detailing the cathedral’s history and
a walkway up to the dome with fan-
tastic views across the city (though
be warned – it’s not for those who
aren’t keen on steps). The route also
covers the crypt which houses monu-
ments of the Hohenzollern dynasty
– the rulers of Prussia (and Germa-
ny post-unification) from the 15th
century until Kaiser Wilhelm II’s
By Emma Dennison
FEATURE
18
BERLINER DOMAm Lustgarten |Mitte 10178
+49(0)30- 20269-136
S: Hackescher Markt
(Apr-Sept) Mon-Sat 9.00-20.00
| Sun 12.00-20.00
(Oct-Mar) Mon-Sat 9.00-19.00
| Sun 12.00-19.00
7€ standard | 4€ concessions
www.berlinerdom.de

19. abdication in 1918. The
Crypt is particularly worth
visiting on a hot day, es-
pecially after walking up
to the dome, as it is much
cooler than the rest of the
cathedral. If you’d prefer
something more structured,
detailed audioguides in Eng-
lish, German, Spanish or
Italian are available for €3,
or guided tours can be organ-
ised by phoning in advance.
The crypt also houses
temporary exhibitions
and a gift shop that
stocks a wide range of
souvenirs, both of the
cathedral and of Ber-
lin in general. There is
an outdoor café, which
along with the shop,
can be accessed with-
out paying the entrance
fee. The Cathedral also
plays host to a number of concerts
and recitals throughout the year.
19
“The vividly
coloured
stained glass
windows are
particularly
noteworthy”

20. 20
DAS BUDDHISTISCHE HAUS
The Buddhist House
By Lily Woi
Edelhofdamm 54 | Frohnau
13465 S Frohnau
Mon – Sun 09.00-18.00
Free
www.das-buddhistische-haus.
de
Enter through wooden doors and
trek up the long, steep staircase
until you arrive at a Ceylonese-
style building situated at the top of
a hill surrounded by lush greenery.
The Buddhist House is the oldest
Theravada Buddhist temple in
Europe and was founded in 1924
by Dr Paul Dahlke, a homeopathic
doctor and writer. Although this
contemporary-style temple is
architecturally very different from
the temples in Southeast Asia,
you’ll still experience the same
feelings of serenity when you visit.
A Japanese-style garden with
a patio is located behind the
building, where you’ll be able to
take a relaxing walk and soak in
the spiritual essence of this place.
Beautifully-crafted Buddha
statues are dotted around the
whole area. Some overlook
the forest, giving the illusion
that the Buddha is gracing you with
his presence.
Have an enlightening chat about
Buddhism or meditation with
Bhante K. Santharakkhitha, the
resident Buddhist monk from
Sri Lanka. If you’re interested in
learning more about Buddhism
you can visit the temple’s library,
which is filled with an extensive
collection of Buddhist literature.
Free mediation lessons, lectures,
Dhamma talks and Buddhist prayer
sessions are also offered every week.
Everyone is welcome.

21. 21
DENKMAL ZUR ERINNERUNG
AN DIE BÜCHERVERBRENNUNG
Book burning memorial
By Bethany McDowell
Bebelplatz 1 | 10117 Berlin
U Friedrichstraße | Branden-
burger Tor
Free
Hidden away in Bebelplatz, the
Book Burning Memorial is a
piece of artwork by the Israeli
artist Micha Ullman and serves
as a reminder of the Nazi book
burning ceremony which took
place on 10th May, 1933. On this
night, nationalist students burned
over 20,000 books which they
considered ‘un-German’, marking
the beginning of state censorship
and control. Many of these books
had famous and influential authors
such as Albert Einstein, Sigmund
Freud and Franz Kafka.
Called simply ‘Library’ and made
in 1995, the memorial consists of a
small glass window fixed between
cobbles in the ground. It is quite
hard to find but there will be people
gathered round it. Peering through
the window you can see row upon
row of empty white bookcases, with
enough space to house the 20,000
books which were burnt in 1933.
The expanse of these empty shelves
and the way this memorial is hidden
underground raises many questions
about censorship, suppression and
freedom. How could people burn so
many books full of knowledge and
life?
Beside the memorial is a bronze
plaque with the haunting words from
Heinrich Heine’s play, Almansor:
‘Where they burn books, they will in
the end also burn people.’

22. 22
NEUE WACHE
Unter den Linden | Mitte
10117
S + U Friedrichstraße
Mon-Sun 10.00-18.00
Right next to the German History
Museum on Unter den Linden, this
monument provides the perfect
place for a spot of thoughtful
reflection away from the noise of
the city. Built by architect Karl
Friedrich Schinkel and completed
in 1818, the neoclassical Neue
Wache with its impressive
columned façade and pointed
roof served as a guardhouse to
the troops of the Crown Prince of
Prussia.
Since 1931, the building has been
used as a memorial and was first
dedicated to the soldiers who lost
their lives in World War I. The
East German government then
rededicated the memorial after
World War II by lighting an eternal
flame for the victims of fascism
and militarism.
Today, the memorial is home to artist
Käthe Kollwitz’ statue: Mother with
her Dead Son. Standing directly under
the oculus – a perfectly circular hole in
the roof - the statue is vulnerably open
to the elements. Kollwitz’ work depicts
a grieving mother holding her fallen
son, and is dedicated to all victims
of war and tyranny. If you’re lucky
enough to be there on wreath-laying
days, you can witness the changing of
the guards as it used to happen in the
GDR.
By Adam Lambert
The Guardhouse

23. 23
SIEGESSÄULE
Victory Column
By Bethany McDowell
Großer Stern | 10557 Berlin‎
S Tiergarten
(Apr-Oct) 09.30-18.30 |(Nov-Mar)
09.30-17.30
3.00€ standard | 2.50€ conces-
sions
The Victory Column is a monument
to Prussian militarism and was
completed in 1873, two years
after the victory over the French.
However the column has now
been transformed into a symbol of
openness and cosmopolitanism.
Barack Obama chose this
landmark for his speech in July
2008, and in 2006 there was a
giant public viewing area during
the Football World Cup. The gay
pride music festival, ‘Love Parade’,
also used to march through here.
You can see the gilded bronze
statue of Winged Victory standing
on her 67m (220ft) column from the
Brandenburg Gate. She glitters in
the sun and invites you closer. But
don’t follow her blindly through
the traffic; there are underground
tunnels with interactive art
installations to help you reach
your goal safely.
Once there, a climb of around 285
spiralling steps awaits you. This is
not for the faint-hearted or anyone
with a hangover! At the top, the
fresh air and pleasant view of Berlin
are worth the effort. You can spot
most of Berlin’s major landmarks,
such as the Brandenburg Gate and
the Reichstag, albeit in miniature.
This is a fun trip with a great
panoramic view, plus if you pay the
full price of 3.00€, you get 0.50€ off
at Victoria Café opposite the column.

24. 24
ALEXANDERPLATZ
Alexanderplatz | Mitte 10178 S +
U Alexanderplatz
From a medieval cattle market
to an eighteenth-century exercise
ground, Alexanderplatz has seen
a lot of change. A venue for both
the glamorous and cocaine-fuelled
twenties and the November 1984
GDR regime protest, it has always
been an area for people to come
together regardless of motive.
Although not the most visually
appealing space, Alexanderplatz
(or “Alex” to Berliners) holds an
enormous amount of German
history - whether social, cultural
or political.
In the latter half of the
nineteenth century the square
was transformed from a transport
hub to a shopping area, primarily
due to its reconstruction after
World War II. Attempting (and
arguably succeeding) to challenge
the West’s high-rises, the East-
Berlin-constructed Fernsehturm
(TV Tower) still dominates the
skyline today and allows
you to identify the city’s
largest urban square no
matter your location. For 12.50€
you can access the Tower’s rotating
viewing platform for a spectacular
aerial view of the city. Some of the
more inexpensive sights include the
Brunnen der Völkerfreundschaft
(Fountain of Friendship Between
Peoples) and the 1969 World Time
Clock. Both of these serve as
popular meeting places amongst the
bustle. With plans for demolition
and reconstruction constantly on the
table, Alexanderplatz will continue
to be the face of change in Berlin,
so be sure to visit the landmark
sight at one stage of its constantly
evolving timeline.
By Tamarah Green

25. 25
By Benjamin James Brady
Friedrichstraße 44 | 10969 Berlin
U Kochstraße | U Stadtmitte
Mon – Sun 09.00 – 22.00
12.50€ standard | 9.50 concession
http://www.mauermuseum.de/
Perhaps the best-known reminder
of the former Iron Curtain is
Checkpoint Charlie. This once-
heavily-guarded border crossing
may, at first glance, seem to be
the most tourist-infested site
you’ve seen thus far. There might,
however, be a good reason for
this. Amongst all its emotionally
charged history, it’s also known for
being the site of the famous stand-
off between US and Soviet tanks
in 1961, when the world waited in
horror as the prospect of a third
World War loomed uncomfortably
large.
There isn’t much left of this
infamous site apart from a mocked-
up border control booth and two
actors in uniform, with flags and
rifles at their sides. However these
features are merely superfluous.
The fascinating history of the site
can be experienced in the museum
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie. Inside
you can read all about the heroic,
desperate, and ingenious escape
attempts by GDR citizens during
the communists’ reign. Three floors
of memorabilia crammed into small
rooms is a lot to get through, yet it’s
gripping - especially considering the
lengths people went to in order to
escape the leaders they never voted
for. Homemade hot air balloons
and one-man U-boats are just two
examples of the would-be escapees’
ingenuity.
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

