Events from 2026 will be listed here as they take place.
Saturday 31 Jan 2026 – Postponed until Saturday 14 Feb because of illness – Guided tour of the Police Historical Collection.
Saturday 21 Feb 2026 – Cold War exhibition at Allied Museum
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2025.
The Spandau Zitadelle is one of Europe's best-preserved Renaissance fortresses, built between 1560-1594 as Berlin's western defence. Italian architects created this masterpiece with four bastions surrounded by water, featuring ingenious ramparts and underground galleries designed to detect and target attackers from every angle. The tour will also include a guided overview of two fascinating exhibitions housed within the historic fortress walls. The “UNVEILED” exhibition showcases monuments removed from Berlin's streets during political upheavals from 1849-1986, including pieces from the German Empire, Nazi era, and GDR - with the unique opportunity to actually touch most exhibits. The new “SPANDAU PRISON 1877-1987” exhibition tells the complete story of the infamous prison in Wilhelmstadt, from its origins as a military fortress prison, through its role in Nazi-era "protective custody”, to housing the Nuremberg war criminals until 1987.
Konrad Adenauer served as West Germany's first Federal Chancellor from 1949-1963. Initially, it was thought that Adenauer would be Chancellor for only a short time, as he was already 73 years old by this time, earning him the nickname "Der Alte" (The Old One). He had previously served as Mayor of Cologne (1917-1933) and had been relieved as Mayor by the Nazis. He held the office for fourteen years, taking West Germany from postwar military occupation a long way towards national independence. A devout Catholic and strong anti-communist, he founded the Christian Democratic Union, led West Germany's NATO membership in 1955, championed European integration, and secured the release of the last German prisoners of war from Soviet captivity, transforming a defeated nation into a prosperous democracy. The interactive, multimedia exhibition brings the statesman and his visionary policies to life. It shows the extent to which the Adenauer era – with its crises and accomplishments – continues to shape German society today, and explores the democratic reconstruction of West Germany, in which Konrad Adenauer was a defining figure - as the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The museum at Berlin-Gatow Airfield (formerly the Luftwaffe Museum) is a branch of the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden. While the latter presents a general cultural history of warfare, the Berlin museum focuses on aerial warfare as the most recent manifestation of military violence. The history of technology is understood as part of cultural history; and humankind in its various roles is placed at the centre of this history. This historic site brings to life knowledge and stories from over 120 years of military aviation and aerial warfare – told from multiple perspectives, critically, and with numerous personal references. This includes the history of the airfield, now a listed historical monument, from the Nazi Air Warfare School to the Cold War era and the stationing of the Royal Air Force. Gatow Airfield was also intimately involved with the Berlin Airlift. Since 1994, the site has been available to the museum for one of the world's largest, cross-bloc collections of aerial warfare equipment from the Cold War era.
All over Berlin there are houses and buildings that were used for intelligence and counter-intelligence by the USA, France, Great Britain, the GDR and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The history of some of them is well-known, other locations are completely unknown and still secret to most people. Our speaker will be Sigmund Clementz, a Norwegian journalist, who for the last ten years has conducted extensive research on intelligence and counter-intelligence in Berlin and Brandenburg during the Cold War. He has researched, located and visited more than 100 locations used by the CIA, NSA, MI6/SIS, KGB, GRU, Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung/Stasi and BND, among other services. This talk will be about a selection of the unknown locations in the former British, American and French Sectors of West Berlin: The somewhat mysterious places that people unsuspectingly walk past – or pass through. This is a collaborative event between the Allied Museum and the Berlin Historical Association, and will be held at the Japanese-German Centre Berlin, directly opposite Oskar-Helene-Heim U-Bahn station.
Grunewald Hunting Lodge – that conjures up the sound of the horn and the kill of wild game. Courtly hunting in the forests and lakes surrounding the picturesque Renaissance palace situated “in the green woods” had been a tradition since 1542. An enthusiastic hunter, Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg, had a stronghold constructed for himself. Frederick I implemented representative Baroque expansions and smaller court buildings at the beginning of the 18th century. However, the palace was primarily characterised through extensive modernisation work that was carried out from 1901-09 on the initiative of William II. The palace has been used as a museum building since 1932. The second main emphasis of the new permanent exhibition – on the ground floor of the building – is dedicated to the theme of “Courtly Hunting in Art.” Treasures are hidden in the Grunewald Hunting Lodge: Nearly 30 works by the painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) and his son transport viewers back in time to the era of Martin Luther and the Reformation in Brandenburg. They display portraits of the Brandenburg sovereigns, while pointing out the virtues of a good ruler in a series of Exemplum (example) panels from the Berlin Palace.
In 1936 Otto Weidt established a workshop to manufacture brooms and brushes in a Kreuzberg cellar, where he employed predominantly blind and deaf Jews. When he moved the factory to the Rosentalerstraße in 1940, tensions in the country grew and despite the workshop being declared a war-essential industry, the Gestapo began to deport his Jewish employees. Weidt fought to protect his workers from persecution and deportation by bribing the Gestapo, falsifying documents, and eventually hiding a family behind a back-less cupboard in one room of his shop. As the threat grew ever greater he found places for many more to hide. Among those he was able to save were Inge Deutschkron and Alice Licht, both non-blind young women in their twenties. Today, this museum to a citizen-hero is administered by the German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation. It tells Weidt’s story with archival photos and interviews with some of those he saved.
Rudolf Virchow was known as “the Pope of medicine” and "the father of modern pathology". The Prussian is not only one of the most famous doctors in the history of medicine, he is also the founder of the Museum of Medical History in Berlin, now part of the famous Charité hospital. The permanent collection currently shows some 750 objects comprising pathological-anatomical wet and dry specimens as well as models and graphics from central medical locations. The museum's special exhibitions focus on current aspects of medicine and medical history. They range from miracle healing in the ancient world to current advances in forensic medicine.
Queen Luise of Prussia may not be as well known today as she was just half a century ago. And yet her mark on Berlin, Prussia and Germany cannot be overlooked. Luise was something like the Princess Diana of the 19th century and inspired generations of German women and men. Even during her lifetime she was the object of almost cult-like veneration. Before she died, young and highly honoured, she gave birth to ten children as Queen of Prussia. Her descendants include King Harald V of Norway, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, King Felipe VI of Spain and also King Charles III of Great Britain. Two of her children became Prussian Kings. And one even German Emperor, Wilhelm I. In 1871, Bismarck united the German states into one Reich under his crown. Like Luise, Wilhelm is buried in the mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace. Luise's tomb in particular, created by Christian Daniel Rauch, is considered a masterpiece of art. We will have a very short overview of the Prussian kings outside and then go inside the mausoleum for a tour.
Dwight Eisenhower’s encounter with the Holocaust altered how he understood the Second World War and shaped how he led the United States and the Western Alliance during the Cold War. From the moment he set foot in the concentration camp Ohrdruf in April 1945, defeating Nazi Germany took on a moral hue for Eisenhower that had largely been absent before. It spurred the belief that totalitarianism in all its forms needed to be confronted. This conviction shaped his presidency and solidified American engagement in the postwar world. The visit to Ohrdruf also spurred something else in Ike, a desire to make sure, in his words, that he would “get this.” When aides tried to get him to leave, he insisted on staying longer, on visiting building after building, of talking to prisoners, trying to understand what he was seeing and what had happened there. Jason Lantzer’s book (De Gruyter 2023) explores how Eisenhower’s shock and repulsion at seeing this concentration camp shaped his future policy towards the Holocaust.
As long as there has been money, there has been counterfeit money. Coins have been counterfeited or made from inferior materials. Notes have been reprinted or photocopied. Some people have even cut up genuine notes and glued them back together to make eleven out of ten - which is also a criminal offence. And there are even forgeries that are forgeries, because some forgeries are exciting (and valuable) for collectors. Counterfeiting is a punishable offence, damaging to the economy and not least to the unsuspecting user - but it is also tremendously exciting. The Numismatic Collection at the Bode Museum is currently showing an exhibition on counterfeiting entitled 'The Dark Side of Numismatics'. We are pleased to be able to offer a guided tour of the exhibition in English.
