The Werkbundarchiv - Museum of Things (Museum der Dinge) is a museum of 20th and 21st century product culture, which is characterized by industrial mass and commodity production.

The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge in Berlin documents the product culture of the 20th and 21st centuries, showcasing around 35,000 documents and 20,000 objects. Located on Oranienstraße in the Kreuzberg district, it offers fascinating insights into design history and modern everyday life.

It presents its collections on 20th century design and everyday culture in the form of a walk-in depot. The core of the institution is the archive of the Deutscher Werkbund, an association of artists, industrialists and cultural politicians founded in 1907. Since the 1970s, the museum has been collecting design-historically significant objects and objects for the documentation of modern everyday life, which is shaped by the culture of goods.
The entire collection now comprises approx. 35,000 documents and approx. 20,000 objects. In the permanent exhibition, the show collection, visitors will find objects by renowned designers and anonymous design, functional, purist objects and so-called "mistakes in taste" or "kitsch", branded goods and no-name products. For example, the "Frankfurt Kitchen" by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, designed in 1926, is presented as an architectural concept of modernity. They can also take over a Dingpflegschaft. For this purpose, the museum provides a selection of objects from various collections.

Museum of Things

Location & Sights nearby

The Werkbundarchiv-Museum der Dinge is located in Oranienstraße in Berlin's Kreuzberg district. Here you can lose yourself in the lively city life of Kreuzberg and stroll for hours through the neighbourhood. Visit the Prinzessinengärten (princess gardens), a quiet oasis in the middle of the city, buy tickets for the open-air cinema Kreuzberg, in a converted hospital, or discover Korean street food in the restaurant "Angry Chicken"!

Brief history of the Museum der Dinge

The Werkbund Archive was initiated in 1971/72. The founding meeting took place on 27 May 1973 in order to establish the Werkbund Archive as a registered association and as an independent research and communication centre, i.e. independent of the Deutscher Werkbund. From the very beginning, the Werkbund archive has clearly committed itself to an activity oriented towards the present and the future and to a focus on everyday material culture. In 2002, the institution lost its permanent exhibition rooms in the Martin-Gropius-Bau and was only permanently open to the public in 2007. In 2006, the document archive and the administration moved to the new location in Kreuzberger Oranienstraße. In 2007, the object collection was moved and the museum reopened.

Profitopolis or the State of the City

Current Exhibition until February 28, 2025

The exhibition aims to showcase the multifaceted development of urban landscapes and their close connection with the Deutscher Werkbund.

A retrospective look at the "New Building" movement of the 1920s, international architecture exhibitions, and debates on historical versus industrial construction methods highlights how significantly the Werkbund influenced modern urban development. The Werkbund played a crucial role in promoting innovative construction projects and setting standards for 20th-century architecture.

Particular focus is given to two "Profitopolis" exhibitions from the 1970s, created in the context of the Werkbund. These exhibitions emphasized the political dimension of urban design, calling for civic engagement and criticizing land speculation, car-centric urban planning, and the neglect of historical structures and urban nature. These critiques remain relevant today, as a critical view of the urban space between the old and new museum locations demonstrates.

The exhibition embarks on a critical exploration of the urban landscape between Kottbusser Tor and Spittelmarkt, mapping discussions, initiatives, and artistic perspectives on contemporary urban development. Historical and contemporary objects, documents, and materials from urban initiatives are showcased, complemented by artistic works by Daniela Brahm, Mirja Busch, Martin Kaltwasser, Wenke Seemann, Tracey Snelling, ufo ufo – urban fragment observatory, and the Center for Art and Urbanistics (ZK/U). These artists and collectives engage deeply with urban themes, offering diverse perspectives on the challenges and potential of urban development. Their works reflect and question current urban phenomena, contributing to discussions about the future of cities.

The exhibition is part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge and is curated by Florentine Nadolni, Alexander Renz, and Lotte Thaa.

Address, opening hours...

Address: Oranienstraße 25, 10999 Berlin
Opening times: exhibition: Tue & Wed  closed, Mon, Thu, Fri, Satm Sun: 12 – 7 p.m.
Admission: 6 Euro,  concessions: 4 Euro
Public Transport: U-Bahn U6 (Friedrichstraße), S-Bahn S1, S2, S3 (Friedrichstraße); S5, S7, S75 (Hackescher Markt), Tram M1, 12 (Am Kupfergraben)

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Von San Andreas - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30389475

The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge in Berlin documents the product culture of the 20th and 21st centuries, showcasing around 35,000 documents and 20,000 objects. Located on Oranienstraße in the Kreuzberg district, it offers fascinating insights into design history and modern everyday life.