BERLIN GLOBAL – Berlin Exhibition at the Humboldt Forum

Explore the 4,000-m2 BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition at the Humboldt Forum. What will BERLIN GLOBAL show you? Some of the city's main themes in a fascinating series of rooms.

BERLIN IN CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD

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Berlin – City of stories

Past, present and future: much of what happens in Berlin has an impact on the world. And much of what happens in the world affects Berlin. BERLIN GLOBAL, an exhibition on 4,000 square metres of space at the Humboldt Forum, shows how the city and its people are connected with the world. Visitors start in a room called Thinking the World and move on to an introductory space entitled Berlin Images. Rooms with individual themes then follow: Revolution, Free Space, Boundaries, Entertainment, War, Fashion and Interconnection. These aspects also feature in other metropolises, but the constellation captures the essence of the city.

Rich in variety and full of surprises, the immersive installations and atmospheric presentations invite visitors into these realms and the underlying diversity of Berlin. We let those who know the city speak: residents, experts, artists, initiatives and associations. Their stories, experiences and perspectives energise the exhibition.

Thinking the World

The world in Berlin – Berlin in the world. The city has always been part of a multifaceted network that spans the globe.

Berlin Images

Cities' names evoke images in our minds. Paris is the city of love, New York never sleeps and Rio de Janeiro stands for carnival. What images do you associate with Berlin?

Revolution

1848, 1918, 1989. These years mark political revolutions in Berlin. The uprisings called dominant sociopolitical structures into question. Breakthroughs to democracy...

Free Space

Berlin attracts people who seek to live life as they wish. The city has always been a testing ground and playing field for new lifestyles. But when some people make free space their own, others feel pushed out.

Boundaries

The Wall has long since disappeared. Berlin is known as a city without limits. Yet boundaries run through it, even though they are more evident to some people than others.

Entertainment

Entertainment venues in Berlin are gathering places. People, styles and cultures converge in the city, and also reflect its milieus. Take a journey through time with music, dance and theatre.

War

Berlin seems like a peaceful place today. But wars of the past have left their mark. And what about wars of the present?

Fashion

In Berlin you can wear anything you like: designer suits, jogging clothes, hipster outfits, stylish headscarves or practical outdoor attire. But fashion is more than an expression of the city's diversity.

Interconnection

Many of Berlin's residents feel at home in more than one place. Their lives are connected to other parts of the world. How can these interconnections be described?

Open Spaces

Create your own exhibition! BERLIN GLOBAL’s Open Spaces provide a place to do it. Three luminous blue areas are ready and waiting for your ideas.

Lounge

You have now seen, heard and experienced a lot. It is time for a break. The lounge invites you to relax and talk with other visitors. It offers space for coming together and networking.

World Studio

The WORLD STUDIO offers ways to be creative yourself and take action with others.

Thinking the World

Die Welt vernetzen

Connecting the world

Attempts to explore, chart and take possession of the world continue to this day.

The enormous mural by How&Nosm depicts events in the conquest and exploitation of the globe. The artists painted, sprayed and modelled the four walls to highlight colonial divisions of the world, studies of connections between humans and nature, and controversial appropriations of objects from other cultures. Collage-like scenes reveal symbols that stand for conceptualising the world as something shared: clasped hands, broken chains and doves of peace.

How do we want to live together in the world? How does this world influence us? How do we want to shape it? Join in! You can log in and connect with the exhibition. Numerous stations invite you to cast a vote and make a difference. At the end you’ll receive a summary of your choices and have the chance to meet people who share your opinions exactly – or not at all.

Above: © How&Nosm / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Oana Popa-Costea

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Berlin Images

Typically Berlin

This room provides an unconventional prelude to Berlin – and literally draws you in. Staggered backdrops with large-scale photos show images of the exhibition’s seven themes: Revolution, Free Space, Boundaries, Entertainment, War, Fashion and Interconnection. You’ll walk through these themes as if on a stage and begin to ask whether they are characteristic or simply clichés. The reverse sides of the backdrops suggest other possible perspectives.

Above: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Oana Popa-Costea

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Revolution

The city rises up

Berlin played a central role in Germany’s major revolutions. The country’s uprisings were closely connected with liberation movements in Europe and the world at large. With recordings of revolutionary anthems and chants, this room lets you imagine what revolutions sound like. A dense collection of posters with statements and appeals evokes the charged atmosphere and tension of upheavals. But how were the revolutions launched and what fuelled them? Spin the wheel of history and embark upon a trip back in time! When one of the years snaps into place you’ll be immersed in a striking combination of moving images and sound. Videos with interviews and historical film sequences plus immersive works of art make it clear that revolutions are by no means closed chapters in history but instead reverberate on into the present. Here you can watch and listen to individuals who themselves or whose close associates took part in revolutions.

