Long Night of Museums
The Documentation Center for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation will open its doors on August 30 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the Long Night of Museums 2025 under the motto “Love.”
Discover our unique place of remembrance and education with a varied program full of short tours, readings, performances, creative activities, and music.
There will be comic drawing, quiz tours, family research workshops, a suitcase theater, electronic music, techno, jazz, and much more! There is something for everyone!
The Documentation Center is dedicating itself to the theme of love in a variety of ways: with touching stories, artistic formats, themed tours, and a love greeting in Sütterlin. A special culinary experience also awaits you – with specialties from Kreuzberg heaven.
Programme
GUIDED TOURS
Short tours: Love in times of displacement and expulsion (10 min)
6.30pm – 6.40pm / 8pm – 8.10pm in German / 7pm – 7.10pm / 8.30pm – 8.40pm / 10.00pm – 10.10pm in English
Some of our seemingly ordinary objects have fascinating stories. We show you such objects and talk about the biographies of the people who once owned them.Meeting point: 1st floor, to the right of the staircase
Displaced Women and Girls (20 min)
9.30pm – 9.50pm in German / 11.30pm – 11.50pm in English
Women and girls make up the majority of those suffering displacement or expulsion. Whatever their age, they face great danger and are often the victims of sexual and sexualised violence. This guided tour focuses on rare personal testimonies that speak of such traumatic experiences.
Booking: info point, ground floor
Meet the director (40 min)
6.30pm – 7.10pm in German / 11pm – 11.40pm in English
Usually a great many people contribute for a large exhibition to be put together: it’s a long-term project, with the odd mishap. After its opening, the exhibition enters a new phase. The public response ranges from praise to vocal critique. Learn about this institution’s experience from our director Gundula Bavendamm.
Booking: info point, ground floor
The Trek – Photographs of Displacement (30 min)
7pm – 7.30pm / 8.30pm – 9pm / 10pm – 10.30pm / 10.30pm – 11pm / 11pm – 11.30pm / 12 – 12.30am in German
8pm – 8.30pm / 9pm – 9.30pm in English
Take a look behind the scenes of our current special exhibition! In early 1945, almost all the residents of Lübchen in Lower Silesia fled before the approaching Red Army, among them the photographer Hanns Tschira. The exhibition team will talk about their research and their challenges and explain the significance of these historical photographs.
Booking: info point, ground floor
Curator's Tour „The Making of: THE TREK” (30 Minuten)
7:30pm – 8pm in German / 9:30pm – 10pm in English
Take a look behind the scenes of our current special exhibition! In early 1945, almost all the residents of Lübchen in Lower Silesia fled before the approaching Red Army, among them the photographer Hanns Tschira. The exhibition team will talk about their research and their challenges and explain the significance of these historical photographs.
Booking: info point, ground floor
Wie kommen die Objekte ins Museum? (60 Minuten)
6pm – 7pm / 7pm – 8pm / 9pm – 10pm / 10pm – 11pm in German
A doll, a teddy bear, a vase – what do they have to do with displacement and expulsion? Find out about the objects in the documentation centre and talk to our team.
Booking: info point, ground floor
READINGS & WORKSHOPS
Workshop Pale vestiges: Introduction to genealogy
6:30pm – 7pm / 8.30pm – 9pm
Where are you from? Families who experienced displacement or expulsion in the past are often left searching for their roots. This is especially true for those whose forebears originated from east of the Rivers Oder and Neisse, in Eastern Europe. Our workshop will tell you how to make a successful start with genealogy.
Library, 1st floor
"Schnellewalde ist überall" (Schnellewalde is everywhere) by Julia Bernhard – reading and conversation
7.30pm – 8pm / 9.30pm –10pm
In 1945, nine-year-old Josef fled Silesia with his family. In the comic reportage ‘Schnellewalde ist überall’ (Schnellewalde is everywhere), his granddaughter deals with the short- and long-term consequences of his displacement and expulsion and tries to understand why her grandfather became the person she never quite managed to understand during his lifetime.
Library, 1st floor
„Der Sohn und das Schneeflöckchen“ (The Son and the Snowflake) by Vernesa Berbo – reading and conversation
7.00pm – 7.30pm / 9.00pm – 9.30pm
Before its publication, Vernesa Berbo reads the first passages from her moving debut about two sisters in besieged Sarajevo. An intense novel about love, war and loss – told with great power and shocking depth.
Library, 1st floor
„Bis ans Meer“ (To the Sea) by Peggy Patzschke – Reading and conversation
6.00pm – 6.30pm / 8.00pm – 8.30pm
How far would you go for love? January 1945: With only the bare essentials and in minus thirty degrees, Frieda has to flee Silesia overnight with her daughter. Her husband Karl is at the front. The couple have promised each other that they will find each other again and keep faith in their love. But they have no idea what price Frieda will pay for this.Library, 1st floor
Motchke, Lavke & Co. – A dialect memory game about love
6.00pm – 1.30am
What is a Motchke, what does Lavke mean? Discover forgotten terms related to love from the former German eastern territories in a playful way.
