Highlighting Museums in the German Capital

Discovering German and European culture through Berlin’s many museums

Berlin is well known as a capital heaped with culture, but did you know that the city has over 200 museums? Museum-hopping is not only an incredibly enjoyable way of seeing the city, but it will also give you a unique insight into Germany’s distinctive cultural past. With so many to choose from, however, how do you know where to begin?

Part of the Egyptian collection in Berlin’s Neues Museum. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Best for modern art
The Hamburger Bahnhof national gallery of contemporary art, based in a former railway station, houses some of the world’s best known modern artworks. The exhibitions here offer a unique insight into how art, culture and indeed life in Germany has evolved since the mid 1900s. You’ll find pieces by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as a whole floor dedicated to the eccentric German performance artist and art theorist, Joseph Beuys.

Best for German design
The Bauhaus Archives at the Museum of Design at Klingelhöferstraße 14 celebrates the city’s position as one of the world’s most innovative design centers. Here you’ll see architectural models, sculpture, furniture, and much more from some of Germany’s great design thinkers including Walter Gropius and Kandinsky. Currently closed for construction of a new annex building, the museum has a temporary location at Knesebeckstraße 1, in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The existing site also offers a viewing platform to observe construction progress. See the Bauhaus website links above for current information.

Best for experiencing Germany’s communist past
Visitors to Berlin’s unique DDR Museum on the River Spree are taken back in time, to experience what life was like in East Germany under communist rule. Very hands-on and brilliantly executed, this interactive museum is a stark reminder of a not so distant past. After suffering water damage in late 2022, the DDR Museum reopened in spring 2023.

Best for classical art and antiquities
Five of Berlin’s top museums are found on Museum Island (Museuminsel) right in the center of the city. The Bode, the Pergamon, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, and the Altes Museum all offer unique collections not found anywhere else. One highlight is the Egyptian collection (Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, see photo above) in the Neues Museum, but each one of Museum Island’s exhibitions is well worth a visit.

The new U5 line Museum Island metro (U-Bahn) station opened in July 2021 to offer a starry welcome with its unique starlit ceiling. The nearby new James Simon Gallery (James-Simon-Galerie), designed by British architect David Chipperfield, was completed in July 2019 as a central location to welcome museum visitors to the island’s five museums and numerous collections. The name pays tribute to James Simon (1851–1932), a wealthy Jewish supporter of the arts in Berlin. The new Gallery is now the only direct, public entrance to the famous Pergamon Museum. The James Simon Gallery welcome center also houses a café, a museum shop, a lecture auditorium, and special exhibition spaces.

ALSO SEE: Berlin’s Quirky and Unusual Museums – from Berlin bunkers to classic cars, espionage, a Gay Museum, and more.

Best for understanding the war
The impact of the Second World War has had a huge effect on the collective psyche of Germany, and there are many excellent museums in Berlin dedicated to remembering and learning from the tragedies. These include the impressive Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe). Be sure also to see the underground exhibit there, and to visit the very moving War Memorial sculpture. The Jewish Museum on Lindenstraße not only examines the extermination of the Jews in World War II, but celebrates Jewish German culture from the 1800s up to the present day. The museum is noted for its unique “Between the Lines” design by the American architect Daniel Libeskind.

Best for getting to grips with Berlin’s favorite food
Note: The Currywurst Museum closed in December 2018. Formerly located at Schützenstraße 70, this museum catered to those looking for some light relief, and it didn’t come much lighter than the playful Currywurst Museum. The curried sausage is something of a Berlin delicacy, and you could even get a taste of one thrown in with the ticket price. Sorry, but you can get Currywurst all over Berlin and in many other German cities.

Of course, this page only scratches the surface of the many, many museums and galleries in Berlin. Indeed, a number of holiday companies offer travelers looking for a European break organized Berlin trips that provide comprehensive museum tours. Passes are available that provide entry to around 50 of the museums for three days, so if you are a dedicated culture vulture, those could be good options. Whether you do a whistle stop tour or spend a long time in a chosen few, there’s no better way to explore Germany’s culture, past and present than through its many museums.

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Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• Berlin’s Quirky and Unusual Museums – More museums, from Berlin bunkers to classic cars, espionage, a Gay Museum, and more.
• Berlin at a Glance – An overview of what to see and do
• Berlin City Guide – Berlin and Potsdam
• Public Transport in Germany – Getting around locally via S-Bahn, U-Bahn, bus, and tram
• The East Side Gallery in Berlin (The Berlin Wall)
• Boulevard der Stars – Berlin’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Potsdam and Sanssouci, near Berlin – both historic and scenic.
• City Guides: Germany – More cities
• Hotels and B&Bs
• Driving in Europe – Tips for driving in Germany and Europe
• Air Travel – Flying to, from or in Germany
• Rail Travel in Germany
• Travel and Tourism – Travel-related information for Germany, Austria, Switzerland
• Notable People – Bios of notable people from the German-speaking world

ON THE WEB

• Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Official Berlin museums website, in English and German
• berlin.de – Official site
• BVG – Berlin’s public transportation agency (maps, schedules)
• Berlin Airport (BER) – Arrivals/departures, info, etc.

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