Exhibition and event venue for contemporary art and global cultures in the former Congress Hall (“Pregnant Oyster”) on the Tiergarten.
September 12, 2026 – December 6, 2026
For the first time, the São Paulo Biennial is coming to Germany: more than 30 international artists show installations, sound and performance works on listening, care and resistance to dehumanization.
The striking building with its curved roof was built in 1957 as the United States' contribution to the Interbau international building exhibition. Architect Hugh Stubbins deliberately designed the Kongresshalle (Congress Hall) as a symbol of free speech and Western modernism; Berliners soon nicknamed it the “Schwangere Auster” (Pregnant Oyster). John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter were among those who spoke here, and the Bundestag also met in the building several times – much to the annoyance of East Germany and the Soviet Union.
In 1980 part of the roof collapsed due to design flaws. After several years of reconstruction, the building reopened in 1987 for Berlin's 750th anniversary and in 1989 became the home of the newly founded Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Its main purpose was to give a stage to arts and ways of thinking from outside Europe and North America.
Under artistic director Bernd M. Scherer (2006–2022), the HKW made a name for itself with major thematic projects, for example on the Anthropocene, at the intersection of art, science and society. Since 2023 the curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung has led the institution, which puts migrant perspectives, multilingualism and encounter at the center; since then, rooms and entrances have been named after important figures, such as the sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, whose institute was once located nearby.
The HKW has no collection of its own; instead it presents changing exhibitions and a packed program of concerts, performances, readings, discussions and festivals. It is run by the Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH.
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7School and university students, pensioners, the unemployed, recipients of ALG II or benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act, people with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis) |
| Seniors | €7Reduced for pensioners |
| Visitors with disabilities | €7companion free · Reduced with a severe disability ID; tickets via +49 30 26397100 |
| Students & apprentices | €7 |
Free admission: Exhibitions are always free on Mondays and every first Sunday of the month (Museumssonntag Berlin); for “Nicht alle Reisenden folgen Wegen” also on the closing weekend, December 5–6, 2026
Price applies to the exhibition “Nicht alle Reisenden folgen Wegen – Humanität als Praxis” (Not All Travelers Walk Roads – Humanity as Practice) (September 12 – December 6, 2026); admission prices vary by exhibition, and events have their own prices. Tickets on site (Wed–Mon 12:00–19:00) or in the web shop. Public guided tours “Durch die Ausstellung mit…” (Through the Exhibition with…) are free.
All four entrances step-free, Spree side with an automatic door; elevators, including to the roof terrace; wheelchair-accessible restrooms on every floor (without automatic doors). Loan wheelchairs and folding stools at the counter. Three accessible parking spaces. Tactile guidance system from the bus stop, tactile models with Braille at two entrances. Audio introductions, short German Sign Language (DGS) videos and texts in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) for the exhibitions; selected events with DGS interpreting. Contact: barrierefrei@hkw.de.
Great for kids & families
Workshops for children of various ages, a kids' disco on selected Sundays and free childcare at many events; free guided exhibition visits for daycare centers and 1st/2nd grade classes. All entrances at the front are step-free.
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Bus 100 (Haus der Kulturen der Welt stop); U5 Bundestag; S-Bahn Hauptbahnhof (S3, S5, S7, S9) or Brandenburger Tor (S1, S2, S25, S26); Haus der Kulturen der Welt boat landing
The HKW lists only three low-barrier parking spaces at the building (two in front of the Ika Hügel-Marshall entrance, one at the eastern driveway).
Bus line 100 stops right in front of the building; just under 1 km on foot from Hauptbahnhof.
Get directionsRestaurant Weltwirtschaft (daily from 12:00, accessible via the Sharmila Rege entrance on the Spree), Magnus Hirschfeld Bar, Archive Souq bookstore (Wed–Mon 12:00–19:00).
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free guided tours “Durch die Ausstellung mit…” on Sundays 15:00–16:00; further education programs and school projects via the cultural education department (education@hkw.de). Signage and texts usually in German/English. |
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