“What is Enlightenment?” asked pastor Johann Friedrich Zöllner in 1783, writing for the Berlinische Monatsschrift. The editors of the monthly magazine put this question to their readers, thus igniting a debate that would shape the course of philosophy. The Enlightenment is one of the great moments in human history. An era of curiosity and openness, when knowledge, art and progress defeated superstition and narrow-mindedness. Was it really like that? Or was it not so bright and open, so enlightened? The German Historical Museum is devoting an exhibition to the era that still influences us today and distinguishes us from other cultures. The question is: What is the Enlightenment? The exhibition aims to make clear that the ideas of equality and tolerance prevalent then do not always correspond to those held today and, moreover, were often not implemented in practice.
How is news created and disseminated? The Museum for Communication has created the first exhibition in Germany that revolves around news. From the first carrier pigeons that influenced the stock markets, to the false reports that moved the world, to the news industry and how it works. All this is explained not only with a historical outline, but also with the question of how news agencies work today. How they influence and are influenced. And the exhibition also explores the question of how neutral a news story (or a news agency) can be. We are pleased to be able to offer you a guided tour of this exhibition in the fantastic building that houses the museum near Potsdamer Platz.
The Austrian writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach once said, "You have to know something to be able to hide the fact that you know nothing.”. However, this will not be the motto of the First Annual BHA Trivia Quiz, to which we would like to invite you. The "annual" is probably a little optimistic, but we will try to entertain you, amuse you - and challenge you. Most of the trivia will be about history, but some will be about other things in science and life. We will not be asking about key historical figures, or what the names of the other two guys in the Triumvirate were. But we will have some interesting facts for you from all over the world and from all times. You are not alone. You can form teams of up to five people, but you can also take on the challenge alone if you dare. But you will need a team name because you will be answering as a team. And of course, you can bring along guests to convince them that BHA is the perfect mix of fun and knowledge. In the end, the winning team gets a cup. Literally. Because we have BHA mugs for everyone in the team that wins our first trivia quiz.
Alternative history research is not particularly popular at German universities. Questions such as "What would have happened if...?" are considered unscientific. But especially when you are at a crossroads, it sometimes helps to look at other paths that you have not taken. This is what the German Historical Museum is doing with the "Roads Not Taken" exhibition. The probabilities of history not being made are shown on the basis of 14 striking incisions in German history - prevented by coincidence or the weight of personal shortcomings. It is about the German wars of unification and the First World War, Stauffenberg's Hitler assassination and the Remagen Bridge, the Stalin Note and the Berlin Airlift and the fall of the Berlin Wall. We have the chance to take an English-language guided tour of this exhibition and to take a look at the other end of the crossroads.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2024.
The Marienkirche or St. Mary’s Church is Berlin’s oldest church – although we are not even sure how old it is. But the site is at least eight centuries old, although the architecture of the building today is largely the result of comparatively modern restoration work carried out in the late 19th century and in the post-war period. The GDR even renamed the street with church to Karl-Liebknecht-Straße after a communist. But it still stands and has survived countless wars and the GDR, even though everything around it has been rebuilt, including the Alexanderplatz and the TV-Tower, and the traces of history that were to be erased. As a matter of fact, the Marienkirche is the last surviving building of Berlin’s old medieval core. The Dance of Death fresco in the church's tower hall is one of the most important surviving medieval works of art in Berlin. Over 20 metres long and two metres high, the mural depicts a round dance of clerical and secular representatives of the estates, each engaged in a dance of death with a mortal figure. There is no written record of how the fresco was created. Various inferences allow a date of around 1484, the year of the plague; and the accompanying text verses represent the oldest poetry in Berlin. The Dance of Death was probably whitewashed over with lime during the Reformation and only rediscovered centuries later, in 1861 by the court architect Friedrich August Stüler.
with guest speaker Dr Günter Büchner who gave a moving account of how he fled the DDR in 1958, and how he managed to start a new life in West Berlin and complete his studies before embarking on a career at the Free University.
As the former parsonage of the Evangelical Church of Dahlem at Cecilienallee 61 (today Pacelliallee), today's Martin Niemöller House was the official residence of Pastor Martin Niemöller, who worked here during the Nazi era. He was a co-founder of the Pastors' Emergency League and a leading figure in the Confessing Church. Having been spied on and harassed by the Gestapo for a long time, he was arrested in the parsonage on 1 July 1937 and initially held in custody, and later in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps as Adolf Hitler's "personal prisoner" until the end of the war. Even during his time in prison, the parsonage, along with St. Anne's Church and the parish hall, was a place of conspiratorial activity against Nazi rule, a meeting place for courageous Christians who tried to resist in his spirit. Martin Niemöller survived his imprisonment and, after his liberation by American troops in 1945, became a symbol of the "good German" throughout the world. As later church president of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, he continued to campaign for peace in the world and opposed rearmament. The former national conservative submarine commander of World War I became a convinced pacifist. His biography includes his many turns and false starts, but also his courageous Christian confession and active commitment.
The Cold War was defined by two technologies: nuclear weapons, and rockets to deliver them. The development of the latter was led by German engineers working first in the suburbs of Berlin (Reinickendorf), then in the forests 40 km to the south (Kummersdorf), then on the island of Usedom on the Baltic (Peenemünde), and finally in the Harz (Nordhausen). On 3rd October 1942 this group succeeded in launching the world’s first ballistic missile, the A4 or ‘V2'. Just 25 years and one month later, members of this same group launched the world’s largest rocket on its fully successful first flight - the Saturn V, which only 20 months later took Apollo 11 to the Moon. This illustrated talk explores the politics and geography that took this group across Germany between 1930 and 1945; what traces remain of their presence in these places (and what visiting them today is like); and the ethical issues raised by their work. Our lecturer, Dr Andrew Thomson, is an historian with over 20 years’ experience as a guide and tour organiser; and as a friend of a BHA member has very kindly agreed to speak to us during his brief visit to Berlin.
The heyday of Berlin sculpture is brought to life in a presentation of Neoclassical and Romantic sculptures displayed in the vestibule of the New Wing. Frederick the Great had Sanssouci Palace built in Potsdam and also expanded Charlottenburg’s Old Palace with the addition of the New Wing. The highlights of this self-contained palace structure, which was nearly destroyed in World War II and subsequently largely reconstructed, are its grand festival halls. The White Hall and the opulent Golden Gallery are among the most beautiful Rococo creations in Europe. In addition to the grand halls, two separately situated apartments were created for the artistic king. One of the largest collections of 18th century French painting outside France can be seen in these interiors, including masterpieces by Antoine Watteau. Frederick the Great’s nephew and successor, Frederick William II, also had a summer apartment in the New Wing designed in the Chinese and Etruscan styles, as well as winter chambers in an early Neoclassical style. His son and daughter-in-law, Frederick William III and the celebrated Luise, also used the New Wing as a preferred summer residence. The queen resided in the winter chambers of her father-in-law, located on the upper floor to the west. Karl Friedrich Schinkel created her elegant bedchamber, a fine example of Prussian furniture design, in 1810. A superlative royal art collection from the early 19th century that includes major works of French painting is presented in the former apartment of Frederick William III on the ground floor.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is the most famous work of the master builder, architect and director of the Berlin Supreme Court Building Office, Carl Gotthard Langhans (1732 to 1808). It was built between 1789 and 1791 on behalf of the Prussian King Frederick William II as the western city gate and opened to traffic in 1791. The quadriga was put on top in 1793. The Brandenburg Gate has been a key witness to major events since its completion and was charged with "national energy" as a symbol for 200 years. To achieve the greatest possible external impact the architect, Carl Gotthard Langhans, used elements from antiquity and the Renaissance, which he masterfully combined and re-interpreted. Our guide, Dr Zitha Elevi, (who was also our guide for the “Secrets of the Quadriga”) will show the models, explain the message of form and decoration and present the gate as a (political) work of art and at the same time as an important engineering structure of its time.
From 1945–1991 the former home of the Evangelical Church Relief Association was converted for use as the central remand and transit prison for Soviet military counterintelligence. The people imprisoned there were mostly citizens of the Soviet Union, with numerous Germans and a few people of other nationalities. Apart from the headquarters of the Soviet secret service (KGB) in the Karlshorst district of Berlin, the secret service base was the German headquarters of Soviet military counterintelligence, called "Military Town No. 7", and was the most important intelligence outpost at the interface with Western Europe. Thousands of people were held here over the years. Most of them were accused of espionage against the Soviet military. Interrogations by investigating officers led to forced confessions from detainees who were then given long prison terms or even death sentences. Our tour of the permanent exhibition will focus on biographies of former German and Soviet prisoners, letting us see their life through the barren cellar cells and numerous inscriptions they left, as well as offer us a chance to learn more about arrest, interrogation, and everyday prison life through eyewitness accounts.
The Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation was newly opened in 2020. The Documentation Centre provides information about the causes, dimensions and consequences of displacement, expulsion and forced migration in twentieth-century Europe and beyond. The main focus is on the displacement and expulsion of Germans at the end of the Second World War, which was initiated by Germany. The exhibition illuminates politically, ethnically and religiously motivated forced migrations, primarily in twentieth-century Europe, but also beyond. The displacement and expulsion of Germans during and after the Second World War constitute the focus of the exhibition’s narrative. The exhibition focuses on questions of universal significance: Why are people expelled or forced to migrate? What are the paths they have to travel? What does it mean to lose one’s homeland? How can those affected make a new start?
Since he was a boy, King Frederick William I, Prussia’s “Soldier King,” had loved Wusterhausen. It was here that he planned and prepared for his reign, developed new ideas for a well-organised and economical administration, and started to assemble a sizeable army, whose soldiers became known as the “Lange Kerls” (tall men). Later, Frederick William I and his family spent happy days here from August to November and made Königs Wusterhausen Palace his autumn residence. He carried out his duties as sovereign and at the same time indulged in his great passion for hunting from here. In addition to hunting, he called his famous tobacco council every evening, where politics was discussed in a friendly, convivial atmosphere, peppered with bawdy jokes! The building mainly dates back to the 16th century and visitors get an authentic insight into the living environment and artistic work in Brandenburg-Prussia in the first half of the 18th century. The castle also features 40 pictures of the king painted by his own hand, which have their own charm. Along with Charlottenburg, the palace garden is one of the earliest French Baroque gardens in the style of André Le Nôtre in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The baroque basic structure of the garden has now been restored and forms a unity with the remains of the design from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The GDR has been gone almost as long as it existed. This year we mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A few months after this historical event the writer Stefan Heym said, the GDR will be soon nothing more than a footnote in the history books. Indeed? One and a half generations later Germany is still divided – the legacy of the DDR lives sometimes even within people who weren’t born when the five Länder in the East became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. How was life back then? The Wall, Stasi, Trabant – or more? Or was life in East-Germany maybe not so different after all? We would like to get to the bottom of these questions with a guided tour in the DDR-Museum. The highlights of the exhibition include a simulated drive in an original Trabant P601 car, a fully furnished reconstruction of a high-rise tower block flat with hundreds of original objects to discover, countless interactive games suitable for young and old alike, the monumental fresco »In Praise of Communism« and the opportunity to interact with a range of artefacts.
Alternative history research is not particularly popular at German universities. Questions such as "What would have happened if...?" are considered unscientific. But especially when you are at a crossroads, it sometimes helps to look at other paths that you have not taken. This is what the German Historical Museum is doing with the "Roads Not Taken" exhibition. The probabilities of history not being made are shown on the basis of 14 striking incisions in German history - prevented by coincidence or the weight of personal shortcomings. It is about the German wars of unification and the First World War, Stauffenberg's Hitler assassination and the Remagen Bridge, the Stalin Note and the Berlin Airlift and the fall of the Berlin Wall. We have the chance to take an English-language guided tour of this exhibition and to take a look at the other end of the crossroads.
The Brandenburg Gate with its Quadriga is Berlin's most famous landmark and known worldwide as a symbol of German division and reunification. However, the quadriga standing on the gate is not the original from 1793, created by Johann Gottfried Schadow, the founder of the Berlin school of sculpture. The original was badly damaged in the Second World War and destroyed in 1950. A replica of the Quadriga has stood on the Brandenburg Gate since 1958. This replica was created using protective moulds from 1942, of which only Victoria's face remains. Two monumental plaster models of the quadriga from the Brandenburg Gate were made in 1957/58. These models of Victoria and a horse are presented as unique stores of information about the original quadriga by Johann Gottfried Schadow, which was destroyed in 1945/50. For the first time, the exhibition Secrets of the Quadriga: Production – Destruction – Rebirth offers the opportunity to view this valuable form up close. The plaster models reveal features that are not present on today’s reconstruction of the quadriga and which document the eventful history of the original from 1793. A number of other outstanding exhibits – such as the remains of the protective casing from 1942 and numerous pictures, photographs, and film footage – serve to frame the plaster models as part of a richly illustrated journey through the past 235 years. The exhibition spans all the way from the production of the quadriga to its destruction and its reconstruction, and then on to the present day.
Andreas von Studnitz is a retired Colonel, German Army. From his first hand experience as founder and curator of the permanent exhibition "49 years French Forces in Berlin - 1945-1994" in the Julius-Leber-Kaserne, former Quartier Napoléon, Herr von Studnitz will be presenting fascinating insights into this history over almost five decades. This lecture will focus on Berlin’s French Sector, including its headquarters at Quartier Napoléon, and the formation and structure of the French Forces in Berlin. It will also cover the role of the French Forces as part of the Four-Power-settings in Berlin, whilst taking into account the co-operation with the other Western Allied armed forces. This will be a collaborative event between the Allied Museum and BHA, and open to the general public. Light refreshments will be served after the event.
There is only a handful of paintings literally everybody knows. One of them is “Skrik”, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. Like many artists of his time, the Norwegian travelled a great deal: In Paris, he learned much from Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, especially their use of colour. In Berlin, he met the Swedish dramatist August Strindberg, whom he painted, as he embarked on a major series of paintings he would later call The Frieze of Life, depicting a series of deeply-felt themes such as love, anxiety, jealousy and betrayal, steeped in atmosphere. To understand this it might be helpful to know, that Munch spent a lot of his Berlin time drinking in “Zum schwarzen Ferkel”. In the nineties of the 19th century, Berlin was caught up in a Scandinavian wave. The still unknown young Norwegian painter Munch caused a scandal with his bold, unconventional colours - and became a celebrity. Munch loved the city and returned to Berlin again and again for long periods of time. An exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie celebrates this period. And we have the opportunity to take the last English tour a few hours before the exhibition closes.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2023.
The “Heavy Load-Bearing Body” bears witness to the most megalomaniacal construction project Berlin has ever seen. In 1941 a technical structure was erected in the immediate vicinity of the planned triumphal arch to test the load-bearing capability of the construction site for the monumental building on the North-South Axis that was to be at the centre of Germania. The so-called Heavy Load-Bearing Body, a cylindrical weighting construction made of solid concrete, has a diameter of 21 metres. It protrudes 14 metres high above ground and extends 18 metres below ground. French forced labourers were used in its construction. The Heavy Load-Bearing Body was not intended to be demolished later, but to be buried under the new road. The North-South Axis was never completed in its planned form. All that remains – like a warning from the past – is the twelve thousand tonnes Heavy Load-Bearing Body.
Schloss Tegel was acquired by the Humboldt family in 1765 and is where the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt grew up. Under the guidance of Wilhelm von Humboldt, who took over the property in 1797 after the death of his mother, the manor house, also known as the "Humboldtschloss", was redesigned in the classicist style between 1820 and 1824 according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Schinkel integrated the existing Renaissance building into a four-wing building complex with corner towers and matched the interior design. The building includes, among other things, the Blue Salon, the Antique Hall and the Blue Tower Cabinet. In 1820 the palace park was extensively redesigned by Peter Joseph Lenné, and most of it has been preserved to this day. The east-west avenue of linden trees laid out in 1792, on which there is also the 400-year-old Wilhelm von Humboldt oak tree, leads to the Humboldt family grave site laid out in 1829 according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. This is overlooked by a thirty-foot-tall granite column, from whose Ionic capital a marble statue of Hope looks down upon the graves.
Dr Helmut Trotnow OBE, the first and founding Director of the Allied Museum, presented his book “Erinnerungen” exclusively to members of the Berlin Historical Association. The Allied Museum documents the influence and work of the Western Allies in Germany from the end of World War II until the 1990s. There is probably no one who could describe the history of the Allied Museum more knowledgeably than he. In his book, Dr Trotnow outlines the rocky road from the initial idea to the establishment and opening of the Museum. His history of the Museum is more than simply a cultural-historical document. It opens up a fascinating panorama of contemporary history. Famous and not so famous individuals become tangible as human beings, whilst world historical events receive a new perspective.
