Natalye R.
Yelp
Up until last week, I wasn't even aware that Kreuzberg had a museum. But while walking from my dentist back to my bike, I passed by and was intrigued. In fact, I almost walked in right then, but thought better of it and went home to work.
So when it was a lazy and somewhat cold Sunday afternoon, and my fellow and I were thinking of something to do that involved leaving the house but not being too cold, I suggested the museum, which, lucky for us, is open on Sundays. And off we went.
The museum is actually the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum, so there's a little bit from both sides of the river. On the mezzanine, there is a room with old printing presses and types which you can explore. Then the first floor is a permanent exhibition about the city. It mostly covers Kreuzberg, showing the destruction of the area after the war, and detailing the history of the NKZ. There are models of the streets and the buildings, with interactive things along the way, such as drawers you can pull out, audio clips you can listen to, and more.
The rest of the museum is made up of changing exhibitions. For example, floors two and three focused on six different spots in the district, discussing their histories from past to present. There are also places where you can write down or contribute your own ideas or experiences pertaining to the places, which is pretty cool. One more floor up and there's a floor map of the area. Hand over your ID for an iPod loaded with images and sound clips that take you on themed tours of the area.
Finally, the other temporary exhibit was photos of street art, which were posted throughout the stairwells on the walls.
All in all, we probably spent between an hour and two hours exploring the museum. It is free, educational, and interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants more of an in-depth look at the area.
