I've never been inside the museum itself, because it was closed for renovation and/or filming…read moreand/or some sort of protest when I visited more than a decade ago, but I did visit its famous courtyard, which left a very deep impression on me despite the facts that it was broad daylight and that there were a bunch of police idling around, ostensibly to keep a group of demonstrators with a NIE WIEDER ("NEVER AGAIN") banner away from the building itself. (The police outnumbered the protesters.) The courtyard is historically significant because it was the location of the 1944 executions by firing squad of resistance figures who attempted to assassinate Nazi leaders Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler (head of the SS), and Hermann Göring (head of the German air force and president of the German legislature). The plot failed to kill any of its three main targets (though it did kill three other Nazis), and while Claus von Stauffenberg and Werner von Haeften, the two men most responsible for setting the bomb, escaped successfully back to Berlin and began putting into place the carefully planned coup plan that resulted in the immediate arrest of many Nazi leaders, word that Hitler had survived reached the area, and some members of the resistance were afraid to continue the plot, while others demanded it commence. After a time, General Friedrich Fromm, commander of the Reserve Army (whose mobilization against Nazi leadership was necessary for the plot to succeed in wresting power from Hitler), got cold feet. He was part of the plot, but in order to save his own skin, he turned on his co-conspirators and hastily convened a kangaroo court, which found four conspirators guilty, and they were killed by firing squad on the spot in the courtyard. (Fromm's murderous cowardice didn't help him; he was quickly arrested and executed himself.) In all, almost 5,000 individuals were executed for participating in the plot, even though many had nothing to do with it. Seven thousand people were arrested, and many who weren't actually executed died either by Allied bombing or by suicide, including well known General Erwin Rommel, whose suicide the Nazis hid and who received a state funeral even though Hitler threatened to imprison his wife and family if he (Rommel) did not kill himself. It is not known exactly where in the courtyard the execution occurred, but there's a spot on a wall near where it likely occurred that is commemorated by plaque and a large peg on which a memorial wreath is normally present. When I visited, the wreath was red and orange, but I've seen in photos that green wreaths are laid as well. There's at least one poem etched into the tiles of the courtyard, and then there's its most striking inhabitant, a statue of a totally nude man, supposedly in the spot where the conspirators stood when they were killed by firing squad. Wherever you stand in the courtyard, you're aware of the statue's presence, and it can be unnerving in the most effective of ways that art can be unnerving. It is a heavy heavy place. In general, most of the official monuments in Germany to the horrors of what occurred because of Nazi rule are done well. There's no sugar-coating of what occurred. Some might find the title of the plaque ("Here died for Germany," followed by the names of the killed) very uncomfortable, as the motivations for the plot and those who joined it weren't necessarily the moral evil of Nazism or the Holocaust but rather for Germany's continued survival as a nation state without further bloodshed in a war that was, by summer 1944, already long lost. To be sure, nationalism drove many of the plotters, but it's difficult to argue that the plot itself wasn't daringly brave. Success might have meant hundreds of thousands of lives saved, but failure meant certain arrest, torture, and death. I'd love to visit the museum's indoor displays. The area around the Bendlerblock (the building in which the memorial sits) is where most of Berlin's foreign embassies are. This was true during World War II as well, and while there are more embassies now than then, many that are nearby, including the Japanese embassy, were in the exact same spot in 1944. (Interestingly, the street on which the Japanese embassy sits has been renamed Hiroshimastraße, in memory of the first Japanese city on which the United States dropped a nuclear bomb at the tail end of World War II.)

During a previous visit to Berlin, I did not know this memorial and museum to the German Resistance…read moreexisted. Now that I found it, I think it is one of the most important and moving historical exhibits in Berlin. Go visit. You won't be disappointed.

Forum Willy Brandt is located in the former East Berlin and just a few blocks down the Unter den…read moreLinden from the Brandenberg Gate. I'm sure I walked past this address in the early 1980s when I crossed Checkpoint Charlie at the Berlin Wall and visited the GDR. Willy Brandt was a notable West German Prime Minister and considered a key cold-war era statesman and Nobel Prize recipient. The Forum honors this great man with an historically fascinating permanent exhibition and a gathering place for workshops, lectures, and gatherings. I found it well worth the visit. There's also a nice gift shop where you can buy a piece of the old Berlin Wall.

Holy moly is this place a trip! If you like the strange and macabre, this is a place not to miss…read more If you're the type of person who would go to a Freak Show at a carnival, this is your kind of joint. Located in central Berlin I believe on the campus of a medical university is this museum with the largest collection of medical curiosities. And I don't mean photos. I mean jars with deformed stillborn babies and tons of them. Diseased body parts cut into display plates. It's absolutely mind blowing. You will see what diseases you've always heard about but never saw actually do to you, like skin cancer untreated or herpes. It's insane. The museum is cheap but not free. There are 3 stories, but there isn't much to the third floor or the first floor where the exhibits change. The 2nd floor however, is a huge room full of mind blowing specimens. Your mouth will be open. Babies born with no spines. Babies born with no bones in the body. Just crazy stuff. And I'll tell you now you are not allowed to take absolutely any photos on the 2nd floor. They do however sell a book in German that has many photos and text on much of the 2nd floor you can buy for 34 Euros. If you speak English make sure to ask for a translation of the text. For free they will give you one for free when you buy a book. I highly recommend to anyone who likes the weird and bizarre and isn't easily made queasy. You've never seen anything like it.

