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Knocking at Doors

Who shares the JMB’s neighborhood in Kreuzberg, Berlin?

Residents, shopkeepers, project operators, artists, educators and restaurateurs all leave their unmistakable mark on life around the museum. You’ll find thinking and project spaces, places to linger awhile, workplaces—space to live and learn. We knocked on some doors and were invited in.

  • Axel Gotthardt, Galilei Elementary School; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Hans Nübel, Organic bakery Beumer&Lutum; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Jinok Kim, gallery for ceramics and restaurant NaNum; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Esther Uleer, Friend of the JMB; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Maha Rayan, neighborhood resident; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Ilker Gün, Café des Schicksals; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Parameswaran Kulasegaram, Indian Grocery Store; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

  • Valerie Schlee (left), Creative Studio Zuckerwattenkrawatten; Lisa Diedrich (center), urban researcher, feldfünf; Karen Donndorf (right), donndorf design, feldfünf; Jewish Museum Berlin; photo: Stephan Pramme

A man with glasses and a green jacket is sitting at a wooden table with a yellow parasol on a roof terrace. The Jewish Museum Berlin can be seen in the background.

Axel Gotthardt, Galilei Elementary School

As the school principal, I delight every day in the teaching staff, the school’s international orientation, and the location! In a good neighborhood, people help each other out. Cooperation and friendships arise. For example, our school works closely with the neighborhood management team based at Mehringplatz, who gives us enormous support.

A man in a green shirt with the inscription Beumer&Lutum is sitting at a table. Next to him is a large houseplant.

Hans Nübel, Organic bakery Beumer&Lutum

For me, neighborliness means there is a constant exchange of ideas and visions. That has taken root very well around here in the last four years. I’ve known this area for a long time—working at Café Stresemann was my first experience in the hospitality sector. A lot has changed since then, but I still feel very much at home!

A woman with gray hair, a black top and a gold chain stands in a large kitchen behind a silver countertop.

Jinok Kim, gallery for ceramics and restaurant NaNum

NaNum means “sharing.” I think that is fundamental to a well-functioning neighborhood. What we share could be either material things or immaterial ones like trust and happiness. During the pandemic, we opened the door on Saturdays, pushed a grand piano into the entrance, and played music. People stood on the square and really enjoyed it.

A woman with long brown hair and a dark blue blazer is standing outside in front of a modern apartment building.

Esther Uleer, Friend of the JMB

I made a conscious decision to live here. Here, I can sense Berlin. I especially enjoy the view from my living room onto the museum, which has such a great power of attraction! A good neighborhood needs to both feel friendly and let you be on your own. For a long time now, my life has revolved about the area around Fromet-und Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz. The only thing still missing is somewhere to have a relaxed drink in the evening now and again!

A woman with a black headscarf and a pink top is sitting on a leather couch and smiling.

Maha Rayan, neighborhood resident

I’ve been living here for almost thirty-three years and I like it very much in all respects. It’s a quiet and safe environment—I appreciate that a lot. I like taking my niece to one of the excellent playgrounds that have been built over the years. With my friends, I prefer to go to Café des Schicksals, their cakes are heavenly! The only thing left to wish for is that my rent doesn’t go up!

A young man in a dark green apron is sitting at a garden table in front of a café. There is a menu in the background.

Ilker Gün, Café des Schicksals

Neighborhood? Well, in a good neighborhood, neighbors accept your parcels and they’ll help you out if you’ve run out of salt, for example. More than that would be a bit too much for me. The shops here around the museum have a good network, and we offer each other help if a problem arises.

A man in a striped shirt is standing with his arms crossed in a grocery store.

Parameswaran Kulasegaram, Indian Grocery Store

I opened my store in 2005 as a kiosk for tourists. It was only five years later that we expanded it to sell Indian groceries and offer online shopping. So my shop is among the longest-standing in the street and I know everybody who moved in later. It’s a great neighborhood!

In a room with a concrete wall and ceiling, two women in black sweaters are sitting on wooden stools to the right and left. A third woman dressed in yellow is standing in the middle.

Valerie Schlee (left), Creative Studio Zuckerwattenkrawatten

Neighborliness, a good way of living together in the neighborhood, is hard work. You have to make an effort, and if the commitment is there, coming from many people at the same time, then something really wonderful can happen. The great thing around here is that so much is still in progress!

Lisa Diedrich (center), urban researcher, feldfünf

I’d like to emphasize the international dimension of neighborhood. I have developed models of neighborhood with many students who came from Sweden, Argentina, Egypt, Iceland, and other places to research at feldfünf. Their ideas of city and of neighborhood bring the world into our corner of town and, in turn, they take our neighborhood out into the world.

Karen Donndorf (right), donndorf design, feldfünf

Right at the start, when we were planning the feldfünf project spaces, we tried to involve the neighborhood through experimental projects; a good example is the Kreuzberg Trilogy of projects at the local Kurt Schumacher School. Today, we are specially looking for ideas regarding interaction with the square—which, ideally, should extend right up to the JMB and host formats that make it a vibrant meeting place.