Our Collection

Berlin, a city that is never finished – and its art has always been changing too, especially in the years from 1870 until the present, the period that produced the works that we, as Berlin’s public art museum, collect, preserve, research and exhibit. Modern and contemporary art created in Berlin – that is our mission. But here you can do more than discover the art history of Berlin. Our exhibitions bring the city’s own turbulent history to life: the Kaiser’s era, the Weimar Republic, Nazi dictatorship, new beginnings after 1945, the Cold War in a divided city, the unification of Germany and our own day, all seen through the mirror of art.

The Berlinische Galerie is one of the youngest exhibition venues in the city and also an interdisciplinary museum. Painting, sculpture, installation and media art, prints and drawings, photography, architecture and documentary archives left behind by artists all form part of our collection. Again and again, intriguing dialogues evolve between these different art forms. Our collection is a symbol of this city and its vibrant art scene: creative, innovative and full of surprises. Modern and contemporary art from Berlin are international. The artists who have created important works in Berlin have come from all over the world. Our collection shows that too.