The Collection of Ancient Plaster-casts (Abguss-Sammlung) at the Free University Berlin includes around 2,100 casts of Greek and Roman sculptures. It is used for university teaching and research and, as a museum, is also intended to make ancient sculptures accessible to a broad public. The collection continues the tradition of the famous cast collection, founded as early as 1696, which was on display in the 19th century in the 'Neues Museum' on Berlin's Museum Island and most recently from 1921 to 1944 in the Friedrich Wilhelm University with around 2500 casts. This old collection was largely destroyed in 1950/51. Today's exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of the history and manifestations of Greek and Roman sculpture. The chronological time-span extends from the Cycladic culture of the 3rd millennium BC to geometric and archaic sculpture, from classical and Hellenistic sculpture, to sculpture from the Roman and Byzantine Empires up to around 500 AD. Selected pieces from other ancient cultures in the Mediterranean region complete the collection.
Major General Peter Williams qualified as a Russian interpreter in 1981 and spent four years during the 1980s in BRIXMIS, the British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in East Germany. He subsequently served in the former Yugoslavia and, finally, as the first Head of the NATO Military Liaison Mission to the Russian Federation. The subject of his talk was "The West and Russia - A dream that died".
What if Count Stauffenberg had succeeded? The 20 July 1944 is a pivotal moment in German history, although the day changed almost nothing and was forgotten for decades. Not until the seventies were memories evoked and the conspirators deemed to be heroes. In 1980 the German Resistance Memorial Centre was opened at the place where Colonel Count Stauffenberg and other conspirators were shot after the failed assassination attempt. The memorial is in the grounds of the Federal Ministry of Defence, but it is explicitly not only for the military resistance. Historians agree that there was no united, national resistance movement in Nazi Germany at any time during Hitler's years in power. But there were several individual groups. We will have the chance to learn more about two of them: The Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra) referred to a loose network of resistance groups, connected through personal contacts, uniting hundreds of opponents of the Nazi regime. They distributed prohibited leaflets, aided Jews, documented the atrocities of the Nazis, and transmitted military intelligence to the Allies. The Kreisauer Kreis was a group of about twenty-five dissidents led by Helmuth James von Moltke, the great-grandnephew of Helmuth von Moltke. It was an intellectual circle that discussed how they would reorganise the German government after the end of the Third Reich. Most of the members died at the hands of the Gestapo.
Brigadier General Gräfe spoke to BHA about the Luftwaffe of the 21st century, its current operations as a NATO partner and the challenges that it faces.
The Samurai Museum of Berlin is Europe’s first museum of Samurai art. We will be guided through the museum and be exposed to the life and heritage of Japan's legendary warrior elite. The Samurai (or bushi) were the warriors of pre-modern Japan. They later made up the ruling military class which eventually became the highest ranking social caste of the Edo Period (1603-1867). The Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their main weapon and symbol was the sword. More than 1,000 objects reveal the extraordinary artistry of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Also on view is a multimedia installation that brings the distant era to life. One can zoom in to gigapixel images to uncover minute details, follow the labour-intensive processes of Japanese sword making, and watch virtual Noh and Taiko performances. The tour is designed to provide an overview of the museum's vast collection of Samurai art; certainly one of the largest collections in Europe. The interactive displays and virtual performances give the viewer the chance to engage more in depth with Samurai culture and its meaning for Japanese culture up to the time of its downfall in the 1860s after Japan was forced to open up to Western trade.
Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner KCB, CBE spoke to BHA about his recent book that tells the story of this extraordinary city from its medieval origins to the present day, describing it as a city on the edge – geographically, culturally, politically and morally. A city that has given rise to movements that changed Europe – the Reformation, Marxism and Fascism. This is a story of tension and contradiction, of ground-breaking cultural experiment and artistic and social liberation. It is the compelling story of a unique, absorbing and multi-faceted city.
The New Synagogue Berlin in Oranienburger Street was opened in 1866 and used to be one of the best-known places of Jewish worship in Germany. It was not only a newly-erected and magnificent building, but also a place for new rituals: An organ, a mixed choir, a prayer book in German, and the first female Rabbi in the world (who was ordained in 1935). Today, one of the remaining rooms is used as a synagogue, and once again its congregation is introducing innovations. We will view the contemporary synagogue as well as the permanent exhibition and explore themes of tradition and modernity. And we will be invited to discuss themes such as hope, uncertainty, destruction and Jewish self-determination.
The life-size double statue of Princesses Louise and Frederica of Prussia, known as the “Princess Group”, is Johann Gottfried Schadow’s (1764–1850) magnum opus. Seen as the founder of the Berlin School of sculpture, Schadow came to epitomise German Neoclassicism, with this work being emblematic of the movement. As the first sculpture depicting two female historical figures, this work wrote art history, and continues to be a highlight for visitors to Berlin from around the world. Two years earlier, at the age of 29, Schadow had completed his first masterpiece, the goddess Victoria in her chariot with the four horses, which for the last 230 years has been a symbol of Berlin, if not of Germany. The first retrospective in some 30 years, this exhibition presents Schadow’s major sculptural, graphic and art-theoretical works, arranged into 11 thematic sections. Following extensive conservation and restoration work, the original plaster model (from 1795) is exhibited alongside the original marble rendering (1797) for the first time ever.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2022.
Berlin, as the capital of Germany, is home to the Bundestag, the legislative centre of government. Starting with the beginnings of democracy in Germany, the exhibition focuses on its development and the various phases of the institution in German history. The exhibition begins with the rebellion of 1848, and progresses through the Bismarck era and the formation of the German Empire (Kaiserreich) to the development of the political party system in Germany during the Kaiserreich. There is an emphasis on the Weimar government and the weakness of its constitution, leading to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. This is followed then by the development of the Basic Law and the modern German political system. The exhibition follows up and finishes with a discussion of the various constitutions that Germany has had since 1849.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, was buried in the city's cathedral after his death. Until 1631, Magdeburg was one of the largest and most prosperous German cities and a notable member of the Hanseatic League. Magdeburg has been destroyed twice in its history: Firstly, the Catholic League sacked Magdeburg in 1631, resulting in the death of 25,000 non-combatants, the largest loss of the Thirty Years' War. Secondly, the Allies bombed the city in 1945, destroying much of it. In 2005 Magdeburg celebrated its 1200th anniversary.
This guided walking tour will take us to the city’s old market square (Alter Markt) and its “Magdeburg Horseman” statue and to St John’s Church, in which Martin Luther once preached. We will also visit Romanesque buildings such as the Art Museum in the Monastery of Our Lady and have the chance to find out more about the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his vision of architecture in harmony with nature, which he brought to life in the Green Citadel of Magdeburg. The tour ends at the Romanesque Art Centre, which is located in close proximity to Magdeburg Cathedral, the city’s over 800-year-old landmark.
Berlin has had a history of Rebellion and in a two-hour walking tour through the city centre we will follow the tracks of the history of protest in Berlin. Berlin’s history was not only formed by the sovereigns and their performance as rulers, but also by its inhabitants of all walks of life; and the protests by all levels of society form part of this history as well. Interesting and gripping incidents will be explained on the spot where they took place. The extensive history of rebellion and resistance in Berlin ranges from the “Berliner Unwillen” (Berlin discontent) in the 15th century, the revolution of 1848 and the German Revolution of 1918–19, to the uprising in East Berlin on the 17th of June 1953, the protests of 1968, and the so-called peaceful revolution of 1989 until the present.
The Huguenots were a religious group of French Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries faced increasing hostility from the Catholics in France and the eventual abolition of their political and military privileges. This resulted in great numbers fleeing France and settling in many different countries. The word “Huguenots” was meant as a slur, but the Protestants in France used it themselves and turned it into a neutral, if not positive, term. Three centuries ago they were called “Réfugiés” when Prussia accepted about 20,000 of them who were fleeing from persecution in France. They were noble, but not selfless, because the French were highly educated and gave Berlin and Prussia a boost in a cultural and economical sense. The Edict of Potsdam in 1685 gave them special privileges as well as churches in which to worship, one of which was the Französischer Dom. And other traces can still be seen in today’s Berlin, such as the area the Réfugiés called after the bible, Terre de Moab. Today it is known as Moabit. Descendants of the Huguenots include people like the de Maizières and Theodor Fontane. And the words that some Berliners use when speaking, such as Klamauk, plärren, etepetete or Kinkerlitzchen, have their roots with the Huguenots. BHA is pleased to offer one of the rare tours of the Hugenotten-Museum in the Französischer Dom in Berlin.
