Museum Island Festival | 200 Years Museum Island

The ceremony for UNESCO World Heritage Day will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 11 am.



10 am - 4 pm CULTURALXCOLLABS - HISTORIES OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Kolonnadenhof

Become part of the CulturalxCollabs journey! The project "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" by the Museum of Islamic Art shows the unifying power of cultural exchange and diversity. It tells stories that connect us - yesterday, today and tomorrow. On the Museum Island, we invite you to an open conversation over tea. Experience how cultural collaborations build bridges and weave the future.



10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 100 CARPET FRAGMENTS ON THE MOVE - A GLOBAL PROJECT INTRODUCES ITSELF
Kolonnadenhof

Imagine a museum cutting a carpet into 100 pieces - that's exactly what the Museum of Islamic Art and DHL have done as part of "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future". The fragments travel around the world and tell stories of cultural exchange. Find out more at our stand, send postcards worldwide free of charge with DHL - and with a bit of luck receive a fragment to spread the cultural dialog yourself.



10 am - 4 pm ONUNESCO WORLD HERITAGE DAY: COMMITMENT TO CULTURAL PRESERVATION
Colonnade walk

To mark UNESCO World Heritage Day, the Friends of the Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museum are drawing attention to their work to protect cultural heritage. With projects such as the Syrian Heritage Archive Project and Multaka: Meeting Point Museum, they are committed to the preservation of endangered cultural assets and the promotion of intercultural dialog and actively contribute to the mediation of art and culture from Islamic regions.



10 am - 4 pmTHE LONG NIGHTOF MUSEUMSAT THE ISLAND FESTIVAL Kolonnadengang

The Long Night of Museums will take place again on August 30 - throughout Berlin and, to mark the anniversary of the Museum Island, in all the museums on the island! You can get in the mood for the most beautiful of all summer nights at our stand at the Kolonnadenhof. Come by, take part in our competition and, with a little luck, win tickets for the Long Night of Museums 2025!



10 a.m. - 6 p.m. SEARCH GAME: FEATURES OF LIFE James-Simon-Galerie - Level 1

The colorful tapestries of the world-famous Wassef Art Center from Cairo show the rural life, flora and fauna of Egypt in all its facets and in impressive pictures. With the search game, which is available in German and English, you will learn more about the unique techniques of this weaving art and also discover many lovingly crafted detailed scenes. At the end, you will receive a small gift that you can design yourself.



10 a.m. - 6 p.m. COLLECTION AREAS: CHARACTER COPIES
Neues Museum - Foyer

The Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection Berlin is home to some of the most important masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art. In addition to famous personalities such as Nefertiti, Akhenaten and Hatshepsut, the exhibition also presents outstanding sculptures by private individuals. With the collection fan, you can explore the museum individually and get to know some of these "character heads" better.



11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. SEARCH GAME: FOLLOW THE SCARABE SCHERI Neues Museum - Level 0 (near the pyramid model)

Young and old explorers can accompany the scarab Scheri and the tourist Paul on a search for clues through the museum. In the process, Scheri tells his friend Paul a few things about Ancient Egypt. The search game - available in German and English - will be handed out from 11:00-15:30. At the end, each participant will receive a small gift that can be dug out of the desert sand.



11 a.m. - 4 p.m. WORKSHOP FOR FAMILIES: YOUR ISLAND PANORAMA! Haus Bastian - Level 0 and 1


From Haus Bastian you have a good view of the Museum Island. What can you see from here? Which buildings can you recognize? Are there any details that particularly catch your eye? You draw and print on transparencies and papers, rearrange buildings and redesign the Museum Island according to your ideas. A large panoramic collage will be created through creative collaboration.


11 a.m. - 4 p.m. FREE ART STUDIO FOR ALL
Colonnade walk

Get creative! Design strong poses based on ancient goddesses, model lucky charms, take a look at the sky and capture clouds in pictures, draw the island panorama or make your own buttons with your own motifs! Welcome to the open studio!



11 a.m. - 4 p.m. LOOK AHEAD! MUSEUMSINSEL
Colonnade walk

Capture the Museum Island in panoramic format. Draw what you see high up on the roofs or in hidden corners. Discover the sculptures in the colonnade courtyard and add more. Various tools encourage you to take a closer look and explore the Museum Island artistically.



11 am - 4 pm PETRI: INNOVATIVE PROJECT COMBINES RESEARCH WITH EXPERIENCE
Kolonnadengang


Discover archaeology in a unique way: Before the new PETRI Berlin Archaeology Lab opens its doors on June 24, 2025, we are already providing exciting insights into the innovative concept, the fascinating world of archaeological discoveries and Berlin's urban history. Get to know us, design your own button with us and spin the wheel of fortune!



11 a.m. - 4 p.m. NAHBARES RARES!
Bode-Museum - Kameckehalle

Take the opportunity to explore selected originals from Germany's largest coin collection together with the team from the Coin Cabinet. What you can't do in a normal museum, you can do here: hold historical coins and medals in your hands. Come and talk to us about museum objects but also about your personal interest in coins and medals.



12-16 h CULTURALXCOLLABS - YOUR MINI-WEAVING LOOM ON THE ISLAND
Kolonnadenhof


Here you can get active yourself and weave your own ribbon with a weaving card. It works like a small loom, where threads are raised and lowered in a simple way. You can try out this weaving technique in a relaxed atmosphere with a glass of tea on our carpet landscape. It is also easy for smaller children to do with the help of an adult.