26. 26
SANKT-HEDWIGS-KATHEDRALE
Hinter der Katholischen Kirche
3 | 10117 Mitte Berlin
U Französische Straβe
U Hausvogteiplatz
Mon – Sat 10.00-17.00 | Sun
13.00 – 17.00
Free
www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de
Located in Bebelplatz, St Hedwig’s
Cathedral is the most important
Roman Catholic cathedral in
Berlin and serves as the seat of
the city’s archbishop. Consecrated
in 1747, it was the first Catholic
Church to be built in Prussia after
the Protestant Reformation. The
original neo-classical building,
designed to resemble the Pantheon
in Rome, burned down in
1943. It has been replaced by
a modern interior by architect
Hans Schwippert consisting of
two churches with eight different
chapels. Unlike other Catholic
churches, the design is simple and
unconventional.
As well as the tombs of
many bishops of Berlin, the
church also houses the crypt
of Bernhard Lichtenberg, who was
ProvostoftheCathedralChapterfrom
1938. Outspoken against the Nazis’
treatment of Jews and the euthanasia
programmes, he was arrested in 1941
by the Gestapo and imprisoned for
two years after publicly praying for
the persecuted Jews. He later died
en route to Dachau concentration
camp in November 1943, and was beatified
as a martyr in 1996 by Pope John Paul II.
The cathedral’s many attractions
include a room housing a collection
of liturgical vestments and objects,
an impressive organ and a uniquely
designed dome, which is well worth
a visit. Organ recitals are held on
Wednesday at 3.00pm, and guided
tours are available in English upon
request.
By Lily Woi
Saint Hedwigs Cathedral

27. 27
BRANDENBURGER TOR
By Zoe Emilia Robertshaw
Pariser Platz | Mitte 10117
S & U Brandenburger Tor
When picturing Berlin, the
Brandenburg Gate immediately
comes to mind because of it’s
deep-seated historical resonance.
Designed by Carl Gotthard
Langhans and built in the late
eighteenth century, it has since
undergone a few unwilling
makeovers by political giants. The
prime example would be that by
Napoleon, when he kidnapped the
Quadriga of the Goddess of Victory
from atop the Gate and took her
to France as a trophy. She was
happily reinstated in 1841, and
looks down majestically upon the
tourists that flock to Pariser Platz,
the luxurious square adjacent to
the Gate.
After World War II, the Gate
came to symbolise divided Berlin
- it was trapped in the East
until Reunification led to its
appropriation as a symbol of peace.
Visit at dusk on a balmy evening
when the sun’s rays spill across the
columns and in busy seasons, the
various buskers and entertainers
create an atmosphere reminiscent of
a festival. So go ahead and follow in
the footsteps of Barack Obama, who
in June this year made a speech from
beside the Gate, and feel the history
exuding from this landmark that has
become one of the most recognised in
Europe.
Don’t hesitate to walk through Berlin’s
front door and feel like you’ve truly
arrived.
Brandenburg Gate

28. Potsdamer Platz, named after the
nearby town of Potsdam, is an area
of Berlin known for its architecture
and busy environment. Also referred
to as ‘The platz to be’, it is home to
dozens of restaurants, a large shop-
ping centre, several luxurious hotels,
the Sony Centre and many visitors.
Shopping
Potsdamer Platz Arkaden is a large
shopping centre easily accessed
from the S & U-bahn station. In-
side, numerous shops can be found
across several levels. Here you
will find a variety of stores sell-
ing clothes, accessories, food and
drink amongst other things. With
so much on offer here, you could
easily spend a day in the area.
Hotels
This busy quarter is also home to
many glamorous hotels - perhaps the
most deluxe is the Ritz Carlton. Oth-
ers include the Grand Hotel Bellevue
and the Palast Hotel which opened in
the late 19th century. The Fürsten-
hof opened its doors in 1907 and the
Esplanade followed just a year later.
By Natasha Owen
FEATURE
28
POTSDAMER PLATZ
U+S Potsdamer Platz
www.potsdamerplatz.de
www.potsdamer-platz-arkaden.
de
www.deutsche-kinemathek.de/en

29. Entertainment
The Sony Centre is one of the
main highlights of the Platz, bringing
entertainment to the buzzing square.
A large cinema can be found there,
along with the Deutsche
Kinemathek - Museum für
Film und Fernsehen (Film
and Television Museum).
History
Until 1838, this area was
a mere crossroads at one
of Berlin’s city gates. After
the construction of a rail-
way station, the rural area began
to blossom within a few decades. A
period of economic growth after the
creation of the German Empire in
1871 led to a ‘building boom’. In
1882 Germany’s the first electric
streetlights were installed in the
square. The area’s heyday was the
Weimar period, when it was com
pared to Piccadilly Circus and Times
Square, however heavy bombing dur-
ing World War II followed by the con-
struction of the Berlin Wall rendered
Potsdamer Platz unrecognisable.
Architecture
Many architects were
involved in the post-
Reunification building
and redevelopment
of this area in Ber-
lin. Headed by Italian
Renzo Piano (well-
known for building the Centre Pom-
pidou in Paris, and the New York
Times Building), the eight-strong
team’s members have all put their
unique stamp on the magnificent
skyline of the architectural quarter.
29
“THE
PLATZ
TO BE”

30. 30
SCHLOSS CHARLOTTENBURG
Charlottenburg Palace
By Martina Cocci
Spandauer Damm 20-24
Charlottenburg 14059
U Richard-Wagner Platz
Apr-Oct Sun-Tue 10.00-18.00
Nov-March Sun-Tue 10.00-17.00
Mon Closed
This palace was built by Fredrick
III, Elector of Brandenburg, in
1699 as a summer residence for
his wife Sophie Charlotte. It’s
best to allow lots of time to visit
the palace since the tour with the
audio guide, which is included
in the price, takes an hour and a
quarter to complete. It can seem
a little monotonous, but once you
have started to walk through
the royal apartments and rooms
decorated in a variety of styles and
materials you will be transported
back to the period of the Prussian
kings and won’t even notice the
passage of time.
You also have the option of just
visiting one of the palace’s two
wings. The first one, commissioned
by Sophie Charlotte in 1699,
was designed in a Baroque style. The
newer Rococo wing was built after
Sophie Charlotte’s death in 1705.
It contains the state apartments of
Friedrich the Great and the Winter
Chambers of Friedrich Wilhelm II.
One of the characteristic features
of the palace is the collection of
Chinese and Japanese porcelain;
the Porcelain Cabinet is especially
amazing and contains more than
2700 porcelains that convey the
triumph of the light thanks to the
mirrors that surround them.

31. 31
NIKOLAIVIERTEL
Nicholas’s Quarter
By Adam Lambert
Am Nußbaum 3 | Mitte 10178
S + U Alexanderplatz
www.nikolaiviertel-berlin.de
This quaint borough of Mitte
lies just five minutes’ walk
along the banks of the Spree
from Alexanderplatz, and is the
reconstructed historical heart of
Berlin. It was founded around 1200
but badly destroyed during World
War II; many of the buildings
are imitations of the once-grand
medieval architecture.
Often awash with tourists, the
cobbled streets of Nikolaiviertel
boast five museums and numerous
restaurants which specialise
in traditional German cuisine.
Berlin’s oldest church - the St.
Nikolai-Kirche, which gives
the area its name - is the main
point of interest and is now used
as a museum which houses a
permanent exhibition detailing
the history of the church.
Although quaint and picturesque,
the district is perhaps somewhat
lacking in authenticity and is
partly spoiled by the numerous
tacky souvenir shops that clutter
the streets. An attempt to keep the
focus on the history has led to the
installationofnumberedinformation
plaques which adorn the buildings
and outline the district’s interesting
past.
All in all, don’t let the touristy nature
of Nikolaiviertel put you off as many
an interesting holiday photo can
be taken here while discovering
Medieval Berlin.

32. 32
PARK SANSSOUCI
By Thomas Bamford
An der Orangerie 1 | Potsdam
14469
RE: Potsdam Hauptbahnhof |
Bus: Schloss Sanssouci
Tues-Sun 10.00 – 18.00 | Mon
closed
Premium pass (allowing one
day’s entry to all attractions)
19€ | 14€ concessions
http://www.potsdam-park-
sanssouci.de/
30 minutes by Regional Express
train from Berlin are the verdant
gardens of Park Sanssouci,
surrounding the palace of Schloss
Sanssouci. Sanssouci, French for
‘without a care,’ was built between
1745 and 1747 as the summer
residence of Prussian king
Friedrich II (Frederick the Great).
The estate served as a resplendent
retreat for when the King found
ruling the Prussian Empire too
overwhelming.
Arrive early to ensure you have time
to see everything Sanssouci has to
offer. There’s almost too much to
see in one day, so pack plenty of
enthusiasm to get you through
the often lengthy queues. As well
as Schloss Sanssouci, other major
sights include the Neues Palais
(New Palace), the Neuen Kammern
(New Chambers), the Orangery
and Schloss Charlottenhof. The
luxurious 18th-century picture
gallery contains paintings by Van
Dyck, Caravaggio and Rubens.
Schloss Sanssouci’s design was
greatly influenced by Friedrich II
himself, who disregarded many of
his architect’s suggestions. The
rooms have been preserved in all
their splendour, despite Friedrich’s
wish that the Palace last only for his
lifetime and die with him.
Park Sanssouci really is a big visit
so plan your day so that you see as
much as possible. Don’t forget to
take advantage of the audio guides
or guided tours included in the
admission price.