Above: © Hanaa El Degham / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Cover picture: © Focke-Museum, Bremer Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte / Lars Lorisch / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Free Space

Free space opens and closes

Berlin is known for diversity, tolerance and freedom of expression. Think of the many abandoned spaces and empty buildings after the fall of the Wall, and the way residents typically put them to provisional use.

Berlin offers opportunities for all manner of new uses and ideas – although limited in time, because the city is constantly changing and its free spaces appear and disappear. This room’s photographic projections will lead you to Potsdamer Platz, which changed extraordinarily rapidly after the Wall fell. You’ll feel surrounded by walls that move towards you and then away. Spaces will seem larger and then smaller, and you’ll sense contraction and expansion. You’ll also smell some of the city’s typical aromas, such as its earth, lavender, grasses and dog faeces.

Above: © David Mesguich / Yasha Young / DOT DOT DOT / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Boundaries

Making boundaries visible

The illuminated map on the floor shows Berlin’s roads and waterways. Tall glass cases containing remarkable historical objects stand on the map: they indicate boundaries that surrounded, divided and were determined in Berlin in the past. Media stations in the form of surveying instruments also stand on the map. Their screens show you something about boundaries in Berlin today. Videos, animations and illustrations tell of racist exclusion, of places like the TV tower’s viewing platform that cannot be accessed by wheelchair users, and of parts of the city where residents can no longer afford to live.

Above: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Rentsch

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Entertainment

A great pleasure, or no pleasure?

Entertainment cultures have thrived on international influences since the 19th century. Explore the wooden kaiserpanorama that delighted viewers 120 years ago with its 3D scenes of cities, landscapes and events in faraway places. For a high-volume experience, take a headset, enter the disco sphere and dance to the beats of Berlin. They will transport you to musical cultures of the past century, from foxtrot to hip-hop. Today global music corporations are headquartered in Berlin. In the early 20th century companies like Lindström AG popularised jazz, tango and samba in the city. You can play songs from old shellac records on a converted portable player. Four sparkling copper walk-in spheres present different aspects of entertainment culture. The displays also take you behind scenes and onto fine lines between entertainment and exclusion: who can enjoy what where, and who is not allowed in? And who decides what is entertainment and what is not?

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

War

City of decisions

Berlin unleashed wars of conquest that shaped the 20th century. Wars in the German colonies and the First World War were launched from Berlin. The Second World War started here and ended in the destruction of large parts of the city as well as of the world. The walls of this room contain illuminated glass cases set in a restless pattern of protruding and receding grey felt squares. The objects, audio recordings and videos tell of war, violence and captivity. Digital stations show some of the traces of war in Berlin, such as street names and the number of pavement “stumbling stones” that recall individuals persecuted and murdered by the Nazis from 1933 to 1945. What are the signs of today’s wars? LED displays also show updated numbers of new refugees in the city.

Above: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: David von Becker

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Fashion

More than a stylish look

A large display window shows typical women’s outfits in Berlin today, compiled by students at Berlin’s School of Fashion, against a photographic backdrop of women in everyday outfits from 1900 to the present. You can listen to women describing their choice of clothing. But where do the clothes come from? You’ll find that out by looking behind the display window.

An extensive infographic places the history of Berlin’s fashion industry into a global context. Where did the cotton come from in the 18th century? Who cut, sewed and ironed garments in the 19th century and who does that today? A digital loom prompts discussion of how to bring fairer conditions to the global fashion industry. On six screens, activists and NGO representatives describe what they consider key to overcoming abuses in the garment business. The pattern of colours on the digital carpet shows how visitors respond to their statements.

Above: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Oana Popa-Costea

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Oana Popa-Costea

Interconnection

People in Berlin

The visuals of this room are dominated by a multicoloured sculpture suspended from the ceiling. It was inspired by 15 sound portraits of Berliners who were born here, chose the city as their home, fled here or ended up here by chance. The portraits tell of Berlin and of very different connections to other parts of the world. Take a headset and sit down on a long bench to hear their stories and examine details of the sculpture. A collection of objects illustrates these Berliners’ relationships to places they love or miss. The room also features a media station that lets you display your own interconnections with the world.

