Berliner Moderne
Art in the factory hall, fashion shows in the cold store, theatre in the transformer station – all over the city, Berliners have brought former industrial heritage buildings back to life. The former factories, industrial complexes and industrial areas are what make Berlin so charming, as they have had a lasting effect on the cityscape – and still do to this day!
At the time of industrialisation, people not only worked hard - the general need to be able to live better also increased - in affordable flats, with light, air and a bit of green. World-famous architects build revolutionary housing estates in Berlin in which the ideas of modernism are implemented and which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Every three years, the Triennale der Moderne dedicates itself to building culture and the ideas of modernism with a supra-regional festival: in the cities of Berlin, Weimar and Dessau, a diverse programme of experiences is offered, with a focus on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Industrial heritage today
Go on a journey of discovery and explore industrial heritage sites such as the Ullsteinhaus or the AEG turbine factory, which made architectural history. The rapid development of the city created the preconditions for the merger of the individual towns into a common city with a uniform infrastructure and administration. In 1920, the time came: Berlin became a city – in 2020 we are celebrating 100 years of Greater Berlin.
From the beginning of the 20th century until today
Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
Top events for Industrial Heritage
On interesting guided tours you can look behind the scenes and learn more about the history. In the here and now, the festivals and events are concentrated in the old factory halls and industrial buildings, which are now coming to life as original creative locations. I
Every three years at the Triennale zur Moderne you have the opportunity to look behind the scenes, take part in guided tours, visit interesting exhibitions or develop new perspectives at workshops and events.
From Industrial Heritage to Bauhaus
The industrial buildings created a new architectural landscape with trend-setting forms and materials. At the same time, new challenges were emerging with industrialisation: Workers lived in miserable conditions in dark, crowded apartments in rear houses.
The Bauhaus with its bright, modern apartments provided an answer to the difficult situation. In a period of only 14 years, the Bauhaus revolutionised the language of architecture, helped to create the foundations of modern functional design and dared to think in new ways.
Metropolis of Modernism
Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
10 inventions from berlin
Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
About one and a half meters in diameter, about 3 meters high and full of posters: advertising pillars are as familiar to every Berliner as the Londoners are to their red telephone booths and the Parisians their Metro station signs.
In the middle of the 19th century, the creative entrepreneur Ernst Litfaß came up with the idea of erecting so-called "advertising pillars" all over Berlin.
The history of the postcard in Germany is closely connected with a Berlin official: Henry Stephen
In 1865, at the 5th conference of the German Postal Union, he makes the decisive proposal - the introduction of a "Postpaper". A piece of white cardboard, simple, without illustration. But with a stamp already stamped. The perfect alternative to the letter, especially for the broad mass of the population: the "Postpaper" would be easier to send, shorter in content and cheaper.
The history of this mode of transport is inextricably linked to the capital: the first electric streetcar ran here in 1881, before it began its triumphal march around the world. This success is no coincidence, as two of the most common propulsion methods used up to that time have decisive disadvantages. Horses that pull streetcars on rails in Berlin do not have enough power. Another drawback: their horse droppings pollute the streets. The steam technology used as an alternative, on the other hand, disturbs the inhabitants by the noise and flying sparks.
1891
The first gliding flight
As late as 1873, the physicist Hermann von Helmholtz said that a human being can never maintain his own weight at a height in the long term. On a small hill in the south of Berlin, a man proves that it is possible.
Otto Lilienthal has dreamed of flying since his childhood. He observed storks during their flight at an early age and thought about the connection between the air currents around the slightly curved wings and lift.
1895
Birth of German film in Berlin
"Did you get a world sensation?" - This is what the director of the Berlin Varieté Wintergarten asked the 1500 invited guests on November 1st, 1895, who had just witnessed the world's first public presentation of moving pictures.
The enthusiasm of the audience speaks for itself: Yes, it was a world sensation. The screening lasts a total of 15 minutes and eight short scenes can be seen. Accompanied by live piano music, the visitors see, among other things, sequences entitled "Italian Peasant Dance" and "Boxing Kangaroo".
The history of hair styling is as old as mankind. Countless tools are invented by man to create the splendor of hair. But one thing does not succeed for a long time: drying hair faster after washing.
In 1899, the Berlin company AEG came up with the decisive invention. The company supplies the entire capital with electricity via the Berliner Electricitäts-Werke. AEG's engineers are constantly working on ways to make electricity usable for private consumption. The market for hair dryers for private use offers enormous potential.
Hardly any household can do without them - thermos flasks keep hot drinks warm and prevent cold liquids from heating up. This household utensil, used by billions of people worldwide, originally comes from Berlin. At the beginning of the 20th century the inventor Reinhold Burger further developed so-called Dewar vessels. The problem: Dewar vessels are too fragile to transport.
Reinhold Burger builds on this principle.
1908
Ohropax hearing protection
Berlin, around the turn of the century: Machines rattling in the factories, motorized vehicles conquering the streets next to horse-drawn carriages, ringing and hooting everywhere. Noise is becoming a problem for stressed city dwellers, because sleep is out of the question in some parts of the city. Not to mention concentrated study and work.
The solution to the problem comes from Maximilian Negwer, a pharmacist from Schöneberg. He runs a "factory of pharmaceutical and cosmetic specialties" on Bülowstrasse, where cough syrup and homemade creams are available. In 1907, Negwer applied for a patent for "ear plugs".
For the longest time in human history, sex has always been associated with certain risks: an unwanted pregnancy and the transmission of venereal diseases. Again and again there are attempts to reduce the risk by using barriers made of pig intestines, fish bladders, linen and leather. Both the protection factor and the practicability are limited.
In 1893, it is possible to vulcanize rubber and thus produce rubber. The material is much more suitable for the production of condoms. But the first proto-condoms consisted of rubber strips sewn together. The seams scratch and reduce the safety of the product.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there are two relatively new entertainment media: film, which is still limited to cinema screenings, and radio, which allows people to listen to programs at home via radio waves. The question is: is there a way to watch moving pictures via a device at home? And to follow an event even live while it is happening?
Hamburg-born tinkerer Manfred von Ardenne is working on finding a solution to the problem. He already has initial experience with the technology of radio receivers. He is developing an improved version of the Braun tube for the Loewe company.
Factories, breweries and transformer stations
Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
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Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
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Forced labour under National Socialism
Industrialization established a long tradition of technicians, engineers and inventors in Berlin. Today, we use many of their inventions as a matter of course without worrying about their origin.
The following 10 inventions - made in Berlin - also date from this period.
Berlin Modernism in all its diversity
Berlin Modernism encompasses many aspects; it is architecture and design, but also art, creativity and a whole attitude to life - yesterday and today. Learn more about the diversity of Berlin Modernism, read exciting stories and backgrounds.
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