Berlin's New Cultural Heart

© visitBerlin, Foto: Thomas Kierok

Cultural hub and historical centre

Berlin has always been renowned for its rich cultural life. Its centerpiece of the historical Mitte district is home to many outstanding sights – not just the Museum Island, but no less than two opera houses and six major theatres as well as innumerable galleries and arts venues. Now, a series of new cultural projects are being developed, often just a few minutes' walk apart, lending a new quality to this fascinating district. Here, we offer an overview of major recent and planned cultural projects in the heart of Berlin.

© Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin

Newly opened in 2022

"Stabi Kulturwerk" - The Museum of the Berlin State Library

The historic house of the Berlin State Library (Staatsbibliothek Berlin) Unter den Linden has been extensively modernized in recent years and is now open to the public again. The Berlin State Library is one of the most important libraries in the world, and among other things, the original scores of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous 9th Symphony are kept there.

On 13 July, the "Stabi Kulturwerk", a new museum, was opened in the rooms of the State Library on Unter den Linden. In the future, permanent and temporary exhibitions will be shown there in an area of around 1,000 square meters.

Samurai Museum and Fotografiska

The Samurai Museum presents one of the world's largest collections of samurai art, weapons and artefacts outside Japan. On around 1500 square metres, works by contemporary Japanese artists will be shown together with the armour, helmets, masks and swords of these legendary warriors.

The old department store building once home to the internationally celebrated Kunsthaus Tacheles is preparing to house the Berlin location of Fotografiska, the renowned Swedish centre for contemporary photography. On 5500 square metres, the Fotografiska not only offers visitors a chance to explore works by internationally recognized photographers, but also enjoy a venue for cultural events and creative dialogue.

Humboldt Forum: East wing of the Ethnological Museum and Asian Art Museum collections opens on September 17th

A few months ago, Berlin's new forum for culture, art and science opened in the heart of Germany's capital city. Since then, the Humboldt Forum has become a public favorite. In cutting edge interactive exhibitions, visitors can explore continents, regions, lifeworlds and ideas – on around 30,000 square metresacross five floors.

On the second and third floors, the Ethnological Museum and Asian Art Museum collections present precious art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and America. While so far only the rooms of the west wing have been open, the east wings of both museums will also be open to the public from 17 September.

© pwr development, Foto: bloomimages

Future projects around the Humboldt Forum

The Schlossfreiheit staircase

At the Spree Canal's waterside promenade in front of the Humboldt Forum's west portal, the Schlossfreiheit, a vast 38-metre-wide open-air staircase, will be built over the next two years. The staircase is the first building phase of the Fluss Bad Berlin future project and scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Berlin's Cathedral Church: Renovating the Hohenzollern Crypt

With ninety internments, the Hohenzollern Crypt in Berlin's Cathedral Church(Berliner Dom) is the most important dynastic sepulchre in Germany. Reflecting stylistic eras in art history across several centuries, the richly decorated coffins and ornate sarcophagi are the last resting places of princes and kings from the Hohenzollern dynasty. The extensive refurbishment and conversion work includes a new information centre and making the crypt fully wheelchair accessible. A stronger focus will also be put on the historical s between the Hohenzollern crypt and the former Hohenzollern City Palace once standing on the nearby Humboldt Forum site. The Hohenzollern Crypt is scheduled to reopen in spring 2024.

German Historical Museum (DHM): Refurbishment of the Zeughaus

The baroque Zeughaus, originally an arsenal and now home to the German Historical Museum, is among the most impressive buildings on Berlin's famous Unter den Linden boulevard. Today, the Zeughaus presents around 2000 years of German history. From mid-2021, the Zeughaus will be closed for around four years for a major renovation. The façade of the 300-year-old baroque building will be restored, and the interior given a modern air conditioning system. After completion of the work, the Zeughaus is set to reopen in late 2025. During the refurbishment, the Pei Building, the museum's modern exhibition hall supplementing the historic Zeughaus, will remain open to the public.

© visitBerlin, Foto: Mo Wüstenhagen