Grown on sand

The Mitte district is where Berlin has its roots. Built on Markish sand, the two towns of Cölln and Berlin merged here in the 14th century to form a twin city. In the 19th century, parts of what is now the district became a center of industry. Beginning in 1871, the central administration of the German Empire was based here. Industrialization and population growth propelled Berlin to become, for a time, the third-largest city in the world.

Especially in today’s Mitte district, the infrastructure, street grids, and building complexes created back then remain ubiquitous and familiar to this day. This was followed by fascist urban planning during the Nazi era, destruction during World War II, demolitions in the divided city, and new construction after reunification: each era has left its mark.

The exhibition “Growing on Sand” therefore explores the interplay of forces that shape, dissolve, and continually recreate the urban space of Berlin’s Mitte district. It brings together examples from urban planning, urban society, and urban culture spanning the last 250 years.

Architecture, institutions, and infrastructure determine the way people live together here. City residents, too, have been able—and continue to be able—to assert their right to shape urban space themselves through protest and resistance; they are not powerless. Like sand, the city is constantly malleable.

Which urban planning concepts from the past have shaped today’s Mitte district right up to the present? Which moments of civic emancipation influence how we want to live today? These questions are posed at the redesigned Mitte Museum, and we invite you to discuss them with us. The history of the building and that of the collection are also explored and presented in a newly created section.