Friedrichswerdersche Kirche
Neo-Gothic brick church by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, now an exhibition venue of the Alte Nationalgalerie for 19th-century sculpture.
About the museum
The Friedrichswerdersche Kirche was built between 1824 and 1830 to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, almost at the same time as his Altes Museum. Schinkel had originally intended a Neoclassical building but, at the request of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (IV), opted for Neo-Gothic forms. The single-nave interior is modeled on English college chapels; with its red brick masonry, the building is considered Berlin's first prestigious brick building since the Middle Ages.
The church was initially used by a German and a French congregation; the pulpit, altar table and parts of the stained-glass windows still recall this. After severe damage in World War II, the building long remained only provisionally secured. Restoration began in 1979 for Schinkel's 200th birthday, and for Berlin's 750th anniversary in 1987 the church opened as a museum of the Nationalgalerie.
After a further restoration, the Nationalgalerie showed sculpture of the early 19th century here from 2000. At the end of 2012 the building had to close because construction work in the immediate vicinity had caused damage to it. After renovation, the church has again served as an exhibition venue of the Alte Nationalgalerie since October 27, 2020.
Today the permanent exhibition “Ideal und Form” (Ideal and Form) presents more than fifty sculptures of the Berlin school of sculpture from Schinkel's time to the German Empire. In 2023 the restored original plaster model of Johann Gottfried Schadow's Princesses Group also returned, and a documentation in the gallery presents Schinkel's life and work in 14 chapters.
Highlights
- Schinkel's Neo-Gothic brick building (1824–1830) with a largely original interior
- Original plaster model of Schadow's Princesses Group
- More than fifty sculptures of the Berlin school of sculpture, including works by Rauch, Wolff and Elisabet Ney
- Documentation “Fokus Schinkel” (Focus on Schinkel) in the gallery
- Schinkel Lectures with free admission
Permanent exhibitions
- Ideal und Form. Skulpturen des 19. Jahrhunderts aus der Sammlung der Nationalgalerie – More than fifty works, some larger than life, trace the Berlin school of sculpture from Schinkel's time to the German Empire – including works by women sculptors such as Elisabet Ney.
- Die Prinzessinnen sind zurück! – The restored original plaster model of Schadow's famous double figure of Princesses Luise and Friederike has been back on view in the church interior since 2023.
- Fokus Schinkel. Ein Blick auf Leben und Werk – 14 bilingual panels in the gallery shed light on Schinkel as an architect, painter, stage designer, urban planner and preservationist.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Nationalgalerie)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3School students, apprentices and trainees, university students, people doing voluntary service, jobseekers receiving ALG I (unemployment benefit), people with severe disabilities (degree of disability/GdB of 50 or more) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission up to age 18. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3companion free · Reduced with a degree of disability (GdB) of 50 or more; necessary companion (noted on the ID) free. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced; free as a registered group as part of university courses. |
| Groups | –Registered school classes and student groups as part of university courses free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and young people under 18 free. |
| Museumsinsel area ticket (Bereichskarte) | €24Reduced €12. |
| Museumspass Berlin (3 days) | €32Reduced €16; permanent exhibitions only. |
Free admission also for recipients of social benefits, ICOM/Museumsbund, members of the SMB friends' associations, press and annual pass holders. Tickets at the ticket office or online (advance sales four weeks ahead). Berlin's free Museum Sunday was discontinued at the end of 2024.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the SMB, partially wheelchair-accessible; the documentation “Fokus Schinkel” is located in the gallery. The website gives no details on elevators or restrooms.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Regular family formats, such as exhibition talks for families; free accompanying brochure and audio walk for all visitors. According to the visitor regulations of the Staatliche Museen, certain strollers may have to be exchanged for ones provided by the museum; children may not be carried in back carriers or on shoulders.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
U5 Museumsinsel, U2 Hausvogteiplatz, U6 Französische Straße; tram to Am Kupfergraben; bus to U Museumsinsel, Werderscher Markt.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The Staatliche Museen do not list any parking and recommend arriving by public transport or bicycle.
Amenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
No food service listed.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Schinkel Lectures and Schinkel Talks (about every two months on Thursdays at 18:30, free admission, no registration). Guided tours and educational programs can be booked through the SMB visitor service. |