Karl Marx never used the word “Kapitalismus”. Even in “Das Kapital” you can find the words “Kapitalist” and “kapitalistische Produktionsweise“, but never „Kapitalismus“ from Marx’s hand. But for many, Marx is the philosopher who explained capitalism – and how to overturn it. He was successful at least at home: And although he had a lot of supporters, he was always broke. "All I know is that I am not a 'Marxist'!", he said about himself. The exhibition "Karl Marx and Capitalism" presents and scrutinises the work of Marx as an examination of the dynamically changing capitalism and the controversies of the 19th century. The focus is on topics such as criticism of religion and society, emancipation of Jews and anti-Semitism, revolutions, new technologies, nature and ecology, economics as well as struggles and movements in Europe - topics that have lost none of their explosive power even today. This exhibition thus links Marx's historicising with questions about his topicality. At the same time, it takes a critical look at the reception of his theories in the 20th and 21st centuries. Millions of people were killed in the name of Marxism. Marx himself was not keen to be criticised: "I have, of course, kept my arguments in such a way that I am also right in the reverse case."
Is the Invalidenfriedhof the German Arlington? A clear Jein, because although this is a cemetery for soldiers, but it is different. And older, more than a century, than Arlington. This is a place for Prussian history and it, more or less, started and ended with this kingdom in Germany. It was used and misused by the Nazis and played a role in the era of the “Mauer”. And today? History, military, and Prussia, are three things combined without a lobby in modern-day Germany.
Let’s walk among the tombstones. Let’s have a look at the final resting places of Gerhard von Scharnhorst and Helmut von Moltke (unfortunately only the Younger), Alfred von Schlieffen and Max Hoffmann, Hans von Seeckt and Werner von Fritsch. Pilots too are here, like Manfred von Richthofen und Olivier von Beaulieu-Marconnay or Ernst Udet and Werner Mölders. Also buried here is the aviatrix Marga von Etzdorf. So too are Nazis like Fritz Todt and Reinhard Heydrich, although their graves are not marked anymore. Here as well is Hitler’s adjutant, Rudolf Schmundt, who died when he was killed instead of Hitler in the July plot of 1944. Or Wilhelm Staehle, who died because he fought Hitler. Who was the most successful submarine captain ever? You have probably never heard his name but you can visit his grave here in Berlin. And we will also hear the story of Wolfgang Röhling and Walter Peter Göring.
The House of the Wannsee Conference is where the details of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question”, the logistics of the Holocaust, were finalized and as such has an important symbolic role for the history of the 20th Century and for Berlin in particular. The house was owned by a German industrialist who fell out of favour with the Nazi Government which then confiscated his home and turned it into a SS Conference Centre and Guest House for the war. At noon on 20 January 1942, a meeting of approximately 90 minutes took place in the dining room of the SS guesthouse. Representatives of the SS, the NSDAP and various Reich ministries attended this meeting, which was convened by Reinhard Heydrich, Head of the Security Police and SD. Heydrich's aim was to emphasise his leading role in the deportations and to involve important ministries and party departments in the preparations for the murder of the European Jews. The participants presented proposals and raised objections depending on the interests of the authorities they were representing, but overall they showed that they were willing to cooperate. In the process, the leading officials in the German state administration became accessories to, and perpetrators of, the crime. Today the House is an historical building, memorial and an education facility that views itself as an inclusive institution to inform the public regarding the events that occurred there. The permanent exhibition is entitled "The Meeting at Wannsee and the Murder of the European Jews". The museum has various online exhibits that may be viewed from home as well.
The Jewish Museum Berlin was opened in 2001 and is the largest Jewish Museum in Europe. On 3,500 square metres of floor space, the museum presents the history of Jews in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day. Essentially, it consists of two buildings – a baroque old building, the “Kollegienhaus” (that formerly housed the Berlin Museum) and a new building by Daniel Libeskind. The two buildings have no visible connection above ground. The Libeskind building is a twisted zig-zag and is accessible only via an underground passage from the old building. On this tour of the exhibition we will be shown museum highlights including the museum collection, the family estates, an acoustic search for traces, decipher medieval documents, and delve deeper into 21st century media. We will follow turbulent Jewish history between exclusion and belonging and learn how Jews see their Jewish identity today. The tour will also include an architectural overview of the new museum.
The Archenhold-Sternwarte in Treptow Park is the oldest and largest public observatory in Germany. Since the Berlin Exhibition of 1896, visitors have been able to observe the sky here with the “Großer Refraktor”, the longest movable refracting telescope in the world, called “the Sky Cannon”. This refracting telescope has an aperture of 70 centimetres and a focal length of 21 metres. The total weight is 130 tonnes and its design allows it to move freely in any direction and at any height. The building's attractions include the historic Einstein Hall, the Zeiss-Kleinplanetarium (small planetarium) and a Museum of Astronomy with meteorites and historic telescopes. The telescope has something in common with the Eiffel Tower, because it was also supposed to be dismantled after the exhibition. But Archenhold collected donations and operated the facility as a “Volkssternwarte”, a public observatory, aimed not only at scientists but also at interested lay-people. On June 2 1915, a young physicist gave a presentation about his brand new, not yet published theory of General Relativity. His name was Albert Einstein. Archenhold died 1939 in Berlin, less than two weeks after his 80th birthday. The observatory had previously been run by his son, but he was hounded out of office by the National Socialists. The Archenholds were Jews. His widow, Alice, died in Theresienstadt in 1943, as did his daughter Hilde. Since 1946 the observatory bears his name.
The Princesses’ Palace is a former Royal Prussian residence on Unter den Linden. It was built in 1733 according to plans by Friedrich Wilhelm Diterichs in Rococo style, and from 1810-1811 extended in Neoclassical style. Damaged during Allied bombing in World War II the Prinzessinnenpalais was rebuilt from 1963 to 1964. Since 2018, it has been home to an art collection of Deutsche Bank. The Palace is now an innovative platform for art and culture. Today, behind the baroque façade there is state-of-the-art technology and clear, contemporary architecture. Situated in the heart of Berlin, the PalaisPopulaire amalgamates tradition and the future. “Populaire,” or “popular,” means that the Palais is open to all. The PalaisPopulaire is a forum for people who want to experience art and culture in an interdisciplinary way under one roof. To this end, the museum offers a wide-ranging programme that brings together diverse aspects of contemporary culture. This includes exhibitions from the Deutsche Bank Collection and presentations of the “Artist of the Year” programme.
The Museum for Communication Berlin is regarded as the world’s oldest postal museum. It was founded in 1872 on the initiative of Postmaster General Heinrich von Stephan. Over the years, it has had a turbulent history. Whilst closed during World War II, the majority of the collection was evacuated for safe-keeping. The building was badly damaged in the war and, in a divided post-war Germany, was located in East Berlin. In 1958, after it was provisionally refurbished, it opened again as the East German Postal Museum. Some eight years later, West Berlin established the Berlin Museum for Post and Telecommunication in the Urania building. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification ushered in a major change for the two Berlin museums, and they were integrated under one roof in March 2000.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2021.
The Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation was newly opened in 2020. It provides information about the causes, dimensions and consequences of displacement, expulsion and forced migration in twentieth-century Europe and beyond. The main focus is on the displacement and expulsion of Germans at the end of the Second World War, which was initiated by Germany. The exhibition illuminates politically, ethnically and religiously motivated forced migrations, primarily in twentieth-century Europe, but also beyond. The displacement and expulsion of Germans during and after the Second World War constitute the focus of the exhibition’s narrative. The exhibition focuses on questions of universal significance: Why are people expelled or forced to migrate? What are the paths they have to travel? What does it mean to lose one’s homeland? How can those affected make a new start?
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2020.
In 1936 Otto Weidt established a workshop to manufacture brooms and brushes in a Kreuzberg cellar, where he employed predominantly blind and deaf Jews. When he moved the factory to the Rosentalerstraße in 1940, tensions in the country grew and despite the workshop being declared a war- essential industry, the Gestapo began to arrest and deport his Jewish employees. Weidt fought to protect his workers from persecution and deportation by bribing the Gestapo, falsifying documents, and eventually hiding a family behind a backless cupboard in one room of his shop. As the threat grew ever greater he found places for many more to hide. Weidt, forewarned, kept his shop closed on the day of the Fabrikaktion* in February 1943. However, many of his employees were deported. Among those he was able to save were Inge Deutschkron and Alice Licht, both non-blind young women in their twenties. Today, this museum to a citizen-hero is administered by the German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation. It tells Weidt’s story with archival photos and interviews with some of those he saved.
The Berlin Museum of Medical History is an institution of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin - and is located in the former museum building of the Pathological Institute on the traditional grounds of the Charité (Campus Mitte). The museum’s permanent exhibition “On the Trace of Life” provides a path through medical history over the past 300 years. The presentation follows the ever-changing historical view of and into the body, finally arriving at the “recipient” of medicine, the patient, and the possibilities inherent in today’s medicine. The heart of the museum is still the specimen hall, the core of which goes back to the collecting activities of Rudolf Virchow. Today, there are around 750 pathologic-anatomical wet and dry preparations on display in this area. In its temporary exhibitions, the museum focuses on different aspects of current medicine and medical history.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2019.
The headquarters of the Bundesnachrichtendienst moved earlier this year from Pullach in Bavaria to a new building in the centre of Berlin. Adjacent to the new building is a Visitors’ Centre where we will learn more about the mission, the main topics, the working methods, the parliamentary control and the history of the BND. Participants will then be able to ask questions about the BND. Following the introductory lecture and questions we will also be able to experience a multimedia and interactive exhibition on the tasks, goals and history of the Federal Intelligence Service.
The area of the Molkenmarkt lies in the historic centre of Berlin and is recorded as being the first market to have existed - even before Berlin itself was founded nearly 800 years ago. At present, the main thoroughfare of Mühlendamm/Grunerstrasse (that connects Potsdamer Platz with Alexanderplatz) runs between the Rote Rathaus (to the north) and the Alte Stadthaus (to the south), dissecting the former Molkenmarkt. Densely-built residential quarters that once characterised this area gave way, firstly, to Nazi building plans, then to Allied bombs during WWII and, finally, to GDR town-planners. Following a decision by the Senat in 2016 to re-route the main thoroughfare, archaeological excavations were begun to investigate the extent of former buildings on these sites.
Maybach I and II were a series of above and underground bunkers built 20 kilometres south ofBerlininWünsdorfnearZossen,to house theHigh Command of the German Army(in Maybach I) and theSupreme Command of the Armed Forces(in Maybach II) during theSecond World War. They provided a key connection between Berlin’s military and civilian leadership to the front lines of battle. During the Cold War the Zeppelin bunker was used by the Soviet Army.
Despite the rain and the Berlin Marathon, Lee Evans, a Board Member of BHA, led another of his revealing tours for newcomers to Berlin. Places of interest Included Pariser Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler’s former bunker, the Luftwaffe HQ, the 17th June Memorial, the Berlin Wall, the former SS Headquarters, Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstrasse, Gendarmenmarkt, Bebelplatz, the Old Royal Boulevard, Neue Wache, the TV Tower and Museum Island.
Christopher McLarren, a long-time member of BHA, presented a comprehensive picture of Baron von Steuben's life from his modest start, via his scheming association with royalty, his self-enoblement and his self-promotion, to one of the saviours and folk-heroes of America.
The Knoblauchhaus is a museum devoted to the Biedermeier era in Berlin. The former residence of the Knoblauch family is one of the few remaining 18th century town houses in Berlin. In its reconstructed living quarters, which are true to the original, exhibits and documents give visitors a glimpse of the life of this well-to-do family. They also offer fascinating information about the architecture, economy, culture and social life of the Biedermeier era. What was life really like in the Biedermeier Period? In German, the word bieder means “conservative” or “conventional”. But was the first half of the 19th century really so bieder? And why did people withdraw into the private sphere? A visit to the Knoblauchhaus Museum provides the chance to step into the world of Biedermeier Berlin. Each of the carefully reconstructed residential spaces is dedicated to a particular member of the silk merchant family Knoblauch, who once lived here. They provide a vivid window into the attitudes and domestic life of the period. Step through the doors of the Knoblauchhaus and experience middle-class life from the period between Napoleon’s wars and the Revolution of 1848!
Oranienburg Palace is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in the Mark Brandenburg, and a symbol of the Electorate of Brandenburg’s regal ascent. The palace dates back to a rural mansion built in 1651 for the Great Elector’s wife, Louise Henriette, who was born Princess of Orange-Nassau and from whom the locality of Oranienburg got its name. At the end of the 17th century King Frederick I had the palace expanded and magnificently furnished, in memory of his mother Louise Henriette. By 1700, this palace was considered the most beautiful of all Prussian residences. Under Prince Augustus William of Prussia, one of Frederick the Great’s brothers, the palace and gardens experienced another golden age during the middle of the 18th century. The Oranienburg Palace Museum now houses a collection of masterful works of art, amongst which is the magnificent etagère, or display stand for porcelain, in the Porcelain Chamber. Also outstanding are pieces of seating furniture made of ivory, a series of tapestries (made by the manufactory of Pierre Mercier in Berlin) extolling the heroic deeds of the Great Elector, sculptures by François Dieussart, and works of art by the sculptor Bartholomeus Eggers. The extraordinary collection of paintings includes masterpieces by the great Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck.
At the beginning of Berlin‘s industrial revolution in the middle of the 19th century, the Nonnenwiese, a large field separating Charlottenburg and Spandau, was a mostly uninhabited forest. This all changed in the 1890s when the fledgling company of Siemens & Halske purchased the area to consolidate their production that had been spread all over Berlin. Siemens began building factories and workers’ housing, and the Kolonie Nonnendamm formally became Siemensstadt in 1914. Today, Siemenstadt comprises one of the finest collections of brick factory structures, administrative buildings, and workers’ housing in Germany; all of which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Join BHA Board member Lee Evans on a two hour journey and rediscover one of Berlin’s most important neighbourhoods.
This treatment plant, built in 1963 on the site of the former WW1 Prisoner of War Camp (and later a trotting track), is one of six plants that clean the waste-water from Berlin and surrounding parts of Brandenburg. A total of 163 pumping stations are interconnected by a 1,183-kilometer-long pressure pipeline network. So-called main pumping stations convey the waste-water via the pressure line to the sewage treatment plants. In dry weather, the six sewage treatment plants clean around 620,000 cubic metres of waste-water per day. These include waste-water from households, commerce and industry as well as rainwater. Once the waste-water has been purified it then flows into the Spree or the Havel, returning it to its natural cycle.
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials und Energy (HZB) conducts research on complex systems of materials that contribute to dealing with challenges such as the energy transition. The HZB research portfolio includes solar cells, solar fuels, thermo-electrics, and materials for new, energy-efficient information technologies (spintronics) or electro-chemical energy storage. During this tour we will learn about the history of the HZB (originally the Hahn-Meitner-Institute) and some of its current research projects.
"One rises from the study of the causes of the Great War with a prevailing sense of the defective control of individuals upon world fortunes.“ Thus wrote Winston Churchill at the start of his book covering the seven years in which the “War to end all wars“ almost destroyed the world. Nick Barnard, a member of BHA, will read some excerpts from Winston Churchill’s book to illustrate how the author viewed the prelude to, and events of, the First World War; and how he believed the war could and should have been averted.
Rubbish disposal has a history as long as human existence. As early as 1583, Kurfürst Johann Georg von Brandenburg decreed that the residents of the Spree were responsible for disposing of their own rubbish so that it did not end up in the river. Our guided tour is concerned with the history of how refuse and detritus has been collected and disposed of, and the equipment and vehicles that have been used and developed for these purposes. We are most grateful to the volunteers of the „Saubere Zeiten“ (Clean Times) association who have established a museum and a large collection of vehicles and equipment that bear witness to the history of a subject that most people would rather not know about!
The Red Town Hall is one of Berlin’s most iconic buildings and was built from 1861 to 1869 by Hermann Friedrich Waesemann in the neo-Renaissance style. As the seat of the mayor, the municipal government and the city council, it played a key role in the history of democracy in Berlin. That came to an abrupt end in 1933 when the Nazis rose to power and destroyed democracy and local self-government. The building suffered heavy damage during World War II. However, it was rebuilt in the 1950s and became the seat of the mayor of East Berlin; whilst West Berlin’s Senate met at the Schoneberg Town Hall. It has represented reunified Berlin since 1991.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2018.
