Free exhibition area of the State Library Unter den Linden with around 300 originals from 350 years of collection history and a treasury.
October 2, 2026 – January 17, 2027
The presentation shows how collecting objects can change their monetary value, and invites reflection on what something is worth and who decides that. Part of the exhibition “Unbezahlbar – Geld, Macht, Werte”.
June 12, 2026 – December 20, 2026
The exhibition shows how photography has shaped the Berlin press and the image of the city since the 1920s, combining historical photographs with contemporary works.
The Stabi Kulturwerk is the exhibition area of the Berlin State Library in the Haus Unter den Linden. The permanent exhibition "1661 bis heute – Die Sammlungen der Stabi" tells the library's roughly 350-year history through its holdings and links it to the general history of the times and of science.
The design is based on a concept by Astrid Bornheim and dko Architekten, implemented by buerozentral.architekten. A darkly furnished permanent exhibition faces a bright, neutral area for changing exhibitions. A central axis leads through five periods up to the present; the display cases are arranged horizontally in layers and become denser towards the end, just as the collections grew ever faster.
Manuscripts, precious books, music manuscripts and maps are shown. The highlight is the Schatzkammer (treasury) with the library's most valuable pieces; its exhibits change regularly, roughly every three months. The tour concludes in a rotunda.
Admission is free.
Admission is free; no ticket booking is required.
The Stabi Kulturwerk is fully wheelchair-accessible. Barriers can be reported via the website.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Unter den Linden
U-Bahn Unter den Linden, S-Bahn Friedrichstraße, bus Unter den Linden or Staatsoper.
Address: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 8, 10117 Berlin.
Get directionsCafé Felix (Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00, Sun 11:00–17:00) and Stabi Kantine (Mon–Fri 11:30–14:30) are in the building. Larger bags and backpacks can be left in lockers or the cloakroom.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Free public guided tours of the permanent exhibition (about 45 minutes): Thursdays at 16:30 in German, Fridays at 16:00 in English; registration requested, spontaneous participation possible. Individual group tours cannot currently be booked for the permanent exhibition. Small hand and shoulder bags may be taken into the exhibition. A digital guide is available online. |