33. 33
By Thomas Bamford
Platz der Republik 1 |
Tiergarten 11011
U Bundestag | U+S
Brandenburger Tor
Dome 8.00-23.00 daily – online
booking required
Free
www.bundestag.de
‘DemDeutschenVolke’–soreads
the iconic inscription above the
entrance to the Reichstag, the
home of Germany’s parliament.
This gift ‘to the German people’
has become emblematic of
the city’s chequered history of
occupation, destruction and
subsequent resurrection.
The imperious building was
erected between 1884 and 1894
and was designed by German
architect Paul Wallot, who
borrowed heavily from Italian
Renaissance and neo-Baroque
styles. Home to Germany’s
parliament until 1933, the
building has since played a
huge part in Berlin’s history.
The Reichstag was burned
down in 1933, ostensibly by the
Communists or perhaps the
Nazis – the debate continues.
The Nazi government used the
building only for propaganda
presentations and, having
been bombed during World
War II, it remained empty
until Reunification. An epic
reconstruction project, overseen
by British architect Norman
Foster, began in 1992. It once
more became a seat of power, this
time for the German Bundestag,
in 1999.
The building’s crowning glory is
now its glass and metal cupola,
a nod to Wallot’s original design.
The dome is open to visitors and
offers a panoramic view of the
city as you scale its futuristic
mirrored interior. A free audio
guide is available, detailing the
building’s history and describing
the views. Book online and well
in advance, especially during
the summer months when it
can get very busy.
REICHSTAG

34. 34
UNTER DER LINDEN
By Thomas Bamford
10117 Mitte
U
Friedrichstraße
Französischer Straße
U+S | Brandenburger Tor
Stretching from East to West,
from the site of the former
Berliner Stadtschloss palace to
the Brandenburg Gate, is Unter
den Linden, the central artery of
Berlin’s Mitte district.
The road was designed by Johann
Georg, Elector of Brandenburg, in
the 16th century so that he could
more easily reach his hunting
ground in the Tiergarten. The
addition of the linden (or lime) trees
was an artistic flourish ordered
by Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I.
Friedrich II (Frederick the Great)
added the Staatsoper Unter den
Linden (Berlin State Opera) in
1741, and was later immortalised
in an iron statue at the street’s
eastern end. Frederick the Great
also added the Prince Heinrich
Palace, which is now Humboldt
University - notable alumni include
Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Otto
von Bismarck and many more.
The street today is a peculiar mix
of museums, such as the Deutsches
Historiches Museum and the Willy
Brandt Museum, and flagship
car showrooms such as those of
Volkswagen, Bentley and Skoda. If
cars aren’t your thing, try the art
gallery underneath the Volkswagen
showroom. There are also several
monuments, such as the Book
Burning Memorial and the Neue
Wache -largely considered Karl
Friedrich Schinkel’s masterpiece
- and of course the ubiquitous
souvenir shops selling a range of tat
for tourists.

35. 35
Red City Hall
By Stephanie Annett
Rathausstraße 15 |10178
Mitte
Free admission
Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm
U+S | Alexanderplatz
This imposing red brick structure
is an unusual blend of Italian
RenaissanceandNorthernGerman
architectural styles. The Rathaus
boasts three courtyards and many
arched windows, and is topped
off with a striking 74-metre-tall
tower. The 19th-century building is
situated in Alexanderplatz, behind
the elaborate Neptunbrunnen
fountain.
The Rathaus was severely
damaged by allied forces in the
Second World War but was quickly
reconstructed in the years after.
Following the division of Berlin,
the Rathaus became the town
hall for East Berlin whilst the
West was governed from Rathaus
Schöneberg.AftertheColdWarand
Reunification, the Rathaus once
again became the administrative
centre for the whole city. It is now
also the seat of Berlin’s mayor, Klaus
Wowereit, and the Senate.
Upon entering the building and
ascending the grand red-carpeted
staircase, you could be forgiven for
imagining you were on the Titanic.
Immerse yourself in the building’s
grandeur and admire the stunningly
intricate chandeliers. Explore the
maze of rooms at your leisure, but
don’t miss the nine-metre-high
orange Pillar Hall; the Hall of Arms,
with coats of arms for all Berlin’s
districts; and the Grand Room, used
for ceremonies. Don’t forget to sign
the guest book when you leave,
and take a sneaky peek at Barack
Obama’s signature.
BERLIN RATHAUS

36. ARTS & CULTURE

37. Berlin is a mecca of art and culture. Thanks to
its low cost of living, Berlin has attracted tons
of artists, musicians and writers over the years.
This means that the city not only showcases
the famous and well-known but also the new
and up-and-coming. The art and culture here
can be seen all around - whether you’re walk-
ing past graffiti or visiting a well-known art
gallery, everything in Berlin is designed to en-
hance your cultural experience.
37

38. 38
KONZERT AM BODE-MUSEUM
Portal
des Bode-Museums, Monbijou-
brücken | Mitte 10117
S Hackescher Markt |U+S
Friedrichstraße
(Jul-Aug) Sun 20.30
Free Entry, Donations welcome.
www.sonntagskonzerte.de
Every Sunday evening in July
and August the steps of the Bode-
Museum onto Monbijoubrücke
become a concert venue, showcasing
varied programmes of lesser-known
chamber works. As traditional
concert halls can be expensive,
this is a more informal way to get
your classical music fix without
worrying about stuffy etiquette.
The audience comprises of all ages
and nationalities, with lots of young
people, so don’t worry about feeling
out of place.
The concert starts at 20.30, however
if you want a seat you should be
there at least half an hour before.
Otherwise sit on the floor or steps
– but don’t expect much space.
The concerts last around two
hours, including an interval, so
Concerts at the Bode-Museum
bring something to sit on and a jacket
as it can get chilly. Wine and beer are
available to buy, though you can also
bring your own. Programmes are free,
and donations are taken during the
interval. Despite the gentle hush that
falls as the music begins, audience
members come and go as they please,
though the encores are usually worth
the wait.
Despite the comings-and-goings, the
music can easily be heard thanks to
speakers and the lighting ensures a
clear view even as the sun sets. As
a way to spend a Sunday evening in
Berlin, watching the sunset over a
beautiful building accompanied by
wonderful music for next to nothing
has to be one of the best.
By Emma Dennison

39. 39
EAST SIDE GALLERY
By Benjamin James Brady
Mühlenstraße | 10243 Berlin
U Warschauer Straße | S
Warschauer Straße
Open 24 hours
Free
www.eastsidegallery-berlin.de
If you haven’t quite got your fix of
what the coolest city in world has
to offer; if you want the rawest
kind of cultural significance that
is also completely free, then the
East Side Gallery in Mühlenstraße
is a serious must-see. A 1.3km
remnant of something as simple
as a wall, used to divide people,
cultures, ideas and ways of
life, this weighty and utterly
discriminating divider is now one
of the largest outdoor galleries in
the world. It was commissioned
and decorated by dozens of
international artists in 1990, soon
after Germany’s reunification.
The original works have been
somewhat eroded by time, and in
many cases distastefully defaced,
but the murals still shine through.
You get the distinct feeling that
reunification was a time of sincere
jubilation, when many felt a need
to make a mark, a warning, and a
celebration. You just have to gaze
uponDmitriVrubel’swrydepictionof
communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev
and Erich Honecker kissing to even
begin to understand how powerful it
feels, how poignant it is. All lovers of
graffiti and revolutionary art should
be in their element here. For 1.00€
you can also have a GDR stamp in
your passport so you can say you’ve
literally been there and crossed the
border. Who knows where it will
take you?

40. 40
MUSEUM FÜR GEGENWART
Invalidenstraße 50-51 | 10557
Berlin
U: Naturkundemuseum | S:
Hauptbahnhof
Tue – Sun 10.00 – 18.00 |Thur
10.00 – 20.00 | Mon Closed
14€ Standard | 7€ concession
www.hamburgerbahnhof.de
If you only have a few hours to
absorb some of Berlin’s menagerie
of creativity on offer it would
have to be done in Hamburger
Bahnhof. No, it’s not some kind
of gallery/fast food outlet - it is,
in all its magnificence, 10,000
sq ft of contemporary art housed
in a former 19th century train
station bordering the district
of Mitte. On entering the cool,
lofty, whitewashed interior you
have the chance to view an ever-
changing array of temporary,
cutting-edge exhibitions. But the
main attraction is its permanent
exhibition, at the centre of which
is the Marx Collection. A humble
assortment of 20th-century
gems was made available to
Hamburger Bahnhof
the viewing public by Berlin
entrepreneur Erich Marx in 1982,
and Berliners and tourists alike flock
to see it. There is nothing quite like
standing idly among giant fragments
of some of the past century’s most
notable, and I’m talking about the likes
of Warhol’s ‘Chairman Mao’, and early
collage ‘Pink Door’ by Rauschenberg.
Lichtenstein, Cy Twombly and Joseph
Beuys also feature in the collection
that offers an exciting focus on a
predominantly American theme from
the 1960s and 1970s. Even if you are
indifferent to the above-mentioned
and think it’s not your thing, the free
guided tour on Saturdays and Sundays
at 12pm is well worth it and will leave
you all the more thirsty for what this
great city has to offer.
By Benjamin James Brady

41. 41
SAMMLUNG BOROS
Boros Collection
By Benjamin James Brady
Reinhardtstraße 20 | 10117
Berlin Mitte
U Oranienburger Tor
Thur – Sun | Viewing by ap-
pointment only
10€
www.sammlung-boros.de
A bunker, an imposing structure,
sits stoic and stark amongst its
neighbouring city buildings. Built
as an air-raid shelter during
World War II, it’s had a myriad of
uses over the years: Soviet prison,
textile factory, and exotic fruit and
vegetable warehouse (during
which time it became known as the
“banana bunker”) Today it’s owned
by avid art collector and enthusiast
Christian Boros and holds and
exhibits, in slow rotation, his vast
collection of contemporary art. The
first exhibition opened in 2008 and
lasted for four years; the second
opened in 2012 and is still going. It
has a labyrinthine interior, with 80
rooms lit with bare strip lighting.
It’s scantily decorated in the ‘white
cube’ style,
with bare concrete walls. Some
rooms are tiny, dark and close,
while others have been hollowed out
and seem vast, bearing the scars of
renovation. Installations fill and
complement the space, paintings
loom in corridors, and giant
photographic works are stylishly
hung. It’s gritty - and bunker like.
You need to book way in advance for
the guided tour, so allow a few weeks.
The tour is available in German
and English, and takes about 1.5
hours. It’s well worth the money
and is thoroughly engaging
and thought-provoking.

