IUCR: Culture and Events

Did you know that...

Photo Museum Island with Bode Museum and TV Tower (Fernsehturm) — Museum Island with Bode Museum and TV Tower (Fernsehturm)

... Berlin is one of the few cities that is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites? In addition to the famous Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and the Prussian palaces and gardens, it also includes the modernist housing estates in Berlin. The German capital was also awarded the accolade of "UNESCO City of Design". Berlin is thus a member of the UNESCO network of Creative Cities.
... Berlin is the only city in the world to host three opera houses? The Deutsche Oper, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Komische Oper can accommodate more than 4,700 spectators. The latter will be undergoing extensive renovation for several years and will hence move to the Schillertheater for that period.
... Berlin has more than 150 theatres and stages of all genres? In the year 2023, a massive 3 million tickets were sold for theatre, orchestra and dance performances. The Friedrichstadt Palast is an absolute hit with audiences, followed by the Berlin Philharmonic and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
... Berlin is the only European city that can boast of more museums than the number of rainy days? Because the average number of rainy days per year is 106, whereas the number of museums is around 170.
... the Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum, inaugurated in 1998, houses many collections? Namely, it brings together the painting collections of the Bode-Museum (in the former eastern part of the city) and the former Gemäldegalerie in Dahlem (in the former western part of the city), which were separated due to the division of the city.
... with around 290 galleries dedicated to classical modern and contemporary art, Berlin is the top location for galleries in Europe?
... the world's largest universal museum is under construction on the Museumsinsel in the centre of Berlin? Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode-Museum, Altes Museum and Neues Museum with the world-famous bust of Nefertiti have already been renovated. The James-Simon-Galerie connects four of the five buildings on the Museumsinsel. The Pergamonmuseum is undergoing a complete renovation. The north wing and the middle section are currently being modernised, followed by the south wing. A new fourth wing is also planned, which will connect the north and south wings. The Pergamonmuseum is therefore currently completely closed in order to carry out extensive renovation work. In 2027, the north wing with the Pergamon Altar will be on display again as the first completed construction phase.
... following the footsteps of the Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St Petersburg and the British Museum in London, four of the Museumsinsel buildings will be interconnected in future via an underground tour?
... the central entrance building of Berlin's Museumsinsel, the James-Simon-Galerie, was named after the art patron James Simon? It is thanks to him that the famous bust of Nefertiti can be seen at the Neues Museum. The James-Simon-Galerie, a simple concrete building with slender white columns, designed by David Chipperfield, connects four of the five buildings on the Museumsinsel.
... 14.2 million people from Germany and abroad flooded into Berlin's museums, exhibitions and memorials in 2023? The visitors are particularly fond of the memorials and documentation centres, such as the Berlin Wall Memorial or the memorial site "Topography of Terror".
... in addition to the world renowned collections, Berlin also has offbeat museums? These include the Lipstick Museum, the Schwules Museum, the Hemp Museum or the Urban Nation, the museum for "urban contemporary art". The Buchstabenmuseum (Museum of Letters) is also one of a kind in the world. Its collection includes more than 1,000 letters, lettering, logos and signs, most of which come from the Berlin cityscape.
... the East Side Gallery is the longest open-air gallery in the world and at 1,316 metres, also the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall? This section was painted in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries with 106 pieces of art. Many of the artists in the collection returned to Berlin in 2009 to brush up on their artworks. In an online exhibition, artists and people from Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg talk about their lives in the divided city in 76 video interviews - at the time when they crossed the border as well as after that.
... Berlin hosts about 50 film festivals every year? No wonder, there are 99 cinema halls here, which is the maximum number in a single city across Germany. From the big film festivals to specials: A wide variety of film festivals on a wide range of topics are held here throughout the year, including of course the Berlinale, the Berlin Independent Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival or the Sehsüchte Festival.
... the Berlinale will already be 75 years old in 2025? It is one of the most popular film festivals in Europe and as the film industry's top media event, it draws around 20,000 trade visitors and journalists from 132 countries every year. What sets the Berlinale apart from other film festivals is the huge amount of public participation. Cinema fans from Germany and abroad bought around 330,000 tickets in 2024 (not counting those of the trade audience).
... Berlin is a sought-after setting for international films and series? "Babylon Berlin" was filmed here, as was the fifth season of the hit US series "Homeland" as well as blockbusters such as "Inglourious Basterds" and "The First Avenger: Civil War". One of the most popular filming locations was Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island). It served as the backdrop for no less than six Edgar Wallace films, including "Neues vom Hexer" (News of the Magician) and "Der Mönch mit der Peitsche" (The Monk with the Whip).
... Berlin landmarks are seen in a different light once a year? At the "Festival of Lights", which takes place in October, the TV Tower, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Cathedral, the Victory Column and many other buildings serve as huge projection surfaces for original light installations. They make the festival one of the most elaborate and popular light art festivals in the world. The organiser opts for energy-saving LED technology. “Celebrating Freedom” - from October 4 to 13, 2024, the 20th Festival of Lights will once again illuminate numerous buildings and public places in bright colors.