One of the most important collections of European painting from the 13th to the 18th century – with van Eyck, Dürer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
September 15, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Cabinet exhibition marking the 300th birthday of the Berlin artist, with more than twenty major works, including all versions of his depiction of Jean Calas's farewell and portraits from the circle of the Berlin Enlightenment.
October 16, 2026 – March 14, 2027
Around 90 portraits from six centuries are shown in pairs – such as Botticelli and Lempicka or Dürer and Giorgione – exploring questions of identity, status and self-presentation.
May 14, 2027 – September 12, 2027
To mark the English painter's 300th birthday, the gallery shows around 50 works combining portrait and landscape, complemented by works by role models such as Rubens, van Dyck and Watteau.
November 26, 2027 – April 23, 2028
Announced exhibition relating contemporary photography to paintings by the Old Masters.
The Gemäldegalerie traces its origins to the art collections of the Brandenburg-Prussian rulers. When the Royal Museum on the Lustgarten designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel – today's Altes Museum – opened in 1830, around 1,200 paintings were shown there to the public for the first time. Alongside pictures from the royal palaces, the core consisted of the purchased Giustiniani and Solly collections; the first director was Gustav Friedrich Waagen.
During the German Empire, Wilhelm von Bode above all, director from 1890 to 1920, built the gallery into one of Europe's leading painting collections through targeted acquisitions. In 1904 it moved into the newly built Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, today's Bode-Museum. During World War II, the pictures were moved to safe storage; hundreds of large-format works stored in the Friedrichshain flak tower were lost in fires in May 1945.
During Berlin's division, the holdings were split: one part was shown in Dahlem in the West, the other in the Bode-Museum on Museum Island. After reunification, the two parts were brought together and united in 1998 in a new building at the Kulturforum by the architects Hilmer & Sattler, whose galleries and cabinets are grouped around a bright central hall.
The collection's focal points are Italian painting, the early German masters, the world-class collection of early Netherlandish panel paintings, and Flemish and Dutch art of the 17th century, including one of the largest Rembrandt collections in the world.
| Adults | €14 |
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| Reduced | €7School students, apprentices, university students, volunteer service participants, jobseekers receiving ALG I (unemployment benefit) and people with a severe disability rating (GdB) of 50 or more (proof required in each case) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to their 18th birthday free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €7companion free · Reduced admission from a disability rating (GdB) of 50; a necessary companion noted on the severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) is admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | €7University students, school students and apprentices with proof; university students on registered classes free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –No group rate: groups of 10 or more must register at least two weeks in advance (online ticket shop or info service) and pay admission plus a €10 registration fee per group; groups of 25 or more are split. Registered school classes free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children and young people under 18 get free admission. |
Kulturforum area ticket (all exhibitions at the Kulturforum) €22, reduced €11. Tickets online or at the ticket desk; advance sales open four weeks ahead; timed tickets may apply for some special exhibitions. SMB annual passes (BASIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC PLUS) and Museum Pass Berlin (3 days, €32/reduced €16) valid. Free admission for groups including recipients of Bürgergeld (basic income support), housing benefit, basic social security or asylum seekers' benefits, ICOM and DMB members, and press. The former free-admission museum Sunday was discontinued at the end of 2024.
According to the SMB, fully wheelchair-accessible; access via the Kulturforum foyer. Accessible restroom in the gallery. Loan wheelchairs are available at many SMB museums – check availability in advance with the info service (030 266 42 42 42, Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00). Only trained assistance dogs are allowed. Information on the Staatliche Museen in Easy German (Leichte Sprache) and German Sign Language on the SMB website.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Workshops for children aged 6 to 12 (e.g., portrait workshop) and multi-day workshops for ages 6 to 9 and 9 to 12; guided tours for children and families. Under the house rules of the Staatliche Museen, certain strollers may have to be swapped for strollers provided by the museum; children may not be carried in back carriers or on shoulders.
U-Bahn and S-Bahn Potsdamer Platz; buses to Potsdamer Brücke, Potsdamer Platz Bhf/Voßstraße, Kulturforum or Philharmonie.
No on-site parking at the museum.
The Staatliche Museen do not list any parking and recommend arriving by public transport or bicycle.
Café am Kulturforum on the upper foyer level; Walther König bookstore (Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00). Cloakrooms and lockers; bags larger than 30 × 20 × 10 cm must be checked, travel luggage is not accepted. Free Wi-Fi.
Up to 500 guests.
Rentals outside opening hours via Museum&Location, the events company of the Staatliche Museen (kontakt@museum-location.de, 030 263948826). The Gemäldegalerie's central hall with theater-style seating for up to 500 people, depending on the current exhibition design; the Kulturforum's foyer and Piazzetta are also available for receptions with up to 1,200 guests.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
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| Audio guide | yes (DE, EN, FR, IT) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography without flash for private purposes is allowed; commercial use only with permission. Restrictions may apply in some special exhibitions. |
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