Ruin and Rush. Berlin 1910–1930

With around 45 works in various styles, the exhibition brings to life the ambivalence of glamour and misery, rise and fall in Berlin at that time.

Berlin in the early 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the wake of industrialization, Berlin developed into not only an economic center but, above all, a political and cultural hub. With the establishment of “Greater Berlin” in 1920, the population jumped to around 4 million people, making Berlin the second largest city in the world in terms of area after London.

In addition to profound innovations in architecture and transportation, social upheavals such as democratization and women's emancipation took place. At the same time, the traumas of the First World War and the rise of National Socialism overshadowed the so-called “Golden Twenties.”

The metropolis, already mystified by contemporary voices as “Babylon,” was in turmoil on many levels: commercial abundance and excess contrasted with growing poverty and unemployment.

Exhibition in three sections

On the collection floor of the Neue Nationalgalerie, the exhibition unfolds in three sections, depicting the contrasting aspects of urban life in Berlin between 1910 and 1930.

The first section focuses on the dynamics of the growing metropolis, with a look at architecture, transportation, and the extravagant nightlife. The second section is devoted to the social abyss that defined the everyday life of the working class.
The final chapter focuses on urban women, addressing themes such as the desire for freedom, self-determination, and queer life, as well as prostitution.

The diversity of voices in interwar Berlin is illustrated through works in various styles, including Expressionism, Dadaism, and New Objectivity.

Works and artists

All of the works on display have an explicit connection to the city of Berlin—both in terms of their motifs and the biographical links between the respective artists and the city.

Around 45 exhibits are on display, including key works from the National Gallery's collection such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Potsdamer Platz (1914), George Grosz's Grauer Tag (1921) and Lotte Laserstein's Abend über Potsdam (1930). An important loan complements the exhibition as an outstanding key work of the 1920s: Otto Dix's portrait of the dancer Anita Berber (1925) from the collection of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart.

Artists featured in the exhibition:

Otto Dix, Heinrich Ehmsen, Paul Fuhrmann, George Grosz, Hans Grundig, Karl Hofer, Hannah Höch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Oskar Kokoschka, Georg Kolbe, Will Lammert, Lotte Laserstein, Tamara de Lempicka, Jeanne Mammen, Carlo Mense, Otto Nagel, Oskar Nerlinger, Ernest Neuschul, Renée Sintenis, Jakob Steinhardt, Georg Tappert, Lesser Ury, Gustav Wunderwald.

Extensions and education

The collection's focus on paintings and sculptures is complemented by prints and objects from neighboring buildings at Berlin's Kulturforum, including the Kupferstichkabinett, the Kunstbibliothek, and the Kunstgewerbemuseum.
In addition, excerpts from Fritz Lang's silent film classic Metropolis (1927) and Walther Ruttmann's experimental documentary Berlin – Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) will also be presented.

In addition to in-depth texts, all sections also feature audio stations with poems by protagonists of the time—Anita Berber, Mascha Kaléko, and Erich Kästner—that are thematically related to the content.

A diverse educational program with guided tours and workshops for families, schoolchildren, and adults, as well as an accompanying program of events with concerts and lectures, complements the exhibition.

Curatorial team

Ruin and Rausch. Berlin 1910–1930 is curated by Uta Caspary and Irina Hiebert Grun, research assistants at the Neue Nationalgalerie. Curatorial assistant: Noor van Rooijen.

• A special exhibition of the Neue Nationalgalerie – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
  

Opening: Friday, April 24, 2026, 7 p.m.