Berlin's new center completed: East wing of the Humboldt Forum opens

Berlin, September 16, 2022 Berlin has every reason to celebrate this weekend: The Humboldt Forum opens its east wing - around 20,000 exhibits on 16,000 square meters can then finally be experienced in full. Almost one year after the ceremonial inauguration of the building, visitors will be able to discover the last major department. The east wing is home to the collection presentations of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art of the National Museums in Berlin, as well as five new special exhibition areas. These include collections on North, Central and South America and the second part of the collection presentations on Asia and Africa. The new exhibitions provide insights into the collecting activities of the Norwegian explorer Johan Adrian Jacobsen on the west coast of Canada, indigenous perspectives on objects in Berlin, and the life of things in the Amazon region. The exhibition area on the global diversity of Islam features rare objects such as a 19th-century Iranian dervish coat.

Free 24-hour opening program

"Everything Open." Under this motto, the Humboldt Forum celebrates its newly opened East Wing with a colorful 24-hour art and cultural program that is free of charge for visitors:inside. It starts on September 17 at 12 noon sharp with exhibition talks, performances, drop-ins, workshops and film discussions. It continues with readings, nightly guided tours and a club night with concerts and DJ sets. Sunday morning begins with a sun salutation on the Spree Terrace and breakfast in the Schlüterhof. Talks on the future of collaborations conclude this special opening celebration. From the Schlüterhof to the roof terrace, the exhibitions on Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas are the focus of the program, which includes international partners, experts, artists, and curators.

Successful opening year

Around 1.5 million guests, 820,000 exhibition visitors, 4,500 guided tours, 390 events with 800 experts and artists from over 25 countries, and eight exhibitions: This is the successful balance of the first 365 days of the Humboldt Forum. Since its opening on July 20, 2021, the Forum has become a cosmopolitan and lively place for culture, art and science and a magnet for tourists. The Humboldt Forum is Berlin's new center, embedded in the historical cityscape of Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, Kronprinzenpalais and Nikolai Quarter.

New restaurant "Deli Alexander

The Humboldt Forum has a new restaurant and Berlin has a new gastronomic hotspot: Deli Alexander is dedicated to the naturalist, explorer and world traveler Alexander von Humboldt. It is located next to the Restaurant Wilhelm on the first floor of the Humboldt Forum, between the Schlüterhof and the Spree River. From Europe to North and South America to Australia and Asia, guests at Deli Alexander can expect a casual dining experience inspired by street food from a wide variety of continents and food cultures. In the "Bread & Bowls" concept, the chosen dish is placed in a baguette, slice of bread or tortilla. Cakes, pies, sweet pastries and ice cream creations as well as specialty coffees and smoothies are also on the menu. Fabian Fiedler is head chef at Deli Alexander, which has about 100 indoor seats and 200 outdoor seats on the Spreebalkon, as he is at his brother restaurant Wilhelm. The interior is bright and friendly, with wooden leaf ornaments, map sketches and jungle drawings reminiscent of Humboldt's exploratory journeys. In keeping with the Humboldt Forum's sustainability philosophy, all to-go dishes are available in recup reusable packaging. You can also eat and drink at the Humboldt Forum in the Baret restaurant on the roof terrace, in the Lebenswelten Bistro on the first floor and in the Forum Café on the 1st floor.

Discover Berlin with the Tourist Info

Just under a year ago, visitBerlin opened the Tourist Info in the Humboldt Forum. Here, guests and Berliners can find information about Berlin. Tickets for events, sights and tours as well as the city maps Berlin Welcome Card and Berlin CityTourCard are also available here. Tourists can discover Berlin right here in the Tourist Info: On display is the city model "Berlin around 1900" by the Förderverein Berliner Schloss. The Tourist Info is open Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. The entrance is located directly in Portal V, with access via Schlossplatz in the direction of Schlüterhof.