An amazing museum that had been recommended to me by a professor. It was definitely worth the trek…read moreand small admission fee- even my grandmother loved it (hair balls, skeletons, and tattooed skin together!) The Charite hospital is full of amazing history and stories about early medical practices and oddities. The woman at the desk was extremely helpful. There's an elevator if you need it! The museum is close to the museum of modern art of you want to coordinate plans. Starbucks and lots of small restaurants in the train station next door for a pit stop.

I've come here three times for events -- twice for Postcrossing meetups and once for Comic Invasion…read more-- and I can say it's a great spot for events. The building is old and beautiful and well maintained, with a large open floorplan that's perfect for hosting events. The museum itself is also pretty cool, with dedicated sections about the history of the German post office, things like phones and computers, robots, etc. etc. They have a rule about no backpacks which is kind of weird to me? But they do have lockers and bathrooms. The gift shop is also really cool, with toys, books, postcards, and such. All in all, worth a visit.

Super cool stuff here. Robots and old telephones. My kids loved coming here and there was lots to…read moredo Came here on the Musuem pass so can't speak to how much it's worth it price wise

Despite being a pain to get to, this modern gallery is well worth a visit; the art starts before…read moreyou even get in the building with a couple of cool external installations. Inside, the lower atrium contains the larger contemporary installations such as a to scale blow-up tank and the frame of a house's plumbing system (more exciting than it sounds - I promise). There's are a few rooms off the main hall for mainly audio and visual installations, and the gallery upstairs traces some of the strands that have led to the development of modern art. Overall, the lighting and whitewash provide the artists with a good neutral canvas. Thankfully, the art, whilst modern, is not too abstract to be enjoyed by armchair enthusiasts - although I'm not sure how often the exhibitions last. There are the obligatory cafe and shop too for when you are all cultured out.

Berlinische Galerie came highly recommended by my friend who lives in Berlin. As I did research I…read morelearned that this gallery/museum has an extensive collection of DADA artist. I am a fan of the DADA art movement and coming here was amazing. My favorite lady DADAist Hannah Höch was amongst some of my favorite dadaist and seeing her work in person and her DADA dolls that I have only seen in books was amazing. The Prussian Angel was also a highlight for me. There is a permanent collection on the art movement happing in Berlin in the 1800 - 1980.. The other rooms of the gallery feature some amazing artist and installations. This place is amazing..

Up until last week, I wasn't even aware that Kreuzberg had a museum. But while walking from my…read moredentist back to my bike, I passed by and was intrigued. In fact, I almost walked in right then, but thought better of it and went home to work. So when it was a lazy and somewhat cold Sunday afternoon, and my fellow and I were thinking of something to do that involved leaving the house but not being too cold, I suggested the museum, which, lucky for us, is open on Sundays. And off we went. The museum is actually the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum, so there's a little bit from both sides of the river. On the mezzanine, there is a room with old printing presses and types which you can explore. Then the first floor is a permanent exhibition about the city. It mostly covers Kreuzberg, showing the destruction of the area after the war, and detailing the history of the NKZ. There are models of the streets and the buildings, with interactive things along the way, such as drawers you can pull out, audio clips you can listen to, and more. The rest of the museum is made up of changing exhibitions. For example, floors two and three focused on six different spots in the district, discussing their histories from past to present. There are also places where you can write down or contribute your own ideas or experiences pertaining to the places, which is pretty cool. One more floor up and there's a floor map of the area. Hand over your ID for an iPod loaded with images and sound clips that take you on themed tours of the area. Finally, the other temporary exhibit was photos of street art, which were posted throughout the stairwells on the walls. All in all, we probably spent between an hour and two hours exploring the museum. It is free, educational, and interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants more of an in-depth look at the area.

Magnificent! Thanks Yelp andf Natalye R. for review…read more First thing - go to the 3rd floor and take audio guide, check out your favorite places, then go down to 2nd floor and look at the pictures and then get some souvenirs on 1st. The exposition is well crafted and every tiny piece looks interesting. 95% of the information in duplicated in English, so don't worry about getting stuck with Deutsch.

So we were done with our sightseeing and we decided to take a small trip to Wannsee. If you're in…read moreBerlin for more than 2 days it's worth the train and metro ride to Wannsee. It's so beautiful so relaxing the views are amazing. Reminded me of DC in the winter or the east coast. The colors on the trees the greenery everything was beautiful plus you get to see where hitler and his closes soldiers the made the biggest decision. On January 20, 1942, high-ranking members of the SS, the police force, the government administration and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (the NSDAP or Nazi party) met to discuss the "final solution of the Jewish question" in the Villa Minoux on the Greater Wannsee, the guesthouse of the Security Police and the Security Service SD. This is a must see because its history now and a Memorial.

Located in the beautiful and quiet Wannsee neighborhood, situated among big houses and trees, is…read morethe Wannsee-Konferenz. It was a meeting point for senior officials of Nazi Germany, held in the Berlin in the quaint suburb of Wannsee. The Wannsee House, site of the conference, is now a Holocaust Memorial. The Holocaust memorial serves now also as a document center because the museum shows permanent exhibits of texts and photographs that document events of the Holocaust and its gruesome planning. It is a strange feeling to be at such a beautiful place, singing birds, smelling flowers, sunshine lurking through the trees yet the most gruesome planning of the murdering of Jews has been planned here. I would give it five stars a) for the location b) historical background c) the entrance is free BUT the staff at the reception is absolutely rude to customers, unfriendly and honestly should not work there, if she does not know how to provide customer service. But despite this completely rude receptionist, this place is still a must and beautiful.