42. 42
SAMMLUNG SCHARF-GERSTENBURG
Schloßstraße 70 | Charlottenburg
14059
U Richard-Wagnerplatz |
S Westend
Tues-Sun 10.00-18.00
Entrance included with Museum
Berggruen Ticket
www.smb.museum
Ever wondered how to turn a
horse’s rear-end into a skull?
Welcome to ‘Surreal Worlds’ - the
exhibition at Sammlung Scharf-
Gerstenburg that will introduce
you to a whole new way of looking
at the world.
Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg
holds the Dieter Scharf Collection
in memory of Otto Gerstenberg
(1848-1935), an art collector who
assembled one of the largest
art collections of his time. His
grandsons, Walter Scharf (1923-
1996) and Dieter Scharf (1926-
2001), inherited his passion for art
and continued to acquire pieces for
the collection.
The exhibition holds more then 250
paintings, sculptures and
lithographs, and includes
works by Dalí, Magritte
and Miró to name but a
Scharf-Gerstenburg Collection
few. It shows a world of marvels and
metamorphoses, as the artists merge
dreams with reality.
There are films here too: Luis Buñuel
and Salvador Dalí’s critical view of the
bourgeoisie can be seen in the shocking
surrealist film ‘Un Chien Andalou,’
which runs on loop along with other
films made by contemporary artists.
Marx Klinger’s series of lithographs
entitled ‘Glove’ is also a must-see,
and the free audio guide explains the
diverse representations of the psyche
in each picture.
As for creating a skull out of a horse’s
backside, you will just have to go and
see that for yourselves.
ByBethany McDowell

43. 43
KW INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY
ART
By Benjamin James Brady
Auguststraße 69 | 10117 Mitte
Tue – Sun 12.00 – 19.00 | Thur
12.00 – 21.00 | Mon closed
U Rosenthaler Platz
S Hackescher Markt
6€ standard | 4€ concession
www.kw-berlin.de/en
One of the main showcases for
exciting contemporary art in Berlin
is Kunst Werke. It is renowned
for its repertoire of shows and
hosts many artists from around
the world. Because of its diverse
and forward thinking approach to
the art exhibited, it’s no wonder
they get a lot of international
recognition.
The interior of the gallery is
made up of small, quiet, separate
spaces. As you meander through,
musing on the strange and
unique installations, the gallery
eventually opens up into a
cavernous hall-like basement
whichechoes your careful footsteps
and leads down to a further bare-
brick-walled dungeon space. The
curators use the space well and
display the work sensitively.
Go back through the reception area
and take the stairs up to floor 3 ½,
where there is more to see before
heading down to the courtyard for
a much-needed coffee. The shows
change three to four times a year
so there is always something fresh
and new to engage in, and you don’t
have to ‘know’ anything about art
to appreciate them. Perturbed?
Gobsmacked at what you see?
Places like this exist to open your
mind and encourage you to question
things, not to be content with the
norm - whatever you count that to
be.

44. 44
SCHWULES MUSEUM
Lützowstraße 73 | Tiergarten
10785
U Nöllendorfplatz
U Kurfürstenstraße
Sun, Mon, Weds-Fri 14.00-18.00 |
Sat 14.00-19.00 | closed Tues
6€ | 4€ concessions
www.schwulesmuseum.de
Founded in 1985, this is the
world’s largest (and Europe’s only)
museum dedicated to homosexual
culture. It aims to archive,
research and communicate the
history and culture of the lesbian,
gay, trans, bisexual, intersex
and queer communities. The 300
exhibits show visitors how gay
men and women have lived, fought
and partied over the centuries.
Explore the execution of “gay”
monks in the 1500s in Ghent, and
the life story of Einar Wegener -
the first person to receive gender
reassignment surgery in the
1930s. Learn how bodybuilding
helped the acceptability of nude
photography and how the state-
funded BerlinAIDS project created
a new social acceptance of
homosexuality.
Gay Museum
Temporary exhibitions keep the space
dynamic, and the current exhibition
commemorates the lives of Jewish
homosexuals in the Third Reich. It
includes twenty four biographies
representing the experiences of
homosexual Jews under the Nazis:
from exile, deportation and murder to
survival and post war life.
Until a new permanent exhibition is
installed in 2014, you can visit the
interim exhibition “Transformations”.
It details, through art, lifestyles and
identities beyond heteronormative
gender classifications. Same-sex
relationships are still taboo and
criminalised in many parts of the
world, and this museum offers an
understanding in order to admonish
inequalities.
By Stephanie Annett

45. 45
MUSEUM FΫR FILM UND FERNSEHEN
Museum of Film and Television
By Zoë Emilia Robertshaw
Potsdamer Straße 2 | Tiergarten
10785
S + U Potsdamer Platz
Tue-Wed 10:00 - 18:00
Thu 10:00 - 20:00 | Fri-Sun 10:00
- 18:00
7€ standard | 4.50€ concession
http://www.deutsche-kinemathek.
de/en
From sci-fi to silent films, this
museum charts the evolution of
German cinema throughout the
country’s turbulent history. Its
location in Potsdamer Platz suits
the metallic interior and futuristic
layout of the exhibition. Having
taken the lift that whisks you to
the third floor of the building, you
enter the first gallery: a geometric
hall of mirrors which combines
your own reflection with the faces
of silent film stars. The dusky
lighting and tinny background
music transport you back to the
1920s; as the caption tells you,
‘the language of silent film is
international’. The remainder
of the exhibition is structured
chronologically, exploring films
that were released at the time
of the Weimar Republic’s demise;
films censored by the Nazi Ministry
of Propaganda; and anarchic post-
World-War-II films. German film
star Marlene Dietrich is at the heart
of the exhibition: her costumes are
displayed in a circular room in the
centre and the walls are peppered
with photographs of her. The audio
guide is worth the 2€ charge as it
gives invaluable information on
notable exhibits such as props and
models of film sets. The television
exhibition, however, is less engaging
for the non-German-speaker as
the television programmes in the
Museum’s archive are only available
to watch in German.

46. Auguststraße is known as Ber-
lin’s main gallery area. An area
that encapsulates the thriving na-
ture of the avant-garde, a hive of
creativity that has turned into a
magnet for all those looking for
contemporary art and culture, be
it gallery spaces or chic eateries.
Auguststraße was a predominantly
Jewish neighbourhood before World
War II. When the wall came down in
1989, buildings stood unused, aban-
donedfromthedaysoftheGDR. Gal-
leries and young creative types knew
how to take advantage of the cheap
rent and cost of living. They moved
into the area, thus establishing it as
the centre of the German art scene.
Standing proudly amidst August
Street, is the former Jewish School
for Girls. It was designed by promi-
nent architect Alexander Beer in
the so-called ‘New Objectivity’ style,
emphasizing function over form.
Looking from the outside it’s
dark and imposing. The inside,
however, is elegant and flow-
ing with mosaic tiled floors,
Mitte | 10117 Berlin
U Rosenthaler Platz
S Oranienburger Straße
August Street
high ceilings and large metal framed
windows. Previously unused for ten
years, it held the 4th Berlin Bien-
nale in 2006. It reopened in 2012
and now houses several indepen-
dent art galleries and a museum
devoted to former U.S. president
John F. Kennedy and his family.
More art galleries line the street,
from smaller outfits to larger insti-
tutions like Kunst Werke and the
ME Collectors Room. Kunst Werke,
in particular, brings a lot of inter-
national attention because of its
By Benjamin James Brady
FEATURE
AUGUSTSTRASSE
46

47. interest in showing work from art-
ists around the globe. Be prepared
to be immersed, shocked, chal-
lenged and surprised when visit-
ing. The street is also
home to a number of inde-
pendent fashion designers.
It can be a long old stroll
if you want to experience
it all in one sitting but
there is no shortage of cof-
fee shops. For a little pick
me up try Factory Girl, Au-
guststraße 29. They serve
tasty variations on coffee
(Cappuccino with Banana
nectar), homemade lem-
onade and numerous well-craft-
ed sweets and desserts. Break-
fast and lunch are offered all day.
As you’d expect from such an
area, there are also many restau-
rants and music venues that give
Auguststraße a reputation for being
an equally trendy spot for nightlife.
For dinner choose between; Italian
(Al Contadino Sotto Le StelleSlow),
French (Brasserie
Nord Sud), Span-
ish (Restaurant Ruz)
or German (Clärch-
ens Ballhaus). For
something a little
more dynamic try
Shiso Burger, they
offer an interesting
Asian inspired take
on gourmet junk food.
Auguststraße is lit
up beautifully in the
evening and is humming with peo-
ple taking in the night. The atmo-
sphere, especially during the sum-
mer months, is languid and sultry.
There is a real mix of people and
it seems so relaxing that you could
easily spend your entire
trip here, drinking it all up.
47
“An area that
encapsulates
the thriving
nature of
avant-garde”

