Jewish Museum Berlin Guide

The Jewish Museum Berlin tells the story of Jewish life in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present, and it does so inside a building that is part of the argument. Daniel Libeskind's zinc-clad extension, opened to the public in 2001, is a zigzag of slashing windows and dead-end corridors. It stands on Lindenstraße in Kreuzberg, close to the old line of the Wall. The museum is open (Tuesday to Sunday), so check the official site before you set out.

Two buildings, one underground link

You enter through the Baroque Kollegienhaus, an eighteenth-century courthouse, and go down a staircase into the Libeskind building. Underground, three crossing axes lead in different directions: the Axis of Continuity climbs to the permanent exhibition, the Axis of Exile leads out to the Garden of Exile, and the Axis of the Holocaust ends at the Holocaust Tower, a tall, cold, bare concrete room lit by a single slit high up. Expect a security check at the door.

How to pace the visit

Allow a half day. The permanent exhibition is large and runs in chronological order, so do not try to read everything. The Garden of Exile is a grid of tilted concrete pillars topped with olive trees, and the ground slopes underfoot to unsettle your balance. In the Memory Void, the installation Fallen Leaves by Menashe Kadishman covers the floor with thousands of rough iron faces. Visitors walk across them, and the sound is part of the work. Keep your voice low there and take photographs only where signs allow it.

What to pair it with

The museum sits between two other serious sites. The Topography of Terror is within walking distance to the north, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is further on, near the Brandenburg Gate. We would not stack all three in one day. Pick one more, then spend the afternoon somewhere lighter, such as the canals and cafés of Kreuzberg or the nearby Checkpoint Charlie area, which is touristy but close by.

Who it suits: anyone with a serious interest in German history, and visitors who care about architecture. If you only want a quick look at the building, the exterior and the courtyard are not a substitute. The inside is the point.