Museum for Communication Berlin

The Museum for Communication Berlin is located in the Mitte district, in a historic building on Leipziger Strasse that was originally built as the Imperial Post Office Ministry. The building's history goes back to 1872, when Heinrich von Stephan founded the Imperial Postal Museum, one of the first museums of technological history in the world. The structure, designed by Carl Schwatlo, was supplemented in the 1890s with an extension that housed the museum. During World War II, the building suffered heavy damage from air raids and fighting, leaving only the outer walls standing after the war. During the division of Germany, the ruin in the Eastern sector was rebuilt as the GDR Postal Museum and opened in 1960 with a permanent exhibition on the development of postal and telecommunications services. After reunification and a comprehensive restoration carried out with historic preservation in mind, the building reopened in 2000 as the Museum for Communication. Since then, the iconic sculpture of giants holding a globe has once again towered over the main entrance.

Today the museum belongs to the Museum Foundation for Post and Telecommunications and is devoted primarily to the history of the postal service. The collection is divided into three main areas: the history of transportation, with historic vehicles such as carriages and railway mail cars; the history of the postal service and its successor companies, with objects such as uniforms and mailboxes; and the history of written correspondence, which includes letters, writing implements, and stamp designs. A particular highlight is the famous Blue Mauritius, which is kept in a new basement level beneath the light court. In addition to the permanent exhibition, which traces the path from the hand axe to the smartphone, the museum presents changing special exhibitions on topics such as media literacy and art. Visitors can also attend events, including the Long Night of the Museums and the comic festival, which takes place in the light court.