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The Jewish Museum Berlin

By , About.com Guide

Jewish Museum Berlin ©Jüdisches Museum Berlin Foto: Jens Ziehe

The Jewish Museum Berlin, the largest one of its kind in Europe, is worth a visit for many reasons – it houses an excellent historic exhibition, hosts interesting cultural events, and is set in one of Germany’s most spectacular museum's buildings.

The Exhibitions:

The historic exhibition of the Jewish Museum Berlin chronicles the history of Germany through the eyes of the Jewish minority. "Two Millennia of German Jewish History" documents Jewish life in Germany from Roman Times to present day, while focusing on three main subjects: Judaism and Jewish life, the horror of the Holocaust, and the rebuilding of Jewish life in Germany after the Second World War.

The historical exhibition is complemented by temporary exhibitions, which highlight contemporary art and cultural history.

The Museum's Architecture:

Visitors enter trough a former courthouse from the 18th century; from here, an underground passage leads to the new wing, an architectural masterpiece designed by Daniel Libeskind.
This building leaves a lasting impression on its visitors: The striking architecture is defined by a bold zigzag design, and the shape of the building is reminiscent of a shattered Star of David. Irregularly shaped windows are cut into the steel-clad facade, bizarre angles, and ‘voids’, empty spaces stretch the full height of the building. The architecture makes palpable the feelings of those who were exiled and lost.

The Holocaust Tower:

The modern wing of the Jewish Museum Berlin is connected via an underground tunnel to the windowless “Holocaust Tower”, an empty structure with concrete walls and sharp angles; the only light that comes in seeps through a narrow slit in the high ceiling.

Fallen Leaves:

The architecture of the Jewish Museum Berlin is complemented by several art installations, among them "Shalechet" (Fallen Leaves) by Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman. Ten thousand coarse iron-sculpted faces, their mouths and eyes wide open in suffering, are strewn over a floor of an otherwise empty space. Visitors are allowed to walk over this installation, and the echoing sounds are just another moving and unique experience the Jewish Museum offers to its visitors.

Address:

  • Jewish Museum Berlin, Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
  • Phone +49 (0)30 259 93 300
  • Subway Stops: U1, U6 Hallesches Tor and U6 Kochstraße
  • Website of the Jewish Museum Berlin

Opening Hours:

  • Monday, 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Admission and Tours:

  • Admission: 5 euros, reduced charge 2.50 euros
  • Children under the age of six: free
  • Family ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children): 10 euros
Open tours (no reservations needed) are organized regularly; please consult the museum’s website for more information.

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