Warsaw & Berlin

Together with Polish initiatives, Berlin-based communities and guests from Warsaw, the three museums in the Nikolaiviertel are celebrating 35 years of town twinning.

Discover your favourite spots, design your own ‘capital city’ bag, enjoy concerts, learn Polish through play, and discover many more surprises in the programme!

The hands-on activities in the Museum Laboratory and Salon at the Ephraim Palais, as well as in the Children’s Salon at the Knoblauchhaus, are free for everyone.

PROGRAMME

Ephraim Palace

11.00 – 16.30 | continuous | Museum Lab (ground floor)

Creative workshop

Warsaw Mermaid Meets Berlin Bear

Design your own capital city bag! Together, you’ll use stencils and fabric paints to transfer the landmarks of Berlin and Warsaw onto fabric.

An artist and an educator from ‘SprachCafé Polnisch’ will guide you through the process and offer creative tips. At the end, you can take your bag home as a souvenir.

Free entry

Languages: German, Polish, English

11.00 – 16.30 | continuous | Salon (ground floor)

Hands-on station

Warsaw – Berlin: A Collective City Mosaic

In what ways are Warsaw and Berlin similar today? Join the founders of ‘Fundacja Puszka’ to create a map featuring unusual places and similarities between the two cities, and discover hidden treasures together. What feels familiar to you and is worth sharing? Are the same things important to you? And what does that say about the twin cities?

Languages: German, Polish, English

12.30 pm | Duration: 30 minutes | 1st floor (Room ‘1945’)

Performance reading

‘Women Warriors*’

For a long time, Polish women were largely overlooked in the fight against Nazism. The artist and author Anna Krenz combines historical research, personal stories and artistic perspectives. She speaks of courage, solidarity and remembrance. Organised by the association Ambasada Polek e. V., this event is part of the “KÄMPFERINNEN*” project on Polish women in the resistance.

Language: German

Part of the anniversary programme “Between Berlin and Warsaw – 35 Years of Neighbourhood”, coordinated by the German Poland Institute and funded by the German Class Lottery Foundation Berlin (LOTTO Foundation Berlin).

11 am – 2 pm | continuous | Salon (ground floor)

Talk

Object of the Month

Discover the beaker, made around 1840, featuring an image of King Frederick II. The design is based on an etching by Daniel Chodowiecki from 1777. He was one of the most significant Berlin artists of his time. To mark the 300th anniversary of Chodowiecki’s birth, our curator of fine art, Michael Bischoff, will tell you more about his work.

Free admission

Language: German

2.00 pm | Duration: 1 hour | Meeting point: Foyer (ground floor)

Family tour

A whirlwind tour through BerlinZEIT

This family tour takes you on an easy-to-follow and entertaining journey through the permanent exhibition on the history of Berlin. Along the way, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try things out and experience the exhibits with all your senses. What did medieval fabric feel like? What did Berlin smell like around 1740? And which new inventions made everyday life in the big city easier?

Language: German

5.30 pm | Duration: 45 minutes | Salon (ground floor)

Presentation

Skyscrapers and Thickets

For the past 15 years, ever-taller skyscrapers have been springing up in Warsaw. The city is changing. Anyone wishing to understand it should explore the banks of the Vistula, the Finnish wooden houses in the Jazdów district or the giant artificial palm tree at the Charles de Gaulle roundabout. Urban researchers Aleksandra Litorowicz and Martyna Obarska from Warsaw’s Fundacja Puszka highlight phenomena, developments and art projects that bring this transformation to life.

Free admission

Language: English

St Nicholas’ Church

11 am – 3 pm | continuous | Meeting point: baptismal font

Families & Children

Family Treasure Hunt

What do the colours on the ceiling mean, and what are the oldest bricks in St Nicholas’ Church called? Look for clues and hints inside the church to solve the puzzles in the family treasure hunt. There’s a prize waiting for you at the end!

