Everyday Life in Biedermeier Berlin

On the first floor, you’ll learn about the family members and their contributions to the city. On the second floor, everyday objects, pictures, and documents provide insight into social life, the economy, politics, and architecture from 1815 to 1845. In Henriette Knoblauch’s living room, you can see typical Biedermeier furniture: a secretary desk, a sewing table, a sofa, and a round table.

The library is dedicated to her husband, Carl Knoblauch. He ran his father’s silk business and was actively involved in municipal, social, and cultural affairs.In the so-called entrance room, you will encounter Carl’s brother, the architect and student of Schinkel, Eduard Knoblauch. Eduard was one of the most significant architects of the 19th century. His best-known work is the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße.

The rear corner room features Hermann Knoblauch. His academic career as an experimental physicist took him to the universities of Berlin, Bonn, Marburg, and Halle. Like his father Carl Knoblauch before him, he was also involved in politics.

Complementing the permanent exhibition, the “Berlin Salon” on the upper floor of the Knoblauch House explores the metropolitan network of the silk merchant and politician Carl Knoblauch in the first half of the 19th century.

The focus is on prominent figures from his circle of Berlin friends: the Prussian star architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the explorer Alexander von Humboldt, and his brother, the educational reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt.