First referenced in documents from the 13th century, Dahlem is one of the most interesting suburbs in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, a borough southwest of central Berlin. An affluent and tranquil city suburb, the district was confirmed as a major cultural and educational centre after World War II with the establishment of a university and a museum complex.
Beyond the Centre Dahlem
One of the more interesting museums dedicated to 20th-century art is hidden away on a leafy, tranquil street lined with picturesque villas, in an elegant Functionalist building designed by architect Werner Düttmann. The museum houses a collection of German Expressionist paintings linked to the artistic group known as Die Brücke, which originated in Dresden in 1905 and was based in Berlin from 1910. The members of this group included Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Erich Heckel.
The collection is based on almost 80 works by Schmidt-Rottluff, bequeathed to the town in 1964. The collection quickly grew, thanks to donations and acquisitions. In addition to displaying other works of art contemporary to Die Brücke (which was disbanded in 1913), there are also some paintings from the later creative periods of these artists, and works by other closely associated figures.
Nearby, at Käuzchensteig No. 8, lie the foundation’s headquarters, established in the former studio of the sculptor Bernhard Heiliger. The garden, which borders the Brücke-Museum, has a display of his metal sculptures.
⌂ Käuzchensteig 8 @ 115, X10 # 11am–5pm Wed–Mon ∑ kunsthaus-dahlem.de
t Sculpture by Bernhard Heiliger in the gardens of Kunsthaus Dahlem
This exhibition venue was built between 1939 and 1942 as a studio for the sculptor Arno Breker, one of the most prolific sculptors of the Third Reich, on grounds provided by the government.
In 1949, renowned sculptor Bernhard Heiliger, who was a student of Breker, moved into the east wing of the building and lived and worked in the complex until his death in 1995. In the garden adjacent to the Kunsthaus, more than 20 of his striking sculptures are exhibited.
During Heiliger’s time at the site, different parts of the complex were leased to other prominent artists from around the world.
Since 2015, the building has served as an exhibition space for postwar German Modernist art from both East and West Germany, and also promotes contemporary art.
⌂ Riemeister Strasse/Argentinische Allee Onkel Toms Hütte
t The colourful Onkel-Tom-Siedlung housing estate
This housing estate, known as “Uncle Tom’s Estate”, represents one of the most interesting urban architectural achievements of the Weimar Republic. It was built from 1926 to 1932, to a design by Bruno Taut, Hugo Häring and Otto Rudolf Salvisberg. Their primary intention was to solve the city’s housing shortage by building large developments that were both pleasant to live in and fairly inexpensive. The Onkel-Tom-Siedlung project in Zehlendorf was the realization of the English concept of garden cities.
The result is an enormous housing estate comprising single- and multiple-family houses. Set in lush greenery on the borders of Grunewald, it accommodates nearly 15,000 people.
Experience Beyond The Center
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EAT Miss Wu For something different, head to Miss Wu, which combines friendly service with a surprisingly broad repertoire of Chinese classics, as well as several more unusual dishes. Vegetarian-friendly too. ⌂ Königin-Luise-Strasse 71, 14195 # noon–11pm daily ∑ misswu.de ¡¡¡ |
Experience Beyond The Center
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DRINK Alter Krug For something traditional and German, this classic wood- panelled pub-restaurant offers a smart interior, German menu and a beer garden large enough to seat 500 people. ⌂ Königin-Luise-Strasse 52 # 10am–midnight daily ∑ alter-krug-berlin.de |
Domäne Dahlem, a city-farm that combines a manor house and farming estate, is a rare oasis of country life in the Berlin suburbs. The Baroque house was built for Cuno Johann von Wilmersdorff around 1680 and still retains its original character. Part of the Stadtmuseum Berlin (Berlin City Museum), it boasts period interiors, while the 19th-century farm buildings hold a collection of agricultural tools and a large and varied collection of beehives.
Domäne Dahlem is a working farm as well as a museum, with gardens, workshops and farm animals. There is a small charge to enter the museum; the grounds are free. Festivals and markets held here demonstrate rural crafts and skills, and there is plenty for children to see and do. There is a farm shop selling local, sustainable foods, including the farm’s produce, and an organic food market on Saturday mornings.
The Museum of European Culture is an ethnographic museum that specializes in European folk art and culture, and documents the daily life of its inhabitants. It hosts long-running exhibitions, often in conjunction with museums from other European countries. Among the exhibits on display are earthenware items, costumes, jewellery, toys and tools.
The Free University was established on 4 December 1948 on the initiative of a group of academics and activists, led by Ernst Reuter. This was a reaction to the restrictions introduced at the Humboldt Universität in the Soviet sector, and further evidence of the competition between the two halves of the city. The university was initially located in rented buildings. It was only thanks to the American Ford Foundation that the Henry-Ford-Bau, housing the rector’s office, the auditorium and the library, was built. Designed by Franz-Heinrich Sobotka and Gustav Müller and completed in 1954, the building is distinguished by its fine proportions.
Another architectural highlight is the Humanities and Social Science building, designed by Norman Foster and finished in 2005. It has a glass-domed centrepiece housing the Philological Library, which is nicknamed the “Berlin Brain” due to its cranial shape.
t The magnificent Palm House”in the Botanischer Garten
The Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful places in Berlin. It was created towards the end of the 19th century and has a romantic character, dotted with gentle hills and picturesque lakes. Of particular interest is the 19th-century palm house, designed by Alfred Koerner. The huge greenhouses were constructed between 1984 and 1987 to a design by Engelbert Kremser. The most popular plants are the exotic species such as the orchids and cacti. There is also the Botanisches Museum (Botanical Museum), home to an excellent collection of plant specimens.
t Chinese pavilion in the Botanical Gardens
This compact Neo-Classical palace derives its name from Field Marshal Wrangel, the building’s mid-19th-century owner. However, the house was built much earlier, in 1804. The simplicity and clarity of its details make it a prime example of early Neo-Classical architecture. It currently houses the cultural centre for the district of Steglitz.
In the heart of the former US military sector of Berlin is the Allied Museum, which combines exhibition space with open-air grounds.
A fascinating exhibition of everyday objects, military memorabilia, photographs and films explains life during the Cold War and the story of Berlin and its inhabitants between 1945 and 1994. Tours are by appointment.
The establishment of Greater Berlin in 1920 swallowed up nearly 60 villages, some of which were older than the city itself. Now they have evolved into large residential estates, and more than 50 of the parish churches have survived. The most treasured, dating from the 13th century, are in the south of Berlin, for instance in Britz by Backbergstrasse, Buckow (Alt-Buckow), Mariendorf (Alt Mariendorf) and Marienfelde (Alt Marienfelde).
At the centre of a small leafy cemetery stands the Gothic 14th-century St-Annen-Kirche. The church was built initially with a plain roof. The chancel was completed in the 15th century, the vaulting in the 17th century and the tower was added in the 18th century.
Inside, 14th-century wall paintings depict scenes from the life of St Anna, alongside items of ecclesiastical furnishings. These include a 15th-century painting of the Crucifixion and 11 late Gothic figures of saints.
The cemetery, which dates back to the 13th century, is also worth exploring. It has a 1996 monument dedicated to the victims of Nazi tyranny. During the war, the pastor here was Martin Niemöller, a founder of the Confessing Church, a Protestant movement that resisted the Nazification of churches. He was sent to a concentration camp in 1938, but he survived his imprisonment.