35 YEARS OF THE FALL OF THE WALL IN BERLIN

From 8 October 2024, renowned photographer Daniel Biskup will be presenting 45 of his impressive works there, including previously unpublished photographs documenting the moving period of the fall of the Wall and the reunification of Germany.

Iconic shots of the first New Year's Eve together at the Brandenburg Gate or an encounter with Udo Lindenberg at the newly opened Lindenberg at the newly opened Potsdamer Platz border crossing were captured by photographer Daniel Biskup.

In the exhibition, Biskup captures the emotions, relief and joy of the people in the days after the fall of the Wall.

The Hotel de Rome, housed in a building of profound historical significance, provides a unique backdrop for this exhibition to honour these defining moments in German history. The 135-year-old building is directly linked to Berlin's turbulent history simply because of its location on Bebelplatz in the former ‘East Berlin’. In the years 1887 to 1889, the building was constructed according to a design by architect Ludwig Heim.

It was owned by Dresdner Bank, which had its headquarters here until 1945. The building later became the state bank of the GDR. The Hotel de Rome was opened in October 2006. In the course of the remodelling and restoration work from 2003 onwards, great importance was attached to preserving the historical traces of the former bank building in an authentic manner. The spa, for example, is located in the former jewelled vault, the historic suites were once the offices of the directors and the bank's counter hall was transformed into an impressive ballroom. As one of the few buildings to have survived the Second World War largely unscathed, it is now a symbol of change and rebirth - in keeping with the theme of the exhibition.

‘It is a special honour to be able to present my photos in such a historic location,’ says Daniel Biskup. ‘The Hotel de Rome stands not only for the architectural splendour of Berlin, but also for its eventful history. There is no better place to keep the memories of the fall of the Wall alive and to remind new generations of what was at stake back then.’

Daniel Biskup, born in Bonn, first photographed East Berlin and the border fortifications in the divided city as a 17-year-old in 1979. In the summer of 1989, Biskup began documenting the GDR refugees in Budapest. He was also present at the first major demonstration on East Berlin's Alexanderplatz on 4 November and five days later at the fall of the Wall.

Hotel de Rome

Behrenstrasse 37

10117 Berlin