Beyond the Tourists' Berlin
Was? Das Museum
The museum next door to the senior center is both a financial support for the group as well as an opportunity to inform neighbors and tourists about neighborhood in 1900. The renovated apartment space is restored to look as it would have at the turn of the century. It is complete with period artifacts and informational signs and videos. The tour guides are seniors from the center who give first-hand account of growing up in the neighborhood in the first half of the twentieth century. The museum showcases a topic that is often overlooked by tourists. It is a working class home restored as it would have been when occupied by master carpenter Brunzel. The museum highlights the aspects of everyday life in Berlin at the beginning of the twentieth century and is far removed from the focus of the royalty that occupies much of the Unter den Linden area. It provides tourists and learners of German the opportunity to see what everyday Berlin was like in lives of everyday people.
In addition to the material below, instructors may want to have students to several pre- and post-activities. Some suggestions are:
1. Have students draw up a floor plan of their homes and describe what they do in each of the rooms. They can then compare their own homes with the museum tour.
2. Have students talk about a favorite recipe, especially one that reminds them of home. Then have them try the waffle recipe found in the museum tour.
3. Encourage students to look at the website of the senior center. What activities does Herbstlaube do during the week (Aktuelles)? What activities have they done in the past (Aktivitäten)? Which of those activities are most appealing to the students? What would they like to do when they visit the museum and senior center?
Click here to access a timeline of the home's history
Click here to access the virtual tour of the museum
In addition to the material below, instructors may want to have students to several pre- and post-activities. Some suggestions are:
1. Have students draw up a floor plan of their homes and describe what they do in each of the rooms. They can then compare their own homes with the museum tour.
2. Have students talk about a favorite recipe, especially one that reminds them of home. Then have them try the waffle recipe found in the museum tour.
3. Encourage students to look at the website of the senior center. What activities does Herbstlaube do during the week (Aktuelles)? What activities have they done in the past (Aktivitäten)? Which