Above: © Tape That / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Oana Popa-Costea

Cover picture: © Tape That / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Open Spaces

On BERLIN GLOBAL’s three Open Spaces, we invite initiatives, organisations and groups to work with us to create their own exhibitions. We are looking for projects that make visible unknown, underappreciated or activist topics and perspectives. We provide the budget and other museum resources. Currently the Open Spaces application is closed. The next call for submissions will begin in fall 2022.

For further information and the online application form, please visit the >> Open Space website.

Above: © Kulturprojekte Berlin und Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, Foto: Oana Popa-Costea

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin und Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, Foto: Oana Popa-Costea

Lounge

Meet and connect

A sculpture reminiscent of large woody vines offers numerous places to sit. It reflects the exhibition’s leitmotif that everything is connected. Before taking a seat, you’ll return your chip wristband and receive an individual summary of your tour. You can also view composite results of visitors’ choices and opinions on monitors. You’ll meet people who share your opinions exactly – or not at all. The lounge offers many opportunities for discussion. Perhaps some of these encounters will lead to actions that change something in Berlin and shape the world together.

Cover picture: © Ursprungskonzept: Stammpunkt / Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

World Studio

The place to join in

The WORLD STUDIO invites everyone to put shared ideas for Berlin and the world into action. This is the place for information, workshops, respite, reflection and simply deciding to join in. Here you can rethink conventional ways of showing the world, and design new maps with your own ideas – three unusual “cartographers” stand ready to help. Individual maps and the discussions they bring open up new ways of seeing the world.

Above: © Stadtmuseum Berlin, photo: Alexander Schippel

Cover picture: © Kulturprojekte Berlin and Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, Foto: Oana Popa-Costea

Welcome to SHOWROOM!

Enter the Showroom

Ausschnitt aus dem Film "Top Down Memory"

Titelbild des Films REPRESENTATION MATTERS

Vier Musiker auf einem Podium im Veranstaltungsraum von BERLIN GLOBAL

Frauen demonstrieren vorm Brandenburger Tor

Eine Frau schaut auf eine gläserne Vitrine, im Bild steht der Titel des Videos "Aus meiner Sicht"

Films of BERLIN GLOBAL

Representation Matters - Racism in the Entertainment Industry

In the PERSPEKTIVRAUM series, BERLIN GLOBAL invites experts and activists, critics and friends of the exhibition to convey their perspectives on selected topics in order to get into conversation with one another and to enrich current discourses and debates. The second film in the PERSPEKTIVRAUM series: “Representation Matters - Racism in the Entertainment Industry” by filmmaker and activist Jermain Raffington and journalist Alice Hasters examines the representation of People of Color in the German media landscape. In cooperation with Kulturprojekte Berlin.

Representation Matters - Racism in the Entertainment Industry

BERLIN GLOBAL meets Sinti Swing Berlin

Founded in East Berlin in 1985, Sinti Swing Berlin remains one of the best-known swing bands in the tradition of French guitarist Django Reinhardt. BERLIN GLOBAL will present an exclusive concert with the musicians as part of Fête de la Musique 2022 – virtually here and at fetedelamusique.de (https://www.fetedelamusique.de/en/), at BERLIN GLOBAL’s website (https://berlin-global-ausstellung.de/..., and on its Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/berlinglobal...) and channel. Brothers Alfred, Fredi and Wilfried Ansin, along with their brother-in-law Hans Lauenberger, formed the band in East Berlin in 1985. The Sinti guitarists have their own language and musical tradition known as Sinti, manouche or “gypsy” swing, whose origins lie in the Hot Club de France jazz club of 1930s Paris. In the former GDR, the music of Sinti Swing Berlin represented an international cultural tradition that continued to thrive despite the Berlin Wall. As in the days of the Hot Club de France, the band members play acoustic instruments, mixing American swing and blues with French and Eastern European influences. The concert at the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition coincides with the Open Spaces exhibition “Citizens with Equal Rights” (https://berlin-global-ausstellung.de/...) by the Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma, currently on view at BERLIN GLOBAL until November 2022. This is BERLIN GLOBAL’s second time participating in Fête de la Musique. In 2021, Turkish-German rapper AZIZA A. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oHEe...) sang in the Berlin Exhibition at Humboldt Forum.

