Up from the Sand

Berlin’s origins are in its Mitte district. Built on sandy Mark soil, the two cities of Cölln and Berlin merged into a twin city in the 14th century. In the 19th century, parts of today’s district became an industrial centre. From 1871, it was the seat of the central administration of the German Empire. Through industrialization and population growth, Berlin became the third-largest city in the world for a while. Particularly in today’s Mitte district, the infrastructures from that time, including street grids and blocks of buildings are still omnipresent to this day. What followed were fascist plans during the Nazi period, destructions during the Second World War and demolitions in the divided city or new buildings after the German reunification: Every period has left its traces.

The exhibition Up from the Sand tells the story of the interplay of different forces that form, dissolve and continuously reconstruct the urban space of Berlin‑Mitte. It combines examples from urban planning, urban society and culture over the past 250 years. 

Architectures, institutions and infrastructures determine the way people live together here. Yet time and again, the inhabitants of the city have been able to demand their right to shape the cityscape through protest and resistance to shape the cityscape; they are not passive and powerless. Just like sand, the city can always be shaped.

Which urban planning concepts of the past have influenced today’s Mitte district. What are emancipatory moments of citizens that impact on the question of how we want to live today? These are the questions we ask at the newly designed Mitte Museum – and we invite you to join us and discuss them with us.
The history of the building together with its collection is a central theme introduced in a dedicated new area.

The exhibition across ten exhibition spaces was developed by “h neun Berlin – Büro für Wissensarchitekturen” together with the Mitte Museum team.

Machen Sie einen virtuellen Rundgang durch die Ausstellung!