Keramik-Museum (Ceramics Museum) Berlin

With magnificent porcelain plates, colourful glazed clay flutes, and delicate animal figurines, the Keramik-Museum Berlin displays an extraordinary part of Germany’s history. Enjoy viewing more than 8,000 artistic objects, mainly from German culture. At the museum, you’ll learn how some of the sculptures were created and acquired. In the picturesque building, you can see its particularly impressive collection of ancient construction and kiln ceramics. Interested visitors may also attend the museum’s regular special exhibitions and lectures.

From historicism to functionalism: Ceramics in changing times

In 1990, gallery owner and ceramics expert Heinz-Joachim Theis founds the museum, which displays a collection of carefully curated ceramic objects. In 2004, the museum refurbishes and relocates to the building it currently calls home. The museum structure, built in 1712 according to plans of Royal Court architect Eosander von Göthe and restored by the city of Berlin in the 1980s, is located in Charlottenburg's old town. Theis runs the museum with the assistance of a support association and voluntary helpers. Visiting the Ceramics Museum will stir feelings of nostalgia, leaving visitors with the impression that the inhabitants of the historical townhouse are still there.
On closer inspection, however, the picturesque structure presents itself in a very contemporary way. Enter the prestigious rooms and view precious objects from two centuries. The mixture between an old-fashioned living space and a prestigious modern public space is striking. Creaking floorboards and neo-classical wall decorations surround you with history, and at the same time, you can see the museum’s wide range of exhibits behind glass display cabinets in bright, modern rooms. Exciting contemporary and exotic ceramic art is also on display. The courtyard is well worth a visit: the enchanted garden invites you to dream and enjoy a picnic in the idyllic atmosphere.

Features of the Keramik-Museum Berlin

• Exhibition rooms in the oldest house in Charlottenburg
• Around 8,000 objects representing the pottery of the German-speaking world on display
• The Cabinet, a small exhibition space with two or three special exhibitions per year
• Fabulous garden with picnic area
• The remains of a dance hall in the courtyard, destroyed during the war

Places of interest near the Keramik-Museum Berlin

Combine your visit to the Ceramics Museum Berlin with a trip to the Berggruen Museum, about 800 meters away. The house, built between 1851 and 1859 by Friedrich August Stüler as an officers’ barracks, sits directly opposite Charlottenburg Palace. Today, it houses one of the world's most important private collections of Classical Modernism. Exhibitions of the work of Pablo Picasso to Paul Klee adorn the walls of the historic building. Visit the sculpture garden, located on the courtyard side of the building. Directly opposite, on Schloßstraße, is the eastern Stüler-Bau as well as the Marstall. Both buildings house the Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection, which comprises more than 250 works by famous artists. It focuses on surrealism, with impressive works by Max Ernst and Salvador Dali.

Tips by visitBerlin for your visit to the Keramik-Museum Berlin

Because there are only a few parking spaces at the Ceramics Museum, public transport is recommended. The museum can be easily reached by the U7 underground line. The building is only 200 meters from Richard-Wagner-Platz station. The M45 bus line stops 100 meters from Eosanderstraße. Alternatively, take bus line 109 to the Haubachstraße stop. The museum is open from Friday to Monday. Guided tours and special openings are available by prior arrangement.