BERLIN GLOBAL meets Sinti Swing Berlin

Top Down Memory

How does the writing of history come about? Who writes our history? For Daniel Theiler, the would-be declaration of a socialist republic from the balcony of the Berlin Palace on 9 November 1918 is the starting point to consider these very questions. His two-part video entitled “Top Down Memory” examines events connected to political and societal upheavals. The balcony stands for the architectural manifestation of political hierarchies and powers, and becomes the filming location and hub for issues concerning authenticity and manipulation. The film screening is accompanied by a subsequent conversation with: Daniel Theiler (artist), Smina Bluth (image design), Charity Collin (actor), and Prof. Dr. Martin Sabrow (The Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam, Director). Moderation: Sandra Holtermann

Top Down Memory

Border Experiences: Whose fight? Whose memory?

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and the division of Berlin is the occasion that can be used in the coming months to speak about drawing borders . Various voices will be given a platform during the digital event series “BERLIN GLOBAL Border Experiences” and will emphasise the effects and consequences of borders at different levels. The question of crossing and conquering borders is a recurring topic. The Polish Solidarność movement forms the focus of the second part of the series. It was central for developments in the 1980s. Without it, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 would have been unimaginable. Half of the Polish union members at Solidarność were women. And, despite this, their struggles are still overwhelmingly told by men. Building on today’s feminist struggles, we want to create connections to the present to make the relevance of this activism visible. The focus hereby is on forms of protests and remembering activities in Berlin and Poland. Moderation: Dr. Iwona Dadej, Historian

In cooperation with Dziewuchy Berlin

Border Experiences: Whose fight? Whose memory?

In cooperation with Dziewuchy Berlin

In my View

In our series "BERLIN GLOBAL: In my View" we present personal perspectives on the Berlin exhibition at the Humboldt Forum.

The “Boundaries” room of the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition makes boundaries literally visible. An illuminated map on the floor shows Berlin’s roads and waterways. Tall glass cases containing remarkable historical objects stand on the map, indicating the boundaries that surrounded, divided and were determined in Berlin in the past. The map is also surrounded by media stations in the form of surveying equipment. For Polish Berliner Dorota Kott, the room has a special significance. In this video, the geographer, urban planner and founder of the socio-cultural project agency kollek-tief explores the city’s various boundaries. For her, these include more than simple geographical dividing lines. Individual limitations and historical aspects can also give rise to boundaries. Dorota was also involved in the conception of the “Interconnection” room of the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition. Three of her objects can be found there: a honey jar, a box of postcards and a warning sign. You can listen to the stories about them in the exhibition. Examples of Dorota’s work and current projects can be found on Instagram (@kollek.tief.berlin).

In my View

In our series "BERLIN GLOBAL: In my View" we present personal perspectives on the Berlin exhibition at the Humboldt Forum.

Discover BERLIN GLOBAL

Yesterday, today, tomorrow: much of what happens in Berlin has an impact on the world. And much of what happens in the world affects Berlin. BERLIN GLOBAL shows on 4000 square metres in the Humboldt Forum how the city and its people are connected to the world.

Discover BERLIN GLOBAL

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Get to know our YouTube Channel. Find out more about our online events, film series and exhibition themes.

Representation Matters - Racism in the Entertainment Industry

BERLIN GLOBAL meets Sinti Swing Berlin

Top Down Memory

Border Experiences: Whose fight? Whose memory?

In cooperation with Dziewuchy Berlin

In my View

In our series "BERLIN GLOBAL: In my View" we present personal perspectives on the Berlin exhibition at the Humboldt Forum.

Discover BERLIN GLOBAL

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

YOUR VISIT

Directions

Berlin Exhibition in the Humboldt Forum
Schlossplatz, 10178 Berlin

City railway and underground (S+U): Alexanderplatz, Hackescher Markt
Underground (U5): Rotes Rathaus, Museumsinsel
Bus (100, 300, N5, 147): Lustgarten, Berliner Schloss
Parking: Barrier-free parking is available south of the Humboldt Forum on Schlossplatz.

-> BVG Trip Planner

The safety guidelines in BERLIN GLOBAL are the same as those of the Humboldt Forum.

Website Humboldt Forum

Opening hours

Monday	10am – 8pm
Tuesday	closed
Wednesday	10am – 8pm
Thursday	10am – 8pm
Friday	10am – 10pm
Saturday	10am – 10pm
Sunday	10am – 8pm

Berlin Café at the Humboldt Forum

The Berlin Café at the Humboldt Forum is open daily from 10.30 am until 6 pm (closed on Tuesdays). You will find the Berlin Café directly in the exhibition BERLIN GLOBAL on the level of the room Entertainment.

Blick auf Statue, im Hintergrund sind Stühle und Tische zu sehen

Ein Mann zeigt drei jungen Menschen den HipHop-Bereich bei BERLIN GLOBAL

Blick in die Ausstellung 30 kg bei BERLIN GLOBAL

Die Grafik zeigt eine Familie, darüber der Schriftzug Museumssonntag

Zwei Menschen stehen vor einem Gemälde im Raum Verflechtung.

Frau betastet eine Karte in Brailleschrift

Links ist das Publikum zusehen, rechts die Sängerin Gaye Su Akyol auf der Bühne, sie hebt den rechten Zeigefinger zum Himmel

Nahaufnahme auf einen Tisch, auf dem ein Zettel und eine Kugel liegt

Good to know

Maintenance Work

From 10 to 24 August, the Humboldt Forum will be undergoing regular maintenance. However, BERLIN GLOBAL will remain open for you! You can visit the Berlin exhibition on the 1st floor via signposted entrances - and sweeten your stay with coffee and cake in the Café Lebenswelten. We look forward to seeing you!

Free entry for everyone with carrying Ukranian passport...

...a visa for the Ukraine or the valid student identification for a Ukranian university and a visa for residence in Germany – this also still applies to everyone carrying an electrical residency permit (eAT). We look forward to greeting you!

Ласкаво просимо

Всі, хто має український паспорт, візу для України або дійсне студентське посвідчення українського університету та візу на проживання в Німеччині, можуть безкоштовно відвідувати всі наші локації; це також стосується всіх, хто має дозвіл на проживання в електронному вигляді (eAT ). Ми з нетерпінням чекаємо на Вас!

Free Entry on Museums Sunday

Starting on January 2nd, 2022, we invite you to visit the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition at the Humboldt Forum free of charge on the first Sunday of each month. Tickets for the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition are available in advance (max. 7 days in advance) at the box office and on the day of the event. Online tickets are only available from the Museum Sunday shop. It is not possible to reserve tickets by telephone.

BERLIN GLOBAL only works with you.

Log in, spin the wheel of history, immerse yourself in the city's stories. BERLIN GLOBAL invites you to explore vibrant complexes of topics. You'll feel, discover and join in. You'll hear sound portraits, engage with revolutions and dance to the beats of Berlin. Chip wristbands available at the entrance let you connect even more. Numerous stations invite you to take a stand and cast a vote. At the end you'll receive a summary of your choices and have the chance to meet people who share your opinions exactly – or not at all.

12 languages, one exhibition

The exhibition offers everyone a wealth of experience. Much of the content is conveyed in twelve languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, German Sign Language (GSL), Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Turkish), in some of the exhibition media and to a greater extent in the media guide.

Media Guide

The texts of the BERLIN GLOBAL exhibition media are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, German Sign Language (DGS), Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Turkish via the BERLIN GLOBAL App.

BERLIN GLOBOAL for everyone

All areas are accessible to prams, wheelchairs and wheeled walkers. There is plenty of seating in the exhibition and a tactile, high-contrast floor guidance system provides orientation. A visitor guide with audio description is also on offer. The main thing is simply for you to be here!

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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook (all information is available in English and German) and receive the latest updates on the beginning of ticket reservations, exhibit information and fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses.

Subscribe to our newsletter

We will keep you informed of the latest subjects for exhibition as well as initiatives, tours and events. Subscribe to our newsletter (in German) today and be a part of BERLIN GLOBAL!

Maintenance Work

Free entry for everyone with carrying Ukranian passport...

Ласкаво просимо

Free Entry on Museums Sunday

Logg dich ein, dreh am Rad der Geschichte, tauche ein in die Geschichten der Stadt. BERLIN GLOBAL bringt dich in spannende Themenwelten: Du spürst, entdeckst und machst mit. Du hörst Sound-Portraits, lässt Revolutionszüge an dir vorbeiziehen und tanzt zu den Klängen Berlins. Wenn du am Eingang ein Chip-Armband nimmst, bist Du noch stärker verbunden: An verschiedenen Stationen entscheidest du dich für eine Position und hinterlässt eine Spur. Am Ende bekommst du dein Ergebnis und triffst Menschen, die ganz deiner Meinung sind – oder überhaupt nicht.