Art and history: Berlin house history from 1875 onwards in K52!

Art and history: Berlin house history from 1875 onwards in K52!

The gallery of the K52 Art Foundation at Kollwitzstraße 52, 10405 Berlin, is presenting the exciting exhibition “K52: A Berlin House History since 1875” from July 12th to October 26th, 2025 in collaboration with the KUNSTSTIFTUNG k52. The opening will take place on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 8 p.m. and will be accompanied by music from the Bolshevik Kurkapelle Schwarz-Rot. This exhibition sheds light on the construction history of the apartment building and the significant upheavals that Berlin has experienced over the last 150 years. Admission to the events is free.

The apartment building at the location was auctioned off in December 1990 as the first residential building in East Berlin. This auction and the associated resistance from tenants are exemplary of the challenges and opportunities that the housing market has offered since the fall of the Wall. The building was constructed in a construction period of 22 months, with the shell being accepted in July 1875. The German-Dutch Actien-Bauverein was responsible for its construction.

Insight into the history of the house

The time frame of the exhibition shows that the history of the house began in 1873 with the application for a building permit, which was initially rejected due to a lack of distance information. The developers finally received approval on October 9, 1873, and the plans originally included large apartments built on eaves. The subsequent replanning and numerous sales changes testify to the eventful events in the building's history, which extend to the present, including the new auction after reunification.

The numerous events as part of the exhibition include lectures, tours and hands-on activities, which are primarily aimed at a broad audience. These activities offer a deep insight into life in Prenzlauer Berg and the interactions of the housing market and urban development in Berlin.

Opening times and contact

The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. but is closed on public holidays. If you have any questions about the exhibition or would like further information, you can contact Bernt Roder from Museum Pankow at bernt.roder@ba-pankow.de or by telephone at 0176/61109024. The K52 Art Foundation, represented by Nicolaus Schmidt, is also available for inquiries at info@kunststiftung-K52.de.

The exhibition is an important part of urban development and not only addresses the structural evolution, but also reflects the social aspects of life in Berlin. The associated documentation about the house is part of the history recorded by the Senate Department for Urban Development in the brochure “Berlin Plans 1862 to 1994”. This provides an overview of the planning breaks and continuities in the city's urban development.

Berlin.de [1] reports on this remarkable exhibition and the history of the building, while further details on the structural aspects and historical events can be found on kollwitz52.de [2] and berlin.de/sen [3].