Languages: German, Polish, English

3.00 pm | Duration: 30 minutes | in the nave

Concert

Warsaw and Berlin in Song

The German-Polish choir ‘Spotkanie’ from Berlin brings people together through songs about their love for both cities and their longing for the charm of bygone days. Founded in 1989, the choir is led by singer and ethnomusicologist Dr Izabella Goldstein. ‘Spotkanie’ means ‘encounter’, and that is precisely what it is all about: Poles and Germans coming together through singing.

Languages: German, Polish

4.15 pm | Duration: 45 minutes | in the nave

Concert

Traditional Polish dance music

The ‘Kapela Agopsowicza’ from Warsaw brings Polish folk dance music from the countryside to Berlin – featuring mazurkas, oberkas, polkas and singing. The young musicians have learnt from masters of the rural musical tradition and are carrying on this heritage with great enthusiasm. Following performances in Poland and across Europe, the ‘Kapela Agopsowicza’ is now playing in Germany for the very first time!

Languages: German, Polish

In collaboration with the Polish Institute in Berlin

Knoblauchhaus

11 am – 4 pm | continuous | Children’s Salon (ground floor)

Hands-on activity

Polish Language Lab

What does Polish sound like, and how much of it do you already understand? Pupils and teachers from the Berlin school association ‘Oświata’ have a variety of language games and exciting activities in store for you. Whether you’re hearing Polish for the first time or grew up bilingual: everyone can join in here, discover new things and experience just how much fun language can be.

Free entry

Languages: German, Polish, English

In collaboration with KoKoPol – Centre for Polish Language Competence and Coordination

11 am – 4 pm | continuous | in the exhibition (1st and 2nd floors)

Live speakers

Biedermeier Meeting Point

At the Knoblauchhaus, the museum guides will give you an exclusive insight into the everyday life of Berlin’s wealthy residents two hundred years ago. Through the silk trade, architecture and their own brewery, the Knoblauch family played an important role in Berlin at that time. Today, you can explore their former home as a museum.

Language: German

11 am–4 pm | continuous | in the exhibition (1st and 2nd floors)

Families & Children

Family Treasure Hunt

What did children play with 200 years ago? How did people keep warm in winter? And what was actually ‘in’ back then? Clues and hints in the museum will help you solve the puzzles of the family treasure hunt. A prize awaits you at the end.

Language: German, Polish, English

Partner

German Institute for Poland

The German-Polish Institute is a centre for Polish history, politics, culture, society and German-Polish relations. Through its programmes, it brings people – particularly in Germany – into contact with Poland and Polish topics.

Fundacja Puszka

Since 2010, this Warsaw-based foundation has been inspiring people to discover the city and experiment with it. It focuses on urban culture and public space, launching and supporting projects relating to art, architecture, design and biodiversity. It also conducts research into public space and organises educational projects and publications.

Ambasada Polek e.V.

Founded in 2022, this association focuses on women’s history, art, culture and German-Polish relations. It brings people together – regardless of their gender, nationality or faith. In its projects, the association combines remembrance with contemporary art and cultural work, for example through city games, audio walks, exhibitions, educational programmes and research projects.

KoKoPol

The Centre of Excellence and Coordination for Polish (KoKoPol) is committed to encouraging more people in Germany to discover, learn and speak Polish. In this way, the centre aims to strengthen exchanges with our neighbouring country, Poland, and to further advance cooperation within Europe.

Polish Institute Berlin

The Polish Institute in Berlin is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. Its role is to raise the profile of Polish culture and issues in Germany. The aim is not only to promote culture, but also to spark an interest in Poland: in its way of life, its people and the many fascinating aspects of our neighbouring country.

School Association

The Polish school association Oświata in Berlin is independent and politically neutral. For over 35 years, it has been committed to promoting the Polish language and culture and to helping young people forge a stronger connection with the country of origin of their parents and grandparents. Through Polish language lessons and cultural events, the association enables children and young people to develop their language skills, learn about Polish history and traditions, and strengthen their Polish identity.

Polish Language Café

This non-profit meeting place for culture, language and business organises workshops, cultural events and community initiatives in Pankow, Schöneberg and Köpenick, with a Polish flair and an open heart. These events bring together long-time and new Berliners with people from all backgrounds.