12-16 h MY (NEW) OLD MUSEUM - CREATING POSTCARDS
Altes Museum - Vorhalle


Berlin's first museum building was a popular destination for excursions around 200 years ago. Historical postcards show what the Altes Museum and the Lustgarten looked like back then. And what should the museum look like for the next 200 years? Come to our creative station and design your own postcards with your ideas for the Altes Museum of the future.



Start: 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30
GUIDED TOUR: ALTE NATIONALGALERIE - OUTSIDE AND INSIDE
Meeting point Alte Nationalgalerie - 90 min each

A visit to the Alte Nationalgalerie, with its interplay of art and architecture, is one of the most beautiful museum experiences in the world. There is so much to see: The façade with its unique program of figures, the staircases, but also the Colonnade Courtyard with its sculptures. And you will also discover something new inside. Explore this temple of art together.



Start: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 hrs WORLD HERITAGE TOUR: MUSEUMSINSEL
Meeting point at the information desk in front of the James Simon Gallery - 90 min each


Museum Island Berlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. It unites five outstanding museum buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries and the newly built James-Simon-Galerie to form a unique ensemble. The tour provides insights into the history of the island, its architecture and leads to highlights of the collections on Museum Island.



Start: 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 hrs
Tour: ALTES MUSEUM - ARCHITEK TUR UND GESCHICHTE
Altes Museum - granite bowl in front of the entrance - 90 min each

Discover the architecture and 200-year history of the Altes Museum. As Berlin's first museum building, it forms the nucleus of Berlin's Museum Island. Experience a special look behind the scenes of the Altes Museum on UNESCO World Heritage Day and learn more about its significance for Berlin's cultural history.



Start: 1 pm and 3 pm GUIDED TOUR: MULTAKAMEETS UNESCO-WORLD HERITAGE
Meeting point for guided tours - 90 min each


To mark UNESCO World Heritage Day on June 1, we are offering our Multaka World Heritage tour "Multaka meets UNESCOWorld Heritage". The bilingual tandem tour in Arabic and Farsi invites you to get to know Berlin's Museum Island from very different perspectives, to experience the unique architectural ensemble up close and to explore the question of what significance the World Heritage Site has for us today.



4 p.m. GUIDED TOUR: MULTAK A - WE GUIDE THROUGH THE BERLIN MUSEUMS
Meeting point for guided tours Information desk James-Simon-Galerie - 60 min each

The interactive Multaka guided tours are held in Arabic and Farsi. They deal with the collections of the various museums. Visitors engage with historical objects against the backdrop of contemporary debates in order to establish a connection between past and present. Come along and join us on this fascinating journey through time.


11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 hrs (German); and 12:30, 13.30 and 14:30 (English) GUIDEDTOUR: NEUES MUSEUM - ARCHITEK TUR UND GESCHICHTE Meeting point for guided tours Information desk James-Simon-Galerie - 60 min each


When it opened in 1859, the Neues Museum was a sensation: it was the first museum to offer three exhibition levels, innovations such as lightweight bricks and prefabricated cast iron parts were used in its construction, and each room was coordinated with the objects on display through architecture and murals. Experience one of the most important museum buildings of the 19th century and its refurbishment by star architect David Chipperfield in line with its listed status.


10, 12, 14 hrs WORKSHOP: ANCIENT EGYPTIC WRITING WORKSHOP Neues Museum - Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection Education room - 60 min each


Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs are among the oldest scripts in the world. In this workshop you will learn how to read and write some ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. As a souvenir of the workshop, you can make your own bookmark out of real papyrus - for many hours of reading at home.



11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. WORKSHOP: ANCIENT EGYPTIC SYMBOLS Neues Museum - Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection - Information Room - 60 min each


In Ancient Egypt, amulets were worn to protect against evil. Symbols such as the Anch or the Eye of Horus are still known today. In this workshop, you will take a look behind the scenes and learn more about the true meanings of some ancient Egyptian symbols. You can also create a glass magnet from your personal favorite symbol.




STAGE PROGRAM


11 am FESTAKTZUM ZUM 200. JUBIL ÄUM DER MUSEUMSINSEL


1 pm BE TANZORCHESTER The BE dance orchestra, known for its performances at premiere celebrations and special events at the Berliner Ensemble, presents a varied live program with well-known pop songs. At the microphones: Actors from the Berliner Ensemble.


1:45 pm IN TALK WITH FRIEDERIKE SEYFRIEDDirector of the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection



4:30 pm DEUTSCHES THEATER Metamorphose DT Jung*, participatory section of the Deutsches Theater in cooperation with MINCE e.V, Berlin Mondiale, Jugendzentrum Wutzkyallee // Growing up can be encouraging, but also painful. Confronting this transformation is like undergoing a metamorphosis.



5 pm IN CONVERSATION WITH MATTHIAS WEMHOFF Director of the Museum of Pre- and Early History and site spokesman Museumsinsel



5 pm DEUTSCHES THEATER Grosse Gewinne Schwere Verluste By Schorsch Kamerun, directed by Schorsch Kamerun, Kammerspiele Deutsches Theater // Singer and director Schorsch Kamerun joins forces with composer PC Nackt and DT Ensemble members to develop a musical-theatrical evening that deals with the future orientation of various affected people - without a sense of catastrophe and free of deportations of any foreigners. The piece uses clear texts and songs to strengthen spaces for encounters - the motto is: "In a surely complex time/the simplest ideas/are not the only way/to leave together".