48. 48
BAUHAUS ARCHIV
Klingelhöferstraße 14
10785 Berlin
S Nollendorfstraße
Weds-Mon 10.00-17.00
www.Bahaus.de
In 1919 Walter Gropius (the
Bauhaus school founder) foresaw a
new age in which civilization would
become highly mechanized. He
subsequently set up the Bauhaus
school which purported a new
way of teaching so that students
would learn to become excellent
craftspeople in workshop. The
maxim of the school was to create
products in which ‘function, not
tradition’ should influence design.
The exhibition is split into the
different Bauhaus schools:
ceramics, photography,
stone carvings, weaving and
architecture. The combined goal
of each school is to amalgamate
all of the schools into creating a
‘total’ work of art in which all arts,
including architecture, would be
brought together. Gropius
realized his vision in the
Bauhaus Archive
iconic design of the utopian Bauhaus
Archiv building with its iconic shed
roofs cutting the suburban skyline.
You will be surprised at just how many
of the Bauhaus products are instantly
familiar, for example Marcel Bruers
‘tubular chair’, the first of its design,
with no hind legs.
The highlight of the Archiv is the
architecture section, where the display
exhibits internal Bauhaus school
competitions between architects
to create a ‘Bauhaus settlement’.
Perusing the Modernist housing
models, notably the Red Cube by
Monarth and Monarth and Ludvig von
Der Rohe’s high rise at Fredrichstraße,
it is difficult not to see the Bauhaus
movement’s inspiration on modern
Berlin architecture.
Audioguides are available for a 20€
deposit and are advised, given the
interactive nature of the presentation.
By Thomas Bamford

49. 49
ALTE NATIONALGALERIE
Old National Gallery
By Martina Cocci
Reinhardtstraße 20 | 10117
Bodestraße 1-3 | 10178 Berlin
U+S Hackescher Markt
Sun-Tue 10.00-18.00 | Thu
10.00-20.00 | Mon Closed
www.smb.museum
This art gallery offers an ex-
tensive collection of 19th century
works of art, created between the
French Revolution and the First
World War and ranging in style
from Neoclassicalism to the Suc-
cession. Not only are the works
– which are primarily paintings
- worth seeing, but the Neoclassi-
cal-style gallery itself is also very
attractive. At its entrance you
will find a luxurious red carpet,
covering a bright white marble
staircase. The lower floor is made
up of two sections: one dedicated
to realism, where you will find
the major works by Mezel, Con-
stable and Curbet, and the other
contains Neoclassical sculptures,
such as Canova’s Ebe and Begas’
Amor and Psyche. When you
reach the second floor, you en-
ter a small room with a high blue
dome that contrasts with the Neo-
baroque sculptures which line it.
On the third floor you find yourself
in the “Goethezeit und Romantik”
(Goethe-era and Romantic) section,
featuring masterpieces by Caspar
David Friedrich, Karl Friedrich
Schinkel and other key figures of
the Romantic and Biedermeier
schools. The schools covered on
this floor include Idealism, Real-
ism and Impressionism, and works
by Monet, Manet, Liebermann and
Feuerbach. Visiting the whole gal-
lery takes more or less two hours,
and an informative audio guide is
included in the price.

50. 50
HAUPTSTADT ZOO
Hardenbergplatz 8
District 10787
U + S – Zoologischer Garten
Mon-Sun 09:00-19.00
Zoo only ticket
13€ standard | 10€ concession
Zoo and Aquarium combi-ticket
20€ standard | 15€ concession
www.zoo-berlin.de
As zoos go, Berlin’s is one of the
biggest in Europe, covering a
massive 84 acres. The number
and diversity of animals here far
exceeds what most zoos can offer.
Holding around 1500 different
species,themainhighlightsinclude
lions, brown bears, arctic wolves,
a giant panda, elephants, a polar
bear, penguins and kangaroos.
Its vast size can be daunting, and
makes it very easy to miss several
of the animal exhibits, so make
sure you set aside at least half a
day to explore. A suggested route
covers everything, but following
it is definitely not an easy task!
Additionally, the lack of
English on the information
boards means that without a good
understanding of German you have
little hope of learning much about the
animals. The best way to enjoy your
day here is to stroll leisurely around
the wide leafy green footpaths, ice
cream in hand. The animal pens have
varied layouts, and some transport
you to a Lion King-style savannah.
Many pens are of a good size, leaving
the animals plenty of space to roam.
However the bare concrete indoor lion
cages are small - quite a depressing
sight considering the distressed pacing
of the lions inside.
By Tom Shipman

51. 51
GEMÄLDERGALERIE
Old Master Paintings
By Bethany McDowell
Stauffenbergstraße 40
Tiergarten 10785
U+S Potzdamer Platz
Tues-Sun 10.00-18.00
Thurs 10.00-22.00
10.00€ standard
5.00€ for concessions
www.smb.museum
Opened in 1998 and housing
works by true masters of their
time - including Albecht Dürer,
Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul
Rubens and Gainsborough, as well
as one of the largest collections
of Rembrandts in the world - the
Gemäldergalerie is a veritable
encyclopaedia of western painting.
One of the gallery’s highlights is
‘Amor Victorious’ by Caravaggio
which depicts Eros, representing
physical love, as more powerful
than any other human endeavour.
This is displayed next to
Giovanni Baglione’s ‘Sacred
Love Versus Profane Love’ which
was commissioned by a Roman
bishop in response to the scandal
of Caravaggio’s piece. It is clear
which painting is triumphant.
The gallery’s works contain many
surprising symbolic representations
of love and sin. For example, a
cucumber represents how the
mother of God was preserved from
original sin in Carlo Crivelli’s
‘Madonna and Child Enthroned,’
and the subject of Sebastiano
de Piombo’s ‘Portrait of a Young
Woman’ makes a V-sign with her
fingers - displaying either virtuosity
or vivaciousness. She does, however,
have a certain coquettish gleam in
her eye…
This is a fantastic display of art,
demonstrating how the old masters
explored and developed art and
its subject matter through time.
The free audio guide is highly
recommended as it explains
symbols that might otherwise
be overlooked.

52. 52
SINGUHR - HÖRGALERIE
Wasserspeicher Belforter
Straße (Main Room) and
Diedenhoferstraße (Second Room)
| 10405 Prenzlauer Berg
U - Senefelderplatz
Wed-Sun 14.00-20.00
4€ standard | 3€ concession
www.singuhr.de
For the past 10 years the Singuhr
Sound Gallery has been Berlin’s
main venue for sound art
installations. The unique Singuhr
project has hosted over 80 different
exhibits since its foundation. The
gallery is split into two different
locations, both within Prenzlauer
Berg’s historic water reservoirs.
Head to the main gallery first, pull
back the curtain at the entrance
and step into an eerie pitch
black room. The gallery’s damp
concrete labyrinthine structure
coupled with the creepy whistling
wind will send shivers down your
spine. Were it not for the various
wind chimes which are situated
at random intervals around
this dark maze, you could
Singuhr Sound Gallery
more easily believe yourself to be on
the set of a horror film than in a sound
gallery. The spotlights above the wind
chimes mean that you can see as well
as hear the physical interaction of
the wind with the instruments. Once
you’ve explored the main gallery,
head around to the other side of the
reservoir and enter room two. Here
you can find a variety of exhibits, such
as a loud rotating mirror at the room’s
centre which swings around reflecting
sharp rays of light into your face.
By Tom Shipman

53. 53
MUSEUM BERGGRUEN
By Bethany McDowell
Schloßstraße 1 | 14059
Charlottenburg
U Richard-Wagnerplatz | S
Westend
Tues-Sun 10.00-18.00
10.00€ standard | 5.00€ for
concessions
www.smb.museum/mb
This modern art gallery is
particularly worth seeing if you
are a Picasso fan. Or if you would
simply like to learn more about
modernist art, then this is a good
place to start.
The museum is located directly
opposite Charlottenburg Palace.
Once used as officers’ barracks,
the building has been refurbished
into a stylish gallery with small
rooms which disperse the crowd
and make you feel like you’re
on a private tour. The museum
is named after Berlin-born art-
collector Heinz Berggruen (1914-
2007), who assembled the vast
collection displayed here over a
period of 40 years. Berggruen was
a known Picasso enthusiast and
there are over 120 pieces of the
Spaniard’s work in the museum.
The exhibition gives you a fantastic
overview of Picasso’s artistic
development through the different
stages of his life. The collection also
includes the painting ‘Nu Juane’,
one of the first studies for ‘Les
Demoiselles d’Avignon’, which was
acquired by Berggruen’s family in
2005 for a cool $13.7 million.
Also on display are over 70 works by
Paul Klee alongside many of Henri
Matisse’s works, including some of
his famous paper cut outs, as well
as works by Alberto Giacometti,
Georges Braque, Henri Laurens
and Paul Cézanne.

54. 54
AQUARIUM BERLIN
Budapester Straße 32 |
Tiergarten 10787
U+S Zoologischer Garten
Mon-Sun 09:00-18:00
Aquarium only ticket - 13€
standard | 10€ concession
Zoo and Aquarium combi-ticket -
20€ standard | 15€ concession
www.aquarium-berlin.de
Berlin’s aquarium was built in
1913 as part of the Zoological
Garden complex. Comprising
three floors, it is one of Germany’s
largest aquariums and is home
to a vast variety of not only fish
but also amphibians, reptiles
and insects. You enter on the
ground floor, which is home to the
aquarium’s entire collection of fish.
The walls are lined with tanks,
full of exotic and brightly-coloured
fish, which stretch the length of
the long thin room. Towards the
end of the room the tanks get
larger, and here several sharks
can be viewed - including
blacktip reef sharks, sand
tiger sharks and nurse
sharks. Once you’ve explored the fish
section in full, head upstairs to the
reptile floor. The highlight of this floor
is most definitely the crocodile hall,
which was the world’s first ever walk-
through enclosure. It is an Indiana
Jones style walk-through, where from
the bridge you can view crocodiles and
turtles below. The final floor plays host
to the likes of frogs, toads and some
deadly spiders and scorpions. Once
you have finished exploring the three
floors, there is a reasonably priced
café selling hot dogs for 3€ where you
can rest before perhaps visiting the
zoo next door.
By Tom Shipman

55. 55
KONZERTHAUS BERLIN
Berlin Concert Hall
By Emma Dennison
Gendarmenmarkt 2 | Mitte 10117
U Stadtmitte
Foyer (Apr-Oct) 11.00-18.00
Box office Mon-Sat 12.00-19.00 |
Sun 12.00-16.00
www.kozerthaus.de
Home to the Berlin
Konzerthausorchester, this
neoclassical concert hall was built
in the early 19th century by Karl
Friedrich Schinkel. Originally
known as the Schauspielhaus
and used mainly for theatre and
opera, the Konzerthaus was
reconstructed in the 1960s after
being damaged by World War II
bombing and reopened in 1984 in
its current form.
The exterior is dominated by its
huge red-carpeted staircase and
Ionic portico, which is often home
to groups of tourists enjoying ice-
cream. The building is topped by
a sculpture of Apollo, the god of
music and poetry, riding a chariot.
The main venue of the
Konzerthaus, the Große Saal,
seats around 1500. A complete
and faithful reconstruction of
Schinkel’s design, the light yet
opulent décor, accented with gold,
is characteristic of the architect’s
style. The walls are adorned with
busts of notable composers and the
room is lit by fourteen gleaming
chandeliers.
Other rooms are similarly
decorated, with pastel colours and
figures from classical mythology
present throughout. As well as the
Konzerthausorchester, the venue
plays host to many other famous
orchestras and soloists. It was also a
favourite of the American composer
and conductor, Leonard Bernstein.
Books, CDs and postcards are
available to buy from the foyer
and box office and there is also a
café with both indoor and outdoor
seating.

56. This late 17th-century square
is framed by three of Berlin’s
architectural gems; the Franzö-
sischer Dom (French Cathedral)
to the north, the Konzerthaus
to the east and the Deutscher
Dom (German Cathedral) to the
south. The name Gerdarmen-
markt comes from the French
Huguenot Gens d’Armes regi-
ment, who used the land for
stables in the 18th century. The
square was heavily bombed dur-
ing World War II, and later un-
derwent extensive reconstruc-
tion. Under the DDR, the square
was renamed Platz der Akademie
(after the Academy of Sciences),
but reverted back to its origi-
nal name after Reunification.
The Deutscher Dom was
built in 1708 for the German
Protestant-Reform com-
Mitte 10117
U: Stadtmitte | Französische
Straße
Französischer Dom
Tues-Sun 12.00-17.00
Französischer Dom Viewing Plat-
form daily 12.00-17.00
Huguenot Museum Tues-Sat 12.00-
17.00 | Sun 11.00-17.00
munity, and the tower and dome
were added in 1785. After being
bombed during World War II it
was rebuilt in 1993, whereby the
interior was remodelled to house
an exhibition on democracy in
Germany. Despite its name, the
church (like the Französischer
Dom) was never a cathedral in the
traditional sense and instead gets
its name from its domed tower.
By Emma Dennison
FEATURE
GENDARMENMARKT
56

57. The Französischer Dom was built
between 1701 and 1705 by the
community of French Huguenot
refugees. They came to Berlin at
the invitation of Friedrich III af-
ter they were exiled from France
in 1699. The building
was modelled on the Hu-
guenot church in Cha-
renton, France, which
had been destroyed in
1688. Like those of the
Deutscher Dom, the
Franzosischer Dom’s Co-
rinthian porticoes, tower
and dome were added in
1785. This provides the
square with a pleasing
symmetry. As well as still
being a place of worship
and a concert venue, the com-
plex also houses the Huguenot
museum and a viewing platform.
In the centre of the square, in
front of the neo-classical Konzer-
thaus, there is a white marble
statue of German poet Friedrich
Schiller. The head of the statue
was copied from an earlier bust
by Johann Heinrich Dannecker.
The pedestal is decorated with
figures representing Lyric Poetry,
Drama, History and Philosophy.
Erected in 1869 and designed by
Reinhold Begas, the
statue was removed
by the Nazis in the
1930s and was not
replaced until 1988.
The square is home
to many buzzing
restaurants and ca-
fés, and is conve-
niently located near
to the shopping hub
of Friedrichstraße.
The many benches
and green spaces make it an ide-
al spot for people-watching and
several buskers are on hand to
keep you entertained. It’s also a
feature on many walking and cy-
cling tours, ensuring there’s
always a varied crowd.
57
“The many
benches and
green spaces
make it an ide-
al spot for peo-
ple-watching”

58. 58
MONSTERKABINETT
Rosenthaler Strasse 39
10178 Berlin
16.00-22.00 Fri and Sat
Thurs 18.00-22.00
S Wienmeisterstrasse
U Hackescher Markt
Standard 8.00€
Concessions 5.00€
www.monsterkabinett.de
Located among the remnants
of the former East Berlin is
the nightmarish art display
Monsterkabinett. When you
enter Haus Schwarzenburg, a
square festooned with street art
spared from gentrification, you
pass by a bizarre moving metal
sculpture and then descend the
spiral staircase to this surreal
underground world.
Inspired by the dreams of artist
Hannes Heiner, it is a menagerie
of computer controlled mechanical
monsters, techno beats and strobe
lighting. Bop along with ‘Puppi’
the techno loving go-go dancer or
hangout with ‘Orangina’, the
twirling six legged doll. Be
Monster Cabinet
mesmerized and surprised by moving
life sized ants and robots trying to
steal a kiss.
The labyrinth of murky darkness and
mirrored rooms will astound, enthrall
and perhaps even frighten you. Visit
this display for hellish art you will
never forget.
Created and maintained by the art
collective known as Dead Pigeons
guided tours are available on Fridays,
Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Admission is quite pricey at 8.00€ and
it is not suitable for kids under the age
of 6.
By Stephanie Annett

59. 59
BOROS COLLECTION
By Benjamin James Brady
Reinhardtstraße 20 | 10117
Berlin Mitte
U Oranienburger Tor
Thur – Sun | Viewing by ap-
pointment only
10€
www.sammlung-boros.de
A bunker, an imposing structure,
sits stoic and stark amongst its
neighbouring city buildings. Built
as an air-raid shelter during
World War II, it’s had a myriad of
uses over the years: Soviet prison,
textile factory, and exotic fruit and
vegetable warehouse (during
which time it became known as the
“banana bunker”) Today it’s owned
by avid art collector and enthusiast
Christian Boros and holds and
exhibits, in slow rotation, his vast
collection of contemporary art. The
first exhibition opened in 2008 and
lasted for four years; the second
opened in 2012 and is still going. It
has a labyrinthine interior, with 80
rooms lit with bare strip lighting.
It’s scantily decorated in the ‘white
cube’ style,
with bare concrete walls. Some
rooms are tiny, dark and close,
while others have been hollowed out
and seem vast, bearing the scars of
renovation. Installations fill and
complement the space, paintings
loom in corridors, and giant
photographic works are stylishly
hung. It’s gritty - and bunker like.
You need to book way in advance for
the guided tour, so allow a few weeks.
The tour is available in German
and English, and takes about 1.5
hours. It’s well worth the money
and is thoroughly engaging
and thought-provoking.

60. MUSEUMS

61. Berlin has one of the most extensive and diverse
ranges of museums in the world. Whether you’re
interested in antiquities, science or Germany’s
varied and chequered history, you’re sure to find
something that appeals. From the world-famous
Ishtar Gate of Babylon to punk-rock legend
Johnny Ramone’s jeans, there’s almost nothing
you won’t be able to find on display somewhere.
So the only question is, where to start?!
61

62. 62
JÜDISCHES MUSEUM
Lindenstraße 9-14 | 10969
Berlin
U Bahn Hallesches Tor
Mon 10.00-22.00 | Tues-Sun
10.00-20.00
7.00€ standard | 3.50€ for con-
cessions
www.jmberlin.de
The Jewish Museum documents
the whole history of the Jews
in Germany, however the most
interestingandpoignantpartofthe
museum is the uncompromising
way in which it presents the
Holocaust.
By using a zigzag design
intercepted by a straight line, the
award-winning architect, Daniel
Libeskind, invites visitors to read
between the lines before they even
enter the museum.
Throughout the museum you are
encouraged to remember, explore
and reflect on the past. The
galleries have a disorientating
interior, with sloping floors,
and exhibit many victims’
belongings and photographs
alongside
their stories. There are also
thought-provoking works of art and
commemorative spaces such as the
Garden of Exile, an outdoor courtyard
with tall grey columns topped by olive
trees, the Holocaust Tower, a 24-metre-
high empty space, and the Memory
Void, with 10,000 carved bronze faces
which stare up at you as you step over
them.
Remembering the Holocaust is a
complex process and one that has
taken years to develop. But Libeskind
has done a remarkable job and it is no
wonder that 350,000 people visited the
museum’s empty shell before it opened
in September 2001. An audio guide is
just 3€ and offers an excellent insight
into the thought process behind the
museum.
By Bethany McDowell
Jewish Museum

63. 63
MUSEUM BLINDENWERKSTATT OTTO
WEIDT
By Adam Lambert
Rosenthaler Straße 39 | Mitte
10178
U Weinmeister Straße
Mon-Sun 10.00-20.00
www.museum-blindenwerkstatt.
de
A backstreet just off Rosenthaler
Straße now serves as a street
artists’ canvas but, in 1936,
it was home to Otto Weidt’s
Blindenwerkstatt (Workshop for
the Blind). The museum now
occupies the former workshop it
documents and recounts Weidt’s
personal stories and those of his
employees, most of whom were
blind or deaf Jews.
Non-jewish himself, Weidt
opposed the Nazi regime and
took it upon himself to help those
he could. Through employment
in his workshop, many of his
workers avoided deportation to
concentration camps as their work
of manufacturing brooms and
brushes was deemed vital for the
war effort.
During the war it became ever
more difficult to avoid persecution
and so Weidt took radical action.
Forging identity cards with fake
German names meant workers like
Inge Deutschkron could escape to a
new life abroad. Others weren’t as
fortunate. Before being discovered
by the Gestapo, the Jewish Horn
Family took shelter in the secret,
dark, windowless room at the back
of the workshop. That same room
now forms what is perhaps the most
poignant piece in the exhibition.
Glass cabinets line the whitewashed
walls of the other rooms and are
filled with documents, letters
and photographs. Audio-guides
and computer stations further
explain the exhibition and aid the
aforementioned in recounting the
museum’s history.
Uniqueinsettingandcomprehensive
in its artefacts, this museum does
well to narrate the incredible story
of the bravery of a humble workshop
owner.
Otto Weidt Museum

64. 64
TOPOGRAHIE DES TERRORS
Niederkirchnerstraβe 8 |10963
Berlin
U+S Potsdamer Platz
Daily 10.00-20.00
Free
www.topographie.de
Located in the centre of the city,
this two-storey, ashlar-formed,
paned building houses the
Topography of Terror exhibition.
Considered as one of the most
important institutions between
1933 and 1945, these were the
headquarters of the Secret State
Police (Gestapo), the Reich SS
Leadership and Security Service
(SD) of the SS and the Reich
Security Main Office from 1939.
Opened in 2010, this site is divided
into three exhibition areas.
Located inside the building is the
Topography of Terror: Gestapo, SS
& Reich Security Main Office on
Wilhem- & Prinz-Albrecht-Straße
exhibition, situated outside is
the Berlin 1933 – 1945: Between
Propaganda and Terror
exhibition and the Berlin
Wall Monument that spans
Topography of Terror
approximately 200 meters.
Inside, with a combination of
photographic materials and
documents, this exhibition retells
the rise of the horrid Nazi regime
and the terrors, persecutions and
exterminations they carried out on the
many victimised groups throughout
Europe. Computer stations, reading
folders, audios and film recordings are
also provided to give extra in-depth
information.
Outside, along exposed cellar wall
remains, panels are hung explaining
the humiliations and brutal killings
of victims who were accused of being
anti-government. A free English
guided tour is also available on every
Sunday at 3.30pm.
By Lilly Woi

65. 65
DDR MUSEUM
GDR Museum
By Martina Cocci
Karl-Liebknecht Straße 1 |
10178 Berlin
S Hackescher Markt
Mon-Sun 10.00-20.00 | Sat
10.00-22.00
6.00€ standard
4.00€ concession
www.ddr-museum.de
If you don’t like museums but you
do want to discover more about
everyday life during the GDR (the
period when socialism ruled in
East Germany), then this is the
place for you. Situated behind the
Berliner Dom, not far from the
Museum Island, the DDR Museum
is one of the most popular interac-
tive exhibitions in the world. The
visitor has to get involved and in-
teract with the exhibits, to handle
objects and to look behind drawers
and doors.
In the building there are two main
rooms, plus a typical socialist flat
in which you can relax and watch
original TV programmes from the
GDR.
Each room is divided into different
sections by slabs, which function as
both room dividers and as showcas-
es - with drawers and doors to open
and objects to look at and touch.
At first the grey colour of the slabs
gives a feeling of monotony and sad-
ness, but the rooms are made more
lively and colourful thanks to the
red columns and ceiling where many
slogans and mottos are written.
Last but not least, do make sure to
get a picture of yourself driving one
of the old East German Trabant cars
- a very funny souvenir of your visit!

66. 66
Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, 10117
Berlin
U Brandenburger Tor
(Apr - Sept) Tue - Sun 10.00 -
20.00 | (Oct - Mar) Tue-Sun 10.00
- 19.00
www.stiftung-denkmal.de
This memorial is open to a
myriad of interpretations and the
underground information centre,
located at the site’s eastern edge,
tells the story of the unimaginable
Holocaust.
Architecturally, the information
centre’s strongest feature is
the coffered concrete ceiling
which echoes the patterns of the
memorial’s towering pillars. The
exhibition begins with a visual
timeline which outlines the events
from the National Socialists’ rise
to power in 1933 to the mass
genocide.
The exhibition is divided into four
roomswhicheachconfrontpersonal
aspects of the tragedy: the
individual families, the
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Information Centre
geographical extent of the crime sites,
letters thrown by people aboard the
one-way death camp trains, and the
anguish felt by a mourning mother.
One can feel oneself sink completely
into the victims’ stories, and the way
in which their normal lives were
obliterated. The haunting silence is
broken only by a recording reading the
names and brief biographies of the six
million known innocent victims.
Upon exiting, the words of Auschwitz
survivor Primo Levi: “It happened,
therefore it can happen again”
remind us that the threat of genocide
continues to be a reality in some parts
of the world today.
Entry is free but donations are
welcome, and there may be a short
wait for entry.
By Stephanie Annett
DENKMAL FÜR DIE ERMORDETEN JUDEN EUROPAS MIT
AUSSTELLUNG IM ORT DER INFORMATION

67. 67
STASI.
DIE AUSSTELLUNG ZUR DDR-STAATSICHERHEIT
STASI. Exhibition on GDR State Security
By Thomas Bamford
Zimmerstraße 90 | 10117 Berlin
U: Kochstrasse | Stadtmitte
+49 (0)302324-7951
You are being watched! This
exhibition documents the immense
espionage undertaken by the
Stasi against GDR citizens, when
the walls really did have ears.
Packed into a relatively small
area, the exhibition is split into
three main sections: the operation
of the Ministry of State Security,
biographies and the subsequent
‘processing’ of those deemed
‘subversive,’ and finally the
Ministry for State Security and
Everyday Life.
The collection claims that 1.44
million photos, 111km of written
documents and 59 million file cards
were recovered from the records
of the Ministry for State Security.
The exhibition chronicles their
recovery and the help given by
infuriated citizens, who occupied
Ministry offices and secured the
remaining documents as staff
attempted to destroy
them. This deeply unsettling
exhibition gives an insight into the
sheer scope of the reconnaissance,
and into the paranoia and inertia
that accompanied the state’s
omnipresence in the GDR.
Perhaps most unnerving is the
section on ‘unofficial staff’ -
informants who reported on all areas
of society, and even supplied delicate
information on their colleagues,
friends and fellow students. The
meetings between informants
and the Stasi, undertaken in
clandestine apartments, sound
more like something from a John Le
Carré novel than genuine historical
events. Well worth a visit.

68. This imposing museum, designed
by German architect Alfred Messel
and built between 1910 and 1930,
houses exhibits discovered by Ger-
man archaeologists in the Near
and Middle East. The Pergamon
consists of three sections: the Col-
lection of Classical Antiquities, the
Museum of the Ancient Near East
and the Museum of Islamic Art.
As the museum is very popular the
queuetobuyticketscanbequitelong,
so if you’re short on time it’s worth
buying your tickets in advance.
Free audio guides are available in
several languages and give detailed
insights into many of the exhibits.
The first thing you will see when en-
tering the Collection of Classical An-
tiquities is the PergamonAltar. This
stunning edifice originally stood on
the Acropolis of Pergamon, a city in
what is now Turkey, and was built
around 160 BC. You can climb
up the altar’s rather steep
Bodestraße 1-3 |Mitte 10179
S Hackescher Markt | S+U Fried-
richstraße
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun 10.00-18.00
Thurs 10.00-20.00
14€ standard | 7€ concessions
(1€ discount if bought online in advance)
www.smb.museum
steps to the Telephos hall, an inner
courtyard whose friezes tell the sto-
ry of Telephos, the mythical founder
of Pergamon. The Roman Architec-
ture room, with its mosaic floor and
Miletian market gate and the Traja-
neum hall complete the Collection.
Visitors to the Museum of the An-
cient Near East are greeted by the
immense Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
By Emma Dennison
FEATURE
PERGAMON MUSEUM
68

69. Magnificent and vividly coloured,
it is hard to believe that what you
see here is only a small part of the
180-metre-long Procession-
al Way originally located in
the ancient city of Babylon.
Other highlights include
guardianstatuesandtablets
from anAssyrian palace and
other fascinating artefacts
from what are now Iraq,
Syria, Persia and Anatolia.
Situated on the first floor is
the Museum of Islamic Art.
The exhibits are presented
in chronological order, rang-
ing in date from the 7th to
the 17th centuries. Ornate-
ly decorated Seljuk prayer niches, a
13th century Alhambra dome and
a section of the never completed
Mshatta palace are among the Mu-
seum’s most impressive exhibits.
However, the most interesting is the
17th century Syrian Aleppo Room,
a panelled reception room from the
home of a Christian
merchant. The pan-
els, decorated with
Biblical scenes, were
set in the style of an
Islamic book to en-
sure members of all
faiths felt at home.
The Pergamon Muse-
um’s collections are so
extensive that it would
be wise to devote a
whole day to fully expe-
riencing them. Plenty
of seating is available
if you wish to pause and contemplate
an exhibit and a bookshop offers
a wide range of related literature.
“The museum’s
collections are
so extensive
that it would
be wise to de-
vote a whole
day to fully ex-
perience them”
69

