Mies van der Rohe Haus

Current exhibitions

About the museum

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the house in 1932 as a residence for the printing-company owner Karl Lemke and his wife Martha. After several preliminary designs, cost considerations led to a single-story, L-shaped brick building with large windows facing the garden and the Obersee; the couple moved in in the spring of 1933. It was the last residential house Mies completed before emigrating to the USA. The furniture was designed by Mies and Lilly Reich, and the garden was planned by the office of perennial breeder Karl Foerster with Herta Hammerbacher.

After the war the Red Army confiscated the house; later the East German Ministry for State Security (Stasi) used it, among other things, as a laundry depot and as living quarters, significantly altering both house and garden. In 1977 the building was listed as a historic monument. The furniture designed by Mies and Reich passed from the Lemkes' estate to the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Berlin.

During the political changes of 1990, committed local citizens opened the building to the public for the first time as the "Mies van der Rohe Haus"; since then it has been a municipal exhibition space of the borough, now Lichtenberg. From 2000 to 2002 it was renovated and brought closer to the original plans again – the main original elements to survive are the exterior walls, the roof and some windows. The program focuses on site-specific exhibitions of contemporary art, commissioned works, concerts and regular architecture tours.

Highlights

• The last residential house by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to be built in Germany (1932/33)
• L-shaped brick building with large expanses of windows facing the garden
• Garden designed by the Karl Foerster office with a view of the Obersee
• Site-specific exhibitions of contemporary art with free admission
• Monthly architecture tours in German and English

Founded

1990

Operated by

Bezirksamt Lichtenberg von Berlin (Amt für Weiterbildung und Kultur)

Director

Dennis Brzek

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the house and garden is free; a participation fee is charged only for the architecture tours.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The house has step-free, accessible entry and a wheelchair-accessible restroom. Leashed dogs are allowed in the house and garden.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

No food or drinks available. Blankets can be borrowed for relaxing in the garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit