From the outside, it's one of the most iconic and arresting buildings in Berlin's sea of amazing architecture. Inside, the Jewish Museum Berlin is an immersive art experience unlike anything else.
A thematic labyrinth of symbolic spaces and interactive exhibits, the museum is designed to evoke a visceral journey through Germany's Jewish diaspora.
Rich, diverse, and interactive, the museum's new core exhibition examines Jewish history and culture from the Middle Ages up to today. The exhibition route takes you on a journey through history, from the Early Middle Ages up to the emancipation movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, onward to National Socialism and the new start after 1945 – leading you right up to the present day.
This historical narrative is punctuated with thematic spaces that open perspectives on the diversity of Jewish life: What is sacred in Judaism? What makes something a 'Jewish object'? How is Judaism understood and lived today? Treasures from the museum's collection, everyday objects, as well as works of art, video, and audio installations allow space for quiet reflection and offer surprising insights.
Designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, the museum space itself is a walk-through art-installation charged with symbolism at every step. Deeply moving, thought-provoking, and unmissable, the Jewish Museum Berlin is an essential cultural experience.
This striking building stands in contrast to the Baroque-style architecture around it, and inside, symbolism is everywhere. The Holocaust is represented by a cold, empty, pitch-black room lit only by a single sliver of light in the ceiling. The Garden of Exile is a tilted maze of 49 uniform pillars designed to disorient and give a sense of being uprooted, as so many Jewish people were during and after World War II.
