Gropius Bau (Martin-Gropius-Bau)

From 1961 to 1989 the Berlin Wall ran right in front of its main entrance, and visitors had to go in through the back. Today the Martin-Gropius-Bau, or Gropius Bau for short, is one of Berlin's most important exhibition venues. The Renaissance-style palace on Niederkirchnerstraße hosts major temporary exhibitions on art and cultural history and has no collection of its own. The covered atrium at its centre is worth a visit in itself, and since 2018 you can enter it without a ticket.

History: from museum of decorative arts to ruin by the Wall

The building was erected from 1877 to 1881 by Martin Gropius, a great-uncle of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, and his partner Heino Schmieden, originally for the Museum of Decorative Arts. Experts see the influence of Schinkel's Bauakademie and of Gottfried Semper in its cubic form and three-part facade. From 1922 it housed the Museum of Prehistory and Early History and the East Asian art collection. In 1945 it was badly damaged in an air raid, and demolition had already been planned. Only an intervention by Walter Gropius saved the ruin; in 1966 it was listed and named after its architect.

Rebuilding began in 1978, and the house reopened in 1981 with a Schinkel exhibition, still entered from the south side. After the fall of the Wall the original northern entrance was restored. Since 2001 the Berliner Festspiele have run the house on behalf of the federal government.

What to see

• The atrium: The central hall under its glass roof measures about 40 × 30 m and is around 26 m high. It is free to enter and often holds installations.
• The facade: Architecture, sculpture and painting were meant to reflect its original use as a museum of decorative arts. Take a close look at the reliefs and friezes above the windows.
• Exhibitions in autumn 2026: "Christoph Schlingensief: Es ist nicht mehr mein Problem, macht eure Scheiße alleine" (9 October 2026 to 17 January 2027), "Kreuzberg: Kunst und Migration seit 1960" (10 September 2026 to 17 January 2027) and "Gabriele Stötzer: Dabei sein und nicht schweigen" (until 6 December 2026).
• BAUBAU: A play space for children on the ground floor designed by the artist Kerstin Brätsch, free with a timed ticket.
• Remains of the Wall: A section of the Berlin Wall still stands across Niederkirchnerstraße.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Opening hours: Monday and Wednesday to Friday 12:00–19:00, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00–19:00, closed on Tuesdays. The ticket desk closes at 18:00.
• One ticket for all exhibitions: €15, reduced €10.
• Free: children and teenagers under 18, the atrium and BAUBAU.

At weekends the house recommends booking a timed ticket online; without one you can still buy at the desk, subject to availability. Group tours (60 minutes, German or English) are booked through the Museumsdienst Berlin.

Getting there and parking

The address is Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin. Take the U2 or S-Bahn to Potsdamer Platz, the U6 to Kochstraße or the S-Bahn to Anhalter Bahnhof; buses M29 and M41 stop nearby. The house has its own car park at Stresemannstraße 110, corner of Niederkirchnerstraße, with a limited number of spaces and six accessible bays: €2.50 per hour, €40 per day, payable by debit or credit card only.

Tripto tip

Allow two to three hours for all the exhibitions. If you are short of time, just visit the atrium and the restaurant inside. Right next door is the Topography of Terror on the site of the former Gestapo headquarters, which is free to visit. Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie are each only a few minutes' walk away.