Library, 1st floor
MUSIC
Moji & Pouriya Raisi – Echoes of Iran: A Multi-Instrumental Experience
9.30pm – 10.30pm
Join us for an evening with Moji and Pouriya Raisi, two artists whose musical journeys blend seamlessly. Moji, a Berlin-based DJ, brings vibrant energy to his sets, creating immersive experiences. Pouriya Raisi, mastering traditional instruments like the tanbur and Diwan, blends maqam with dynamic rhythms.
Together, they will take you on a journey that bridges cultural landscapes, blending electronic and traditional sounds in harmony. This event promises rich, dynamic rhythms and melodies, showcasing the talents of these extraordinary musicians and connecting diverse cultural landscapes through the universal language of music.
Event hall, ground floor
Genre: Electronic music with traditional Iranian instruments
TYME – DJ-Set with ALIS.
11.00pm – 1.30am
TYME is a Berlin-based collective that finds many forms of presenting contemporary music and art. An initial and ongoing impulse behind their work has been the necessity for exchange and the bridging of cultural boundaries. Sharing a vision for a broader perspective and a common future unites them as an international group with diverse backgrounds, embodying the idea of symbiosis.
Event hall, ground floor
Genre: House/Techno with live-generated visuals
Helena Goldt – Chansons of Love and Remembrance
6.30pm – 7pm / 8pm – 8.30pm
With her expressive voice and powerful stage presence, Kazakh-German singer Helena Goldt transports her audience to an era full of longing, vibrant intimacy and a spirit of optimism. German chansons, art songs, world music and songs from her own pen tell of love and loss, of freedom and persecution – and sound painfully topical in times of displacement and new borders. Accompanied on the piano, Helena Goldt sings not only songs from past decades, but also about herself: Between Berlin, Eastern Europe and the steppes, musical memories are interwoven with personal stories of displacement and reconciliation, homelessness and the hope for new closeness. An evening that musically blends the past and the present – with elegance, emotion and attitude.
Event hall, ground floor
Genre: German chansons, art songs, world music and original songs
Paul Kine (O-MATO)
6.00pm – 6.30pm / 8.30pm – 9.00pm
Paul Kine was born in Turkmenistan to a Russian-German family whose history is marked by political persecution in the Soviet Union. He draws on a rich mix of cultural influences. His musical journey began at the record label LowMoneyMusicLove. In 2016, Paul moved to Berlin and joined the O-MATO Collective, playing an instrumental role in shaping its distinct sound. This is where he refined his musical taste, which is characterized by griffty basslines and a touch of melancholy. Paul recently launched his own project, ninetofive Recordings, to fulfill his passion for downtempo music and laid back vibes.
Lobby, ground floor
Genre: Electronic music
Ganna Gryniva
7pm – 7.30pm / 10.30pm – 11pm
Music is where Ukrainian-born Ganna Gryniva plays with her cultural roots. In GANNA quintet and in her solo programme for loops and electronics, she combines jazz with classical music, electronics and Ukrainian folklore.
Workshop area, 1st floor
Genre: Experimental music with elements of Ukrainian folklore and jazz
PERFORMANCE
Suitcase Theatre with Upsala Circus
7.30pm – 8pm / 9pm – 9.30pm
What kind of experiences do you ‘carry around’ with you? Suitcase theatre is a collection of stories: Three artists explore forced migration with the aid of dance, acrobatics and juggling. Upsala Circus‘ performance is about the universal experience of loss. How do you find a new home and learn to accept change?
Event hall, ground floor
TAKE PART
Quiz-Tour
6pm – 1.30am
Follow the clues and find out about the (his)story of forced migration. There’ll also be a small gift for you once you have completed the rallye, and you will be entered into the prize draw!
Drop-In: Drawing ‘home’
6pm – 1.30am
Language, favourite food, people, landscape, smells: very different images come to mind when we think of home. Our ideas about home are as diverse as our backgrounds. Design your symbol of home and display it.
Workshop area, 1st floor
Drop-In: Be a Part – Threads of Love
6pm – 10pm
Together with the artist Varvara Keidan Shavrova, a collective textile work will emerge – from brought and available materials, images, and memories. Share what carries us: closeness, loss, connection – traces of love lived in all its forms.
Gallery, 1st floor
Drop-In: Folded memories – make your own zines with Ami Bogin
8pm – 12am
This drop-in explores family stories. Illustrator and comic artist Ami Bogin will help you design small comic books which you can take home with you.
Gallery, 1st floor
Drop-In: A love letter in Sütterlin
6pm – 8pm
Immerse yourself in a bygone era. Our workshop will tell you about this elegant script once used by millions of Germans. Learn to decipher Sütterlin letters, practise for yourself and write a little greeting to your loved ones on a postcard!
Gallery, 1st floor
With: Gesa Füßle
FOOD & NIBBLES
Gourmandising in Kreuzberger Himmel
6pm – 1.30am
The way to the heart is through the stomach: taste some fusion food at Kreuzberger Himmel where refugees from all over the world present you with delicious delicacies such as vegan kibbeh, lentil kebab and sanbousak. Cold drinks available, too.
New on the menu this time: Königsberger Klopse – an East Prussian speciality made of tender meatballs in a light caper sauce.
Lobby, ground floor