For nearly three centuries, the scenic town of Potsdam just outside Berlin was the residence of the Prussian kings, princes, and German emperors of the House of Hohenzollern who created a fairy-tale landscape of palaces, gardens, and churches that ranks among the most beautiful in Europe. In the middle of the 18th century the infamous 'Soldier King', Frederick William I, (renowned for the giant men he collected for his showcase military regiments), built an unique ensemble of brick houses to accommodate Potsdam's new community of Dutch artisans. Although the Dutch didn’t stay, their traditions come to life during the holiday season. The Christmas Market in the Dutch quarter is a unique Berlin/Brandenburg experience. Our day begins in Potsdam with a short tour of the newly renovated city centre while we await the arrival of Sinterklaas, the Dutch Father Christmas, who arrives at Potsdam Harbour at 13:30. After following Sinterklaas into the Dutch quarter you can spend the rest of the day exploring the market, feasting on matjes herring and other Dutch culinary treats.
The Armistice to end the First World War came into effect at 1100 hrs on 11 November 1918. Every year since then this date has been dedicated to the commemoration of all those British and Commonwealth personnel (as well as those of other allied nations) who gave their lives, both in that war and in subsequent wars. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. As has been customary in Berlin since 1945 there will be a Ceremony of Remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery on the Heerstrasse, followed by a church service at St George’s Church, Preussenallee.
One of the most famous internment camps of its time, the so called ‘Engländerlager’, was situated in the area of the former horse-trotting race track of Ruhleben. There, up to 5,000 British (as well as German-British) men were detained from 1914 until 1918, or even later. Some of them had lived in Germany or the German Empire for years, and many had families there; others found themselves, by chance, on German soil when the war broke out and, along with citizens of other „hostile“ nations, they were rounded up and interned under what were, initially, fairly primitive conditions. The exhibition of Ruhleben Camp, at the Spandau Zitadelle, describes this piece of history of World War I, and shows how the prisoners organised, administered, disciplined, educated and entertained themselves during their internment.
The Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas' Church) is arguably the oldest church in Berlin. However, it is now no longer a church but rather a museum. Nevertheless, the Nikolaikirche has been a landmark of the Berlin city centre for over 800 years. The Nikolaikirche was more than just a religious centre and burial place for important Berlin families; it was also the city council church and an historically significant location. During the Second World War, in 1944, a bombing raid completely destroyed the Nikolaikirche. Thereafter it remained in ruins until reconstruction began in 1984; and in 1987 it was re-purposed as a museum. Shortly after German reunification, the first freely-elected Berlin-wide city parliament convened here in 1991. Following comprehensive renovation, it was re-opened to visitors in 2010 not just as a museum but also as a venue for concerts.
The Glockenturm stands like a watchtower guarding the Olympic Stadium and the Maifeld. Within the base of the Glockenturm is an exhibition depicting the early beginnings of the German gymnastic movement; the use of the Olympic grounds from 1919 to 1936; the various stages of construction, including a 3D animated film; the use of the grounds from their beginning until the present day; the Langemarck Halle dedicated to the German soldiers who fought in the WWI battle at Langemarck. From the top of the Glockenturm one can enjoy the magnificent views of Berlin and beyond.
The Energy Museum Berlin was founded in 2001 by a group of volunteers whose aim was to show the development of electricity production in Berlin and its relationship to the „Elektropolis“ Berlin. This fascinating museum is divided into discrete individual areas covering electricity generation, distribution, safety, measurement of supply and consumption, control and communication, prevention of accidents, public street-lighting as well as the many uses and demands for electricity that have been invented since the end of the 19th century.
Lovingly referred to by Berliners simply as 'Alex', the Alexanderplatz is a large public space at the edge of Medieval Berlin. Although the square was originally conceived as a cattle market, outside of the city walls, the Alexanderplatz quickly became one of the most important centres of the growing city. No other public space in Berlin has seen the winds of change more than the Alexanderplatz. Due to its importance in trade, it is no surprise that the Alexanderplatz and its adjoining neighbourhood, the Scheunenviertel (Barn Quarter), was once a centre of Berlin’s flourishing Jewish culture and home to many of Berlin’s Jews.
The Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre opened in 2006 on the site of what was once a Forced Labour Camp at Schöneweide. The exact number of forced labourers is hard to determine, but around 26 million people from all parts of Europe had to work within the German Reich and the occupied territories during the Second World War in order to maintain, inter alia, the German armaments industry.
From its humble origins at the edge of Medieval Berlin, Friedrichstadt emerged as a vital extension to the ever-expanding city of Berlin. Although many focus on the Gendarmenmarkt as Berlin’s most beautiful public space, it is the Hausvogteiplatz that is more emblematic of the last two hundred years of Berlin’s history. Hausvogteiplatz is more famous as the centre of Berlin’s fashion industry and focal point of the former Garment District. By 1923, clothing manufacture dominated the economy of Berlin, becoming the second most profitable industry in the city. The Nazis destroyed this predominantly Jewish industry and by 1938 there were virtually no Jews left on the square.
The Second World War ended in Europe with an act of unconditional surrender in what is now the German-Russian Museum Karlshorst. From 1945 to 1949 the building was the headquarters of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. After being used by the Soviet military for various purposes, an historic memorial site - “The Museum of the Soviet Armed Forces in Germany” - opened in the building in 1967. Later re-named the “Museum of the Unconditional Surrender of Fascist Germany in the Great Patriotic War”, it existed until 1994. On 10 May 1995, to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, the German Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst opened. In 2013 a newly conceived permanent exhibition under development since 2009 was presented to the public.
The Forum Willy Brandt Berlin commemorates one of the leading German politicians of the 20th Century, and during our guided tour we will learn about the rise of Willy Brandt from modest beginnings to one of the world’s most respected statesmen, and just how instrumental he was in the development of post-war Germany and Europe.
The Berlin Story Museum is located in a former air-raid bunker just south of the Anhalter Bahnhof. Our visit will take us (with an audio guide) through a number of exhibits, including photographs, films, sculptures and other objects, covering events such as Napoleon’s occupation of Berlin in 1806, the revolution of 1848 as well as the more recent history of the 20th century. The exhibits are complemented by short biographies of Berlin personalities from Schinkel to Bismarck and others. At the end of the visit we will be able to a view a 25-minute film entitled “The Making of Berlin”.
The Botanical Gardens Museum is more than just a supplement to the Botanical Gardens themselves. Indeed, there is no other botanical museum of this kind in Central Europe. Plants that one can only observe for a few weeks or, in some cases, for a single day in the garden, can be observed undisturbed the whole year in the museum. In the greenhouses, each with its differently replicated climate, we will see diverse flora from around the world. Faithfully restored to the original, the Main Tropical Greenhouse (Great Pavilion), is an architectural masterpiece in Art Nouveau style.
The Botanical Gardens Museum is more than just a supplement to the Botanical Gardens themselves. Indeed, there is no other botanical museum of this kind in Central Europe. Plants that one can only observe for a few weeks or, in some cases, for a single day in the garden, can be observed undisturbed the whole year in the museum. In the greenhouses, each with its differently replicated climate, we will see diverse flora from around the world. Faithfully restored to the original, the Main Tropical Greenhouse (Great Pavilion), is an architectural masterpiece in Art Nouveau style.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2017.
Once a significant trading centre on the Via Regia in the Middle Ages, Naumburg in Saxony-Anhalt is just over 35 miles southwest of Leipzig. It is best known for its stunning St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. During the Advent season, the town is transformed by its charming Christmas market, located directly on the Market Square (Marktplatz). Our excursion to Naumburg includes a guided city tour and plenty of free time to explore the city and its Christmas Market.
The Deutsche Oper Berlin (German Opera House Berlin) was founded in 1912 in what was then still the independent town of Charlottenburg. The original building was destroyed in WWII, and Fritz Bornemann’s reconstruction opened on 24 September 1961 to much acclaim, with its excellent sightlines for all members of the audience and its exceptional acoustics. This private tour of the Deutsche Oper will take us from the foyers to the auditorium, onto the stage, behind the scenes, to the rehearsal rooms and scenery stores.
The Bundesrat is Germany’s Upper House of Parliament and is one of the five constitutional bodies in Germany. The German Bundesrat was first founded in 1867, together with the North German Confederation. In 1871 it was continued under the same name and with the same functions by the German Empire. The political makeup of the Bundesrat today is affected by changes in power in the states of Germany, and thus by elections in each state.
The Berlin Supreme Court (Kammergericht) was built between 1909 and 1913. From August 1944 until January 1945 the building was used for the show trial of the participants in the attack on Hitler in July 1945. After WWII the building was requisitioned for use by the Allied Control Council, which met there until the Soviets walked out of the Council in March 1948. The Four Power Conference between the USA, UK, France and the Soviet Union was held here from March 1970 until the signing of the Four Power Agreement on 3 September 1971.
This special exhibition at the Allied Museum, entitled "100 Objects. Berlin during The Cold War", presents 100 artefacts (rather than copies) that actually stem from the Cold War and have an historical story to tell, either from the West or from the East. Together, the seemingly commonplace, everyday items create a multi-faceted picture of the era.
Such was the demand for the tour on 8 July, that a second tour was arranged for those on the reserve list.
During the 11th Summer Olympic Games in 1936 this village was both the home and the training ground for 4,000 athletes from more than 50 nations. After the war it was used by the Soviet forces before being abandoned in 1994. Between 2009-2013 a programme of restoration and preservation was carried out by the Deutsche Kredit Bank (DKB) Foundation.
In 1909, Max Liebermann had a summer residence built on Lake Wannsee, which he proudly called his “lakeside palace”. It was here, away from the commotion of city life, that he found much-needed tranquillity and the principal subject matter for his later work. This guided tour of the Villa, gardens and permanent exhibition will last about 1 hour.
The Bavarian Quarter (Bayerische Viertel) in Schöneberg was built between 1898 and 1908, and its streets were all named after Bavarian towns. The emphasis of this walking tour of the Bayerische Viertel will be on the street sign monument ‘Orte des Erinnerns’, or “Places of Remembrance”, a memorial to the Jews of Berlin-Schöneberg.
Our tour will consist of a 90-minute walk, with a brief introduction to German colonialism, along the Mohrenstrasse. The walking tour will end at the German History Museum where we will have a 60-minute tour of the special exhibit German Colonialism: Fragments Past and Present.
For centuries, the Berlin Palace dominated the city. Following severe damage during the Second World War, GDR authorities decided to demolish it. It is now being rebuilt with a contemporary function, as the Humboldt Forum. This special exhibition at the Ephraim-Palais is dedicated to the Berlin Palace and its significance for the city and its residents.
The archives of the former "Stasi" comprise some 43 km of files, records, photographs and tape recordings that were amassed by the Ministry of State Security (MfS) in the GDR between 1950 and 1990. One of the main tasks of the archivists has been to restore and reconstruct as many records as possible in order to identify both the extent of Stasi operations and those who were involved.
The Bundeskanzleramt houses the personal offices of the Chancellor and the Chancellery staff. During this bespoke tour, in English, we will be privileged to see many of the offices and other facilities used by the Chancellor and her staff.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2016.
For nearly 200 years Quedlinburg was a favourite imperial residence and site of imperial diets. Quedlinburg has more half-timbered houses than any other town in Germany. The town escaped destruction during World War II and was liberated by the U.S. Army. Although treasured in GDR days, Quedlinburg was not very well preserved. Today the restored town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a joy to explore.
The German Federal Finance Ministry is located in Wilhelmstrasse, in one of the few buildings to survive the war. It served as the headquarters of the Reich Aviation Ministry until the end of the war and was Herman Göring’s centre of power. Following reunification, parts of the building were occupied by the Treuhandanstalt, the agency charged with privatising the East German economy. The German Finance Ministry transferred its head office from Bonn to this building in 1999.
This special exhibition at the Allied Museum, entitled "100 Objects. Berlin during The Cold War", presents 100 artefacts (rather than copies) that actually stem from the Cold War and have an historical story to tell, either from the West or from the East. Together, the seemingly commonplace, everyday items create a multi-faceted picture of the era.
The Ship Lift at Niederfinow, which was begun in 1927 and commissioned in 1934, is both the oldest and the largest of the four ship lifts in Germany. Barges and other vessels are transported from one level to another through a vertical height of 36 metres. However, despite its size, a new, larger ship lift adjacent to this lift is currently nearing completion, and is planned to enter service in 2017.
Checkpoint Charlie in the heart of Berlin was the most famous of the three former Allied Checkpoints; and the only one through which members of the Allied forces were allowed to pass when visiting East Berlin. However, there were two other Allied Checkpoints at the start and finish of the transit route (the so-called Autobahn Corridor) between West Germany and West Berlin that the Allies were required to use. This tour of the former Allied Checkpoints at Helmstedt (Alpha), Dreilinden (Bravo) and Friedrichstrasse (Charlie) includes concurrent visits to the former Soviet and East German Checkpoints at Marienborn as well as the site of the former original Soviet Checkpoint at Albrechts Teerofen.
Michelle Logsdon, the Cultural Attaché at the US Embassy, spoke to members about memories of her first diplomatic posting in East Berlin, in a talk entitled "Berlin, Berlin...your heart knows no Walls". Her reminiscences of the events leading up to the "Fall of the Wall" as seen through the eyes of a young foreign service officer were both thoughtful and poignant, and raised many interesting questions from the audience.
BMW began production of motorcycles in this factory shortly after the end of WWII. Nowadays, up to 700 motorcycles are produced per day in this modern factory by approximately 2,000 employees.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2015.
Bautzen, formerly Budusin, lies in the centre of Oberlausitz and has a history dating back to 1002. In 1524, St Peter's Cathedral became the first interdenominational church in that part of Germany. During the Cold War, the East German Ministry of State Security (Stasi) imprisoned dissidents in one of its jails.
In 1937, Albert Speer was given the task of transforming Berlin into Germania, the gleaming new capital of a Greater German "World Empire". The Grand Hall, for instance, with a dome sixteen times larger than St Peter's in Rome, would have accommodated 180,000 people. The exhibition exposes the myth of Hitler's and Speer's soaring ambitions and the crimes committed in the process.
Fort Hahneberg was built between 1882 and 1888 as the first of 4 forts that were intended to protect the munitions factories in Spandau. Architecturally stunning, and built with German precision, the fort is now a listed building maintained and preserved by volunteers.
On the 25th anniversary of German reunification, BHA - together with the Allied Museum - was honoured to host a lecture by the last General Officer Commanding of the British Sector of Berlin, Major General Sir Robert Corbett.
Colditz Castle became infamous during WWII when it was used as a POW camp (Oflag-IVC) to imprison Allied officers who had escaped at least once from other POW camps and who were considered to be intent on escaping again. Ironically, their incarceration in Colditz only strengthened their resolve to escape!
The Weißensee Jewish Cemetery is the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. It was opened on 9 September 1880, covers approximately 42 hectares and contains over 115,000 graves.
A talk by WW II veteran Mr. Svetoslao Hlopoff on the multilingual challenges at the Berlin Allied Kommandantura. Mr Hlopoff entered Berlin in the first convoy from Halle and worked at the Allied Kommandatura from 1945 to 1948.
Kaiser Wilhelm II commissioned Cecilienhof Palace as a residence for his son Crown Prince William of Prussia and his wife Cecilie. In 1945 Cecilienhof Palace was selected as the venue for the Potsdam Conference, where Churchill, Truman and Stalin held their discussion on how to partition Germany.
A talk on the topic “Berlin Brigade Checkpoint – Last Watch” by Lt Col Pete Rowell, Assistant Army Attaché, US Embassy Berlin. The speaker was posted to Helmstedt just as the Wall fell, and witnessed the last days of Soviet control over Allied traffic transiting the autobahn to and from Berlin.
Marienfelde Refugee Centre (MRC), now a museum, was a symbol of freedom and hope during the Cold War. Approximately 1.35 million East German refugees passed through the MRC, where they were housed and cared for whilst undergoing the screening process (to ensure they were genuine refugees) and waiting for residence permits for West Germany.
Building of the original Hansa Quarter began in 1875. However, most of it was destroyed in WWII. Nonetheless, numerous signs of its existence and of its former glory are still to be found. This tour highlighted the re-building of the Hansa Quarter between 1955-57 and how it relates to the old quarter.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2014.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2013.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2012.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2011.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2010.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2009.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2008.
This page provides an overview of the tours and lectures arranged by the Berlin Historical Association in 2007.