70. 70
DEUTSCHES HISTORISCHES MUSEUM
Unter den Linden 2 | 10117 Ber-
lin
U Friedrichstraße
Mon-Sun 10.00-18.00
8.00€ standard |
4.00€ for concessions
www.dhm.de
When entering this museum
there are a few things you should
remember: a student card, it
halves the entrance fee to just
4 euros, a camera, to record the
iconic historical artefacts as
well as time and patience as the
museum is large and there is a
lot of information to absorb. To
save carrying around heavy back
packs or bags, a free cloak room is
available and rather useful. The
large building is not particularly
easy to navigate around so an audio
guide for 3.00€ is recommended.
Starting on the ground floor, you
will find Germanys more recent
history dating from the World
German History Museum
Wars up until the re-unification of
East and West Berlin. The permanent
exhibition is filled with endless
memorabilia and
items including books, posters, cars
and soldier uniforms. The majority
of items on display are thought-
provoking while others are utterly jaw
dropping. A few paintings can be found
downstairs which capture a shocking
portrayal of the war. For more dated
history, there is a lot to see in the maze
upstairs. A variety of large paintings
and artwork can be found alongside
statues, clothes and armour.
By Natasha Owen

71. 71
RAMONES MUSEUM
By Thomas Bamford
Krausnickstraße 23 | 10115 Ber-
lin, Germany
S Oranienburger Straße
Mon-Fri 12.00-22.00
5.00€ with a drink | 3.50€ with-
out a drink
www.ramonesmuseum.com
Hey, Ho, Let’s Go! Jump into the
rocking world of The Ramones!
Considered by many as the
world’s first Punk Rock group,
The Ramones have proved
a seminal influence in Punk
on both sides of the Atlantic.
The self-proclaimed ‘first and
only Ramones museum’ on
Krausnickstaße is home to an
eclectic and somewhat peculiar
mix of memorabilia. Items
such as Johnny Ramones stage
ripped blue Levi’s (34/32”, in
case you’re interested), the
ubiquitous battered white
converse (as worn by Marky
Ramone) along with items such
as Dee-Dee Ramones Coroners
report from 2002, recorded as
death by misadventure –
dying of a heroin overdose, all
complete the biography of the
band.
The small museum, hidden behind
the RMCM coffee shop packs
photographs of the band in their
infancy taken by Danny Fields
(Ramones tour manager from 1975-
1988) shows an intimate side to the
band, far removed from their laissez
faire/über cool stage persona.
Best advice for those unfamiliar
with the band? Enjoy a drink (5
euros with entry) in the amiable and
friendly bar area and flick through
the free leaflet provided entitled ‘Rob
Freeman on Recording Ramones’
in order to get a closer perspective
on the band, their philosophy and
recording traits. Best thing about
the museum? The Ramones tunes
blasting out loud and true just how
the band would have wanted them
played.

72. 72
Museum of Musical Instruments
By Emma Dennison
Tiergartenstraße 1 | Tiergarten
10785
U+S Potsdamer Platz | U Men-
delssohn-Bartholdy-Park
Tues, Wed, Fri 9.00-17.00|Thurs
9.00-20.00 | Sat, Sun 10.00-17.00
4€ Standard| 2€ concessions|
Tour (Sat 11.00, Thurs 18.00) 3€
www.sim.spk-berlin.de/mim_3.
html
Situated in the Kulturforum,
adjacent to the Philharmonie,
this museum is a must for music
lovers. The collection began
in 1888 and includes over 750
instruments, which range in date
from the 16th century to present
day. The ground floor covers the
16th to 19th centuries and the first
floor houses 19th and 20th century
instruments - including a 1972
ECMS synthesiser, identical to
that used on Pink Floyd’s Welcome
to the Machine. A café selling
drinks and snacks is located in
the basement, and books, CDs and
postcards are on sale at reception.
You are free to explore the spacious
open-plan museum at your own
pace, or pay extra to join a tour (in
German and English) which includes
live demonstrations of some of the
instruments. English or German
audio guides, with recordings
of many of the most interesting
instruments, are available for free
from reception as long as you leave
some ID as a deposit.
If you’re there on a Saturday at
noon, be sure not to miss the free
30-minutedemonstrationofthe1929
Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ
– the largest of its kind in Europe.
This organ was used to accompany
silent films in their heyday and
can produce a huge range of sound
effects, from a birdsong to a ringing
telephone!
MUSIKINSTRUMENTEN-MUSEUM

73. 73
MILESTONES-SETBACKS-SIDETRACKS: THE PATH
TO PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY IN GERMANY
By Emma Dennison
Deutscher Dom, Gendarmen-
markt 1 | Mitte 10117
U Stadtmitte
U Französischer Straße
(May-Sept) Tues-Sun 10.00-19.00
(Oct-Apr) Tues-Sun 10.00-18.00
Free
www.bundestag.de/kulturundg-
eschichte/ausstellungen/wege
If you’re passing the Deutscher
Dom in Gendarmenmarkt, you
may be surprised to discover that
it’s not a place of worship... Its
spacious, light-flooded interior was
redeveloped in the 1990s after lying
empty since being bombed in World
War II. The space now houses an
exhibition, run by the Bundestag,
on German parliamentary history
from the late 18th century to the
present day.
The exhibition progresses
chronologically: the ground floor
covers 1789-1848 and a mezzanine
(currently under construction)
details the Federal Republic’s
parliamentary system. Continuing
up the spiral staircase, the second
floor focusses on Imperial and
Weimar Germany and the third on
the Nazi state and the GDR. The
fourth floor explores women’s role
in German politics and Germany’s
place in Europe and houses a small
cinema where informative films
are shown at 14.00. The fifth floor
is concerned with the history of
German parliamentary architecture
and the history of the Deutscher
Dom itself is discussed inside the
dome.
The main information panels are
only in German, however tours in
English or French are available on
requestandtherearesheetswithkey
details in all three languages. Even
so, the wealth of visual information
and striking interior make the
exhibition well worth a visit.

74. Situated at the heart of Museum
Island, the Neues Museum is sand-
wiched between the Pergamonmu-
seum and the Altes Museum. The
museum was built by Prussian
architect and builder Friedrich
August Stüler between 1843 and
1855, making it the second oldest
museum on Museum Island. After
being heavily damaged during the
World War II, the museum’s re-
construction was overseen by Eng-
lish architect David Chipperfield.
The building reopened in 2009,
and is a UNESCO World Heritage
site. It houses the world-renowned
Egyptian Museum, which contains
2500 ancient Egyptian artefacts
and a collection of 200 papyruses.
It is also home to the Pre- and Ear-
ly History Museum; however the
Pre-History collection is currently
S Bodestraβe 1-3|10785 Berlin,
Germany
U+S Hackescher Markt |
Friedrichstraβe
Mon-Wed 10.00-17.00|Thurs
10.00- 20.00| Fri-Sun 10.00-17.00
12€ standard|6€ concessions
www.neues-museum.de
New Museum
undergoing reconstruction.
From walls decorated with ancient
paintings to majestic halls filled
with beautifully sculpted pillars,
each room is uniquely designed
with the purpose of transporting
you back to the ancient world. The
highlight of the museum is the
iconic bust of Queen Nefertiti. Oth-
er noteworthy exhibitions are the
By Lilly Woi
FEATURE
NEUES MUSEUM
74

75. Egyptian Courtyard which
displays paintings of Egyp-
tian temples, the World of
Hereafter filled with cof-
fins, mummies and death
masks, and the Library of
Antiquity where visitors
can view manu-
scripts of ancient
Egyptian literary works.
This museum is a
must for all Egyp-
tian history buffs.
Free audio guides and
detailed leaflets are
provided to give visi-
tors a more compre-
hensive tour of the
museum. A small café
located on the first
floor of the museum
is known for its deli-
cious salads, and is
also the perfect spot
for some reflection.
75
“majestic
halls filled
with beauti-
fully sculpt-
ed pillars,
each room is
uniquely de-
signed”

76. 76
By Martina Cocci
Bodestraße 1-3 | 10178 Berlin
U+S Hackescher Markt
Sun-Tue 10.00-18.00 | Thu 10.00-
20.00
www.smb.museum
This majestic neoclassical
building, designed by the
architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel,
dominates Museum Island with its
massive Ionic columns. The Altes
Museum houses a great collection
of classical antiquities arranged in
a chronological order on two floors.
The first floor displays artwork
from Ancient Greece produced
between the 10th and 1st century
BC, such as sculptures, vases,
craft objects and jewellery. Among
the most fascinating works are the
statues of the ‘Berlin Goddess’, the
‘Praying Boy’ and the ‘Enthroned
Goddess from Taranto’. On the
same floor you can observe a
numismatic collection, presenting
a great number of ancient coins
from Greece and Rome.
The upper floor is dedicated to the
art and archeology of the Etruscans
and of the Roman Empire. Make
sure you don’t miss the house-shaped
urn from Chiusi, the clay tablet
from Capua, as well as the portraits
of Caesar, Cleopatra and Medea
Sarcophagus. While walking around
these antique artworks, you will see
another neoclassical masterpiece,
the so called ‘rotunda’, also created
by Schinkel. It is lined with some
sculptures that represent the Greek
gods and with its towering dome
it may remind you of the classical
Pantheon in Rome.
It is well worth visiting the museum,
especially with the audio guide
included in the price and it takes
around an hour and a half to visit
the whole museum.
ALTES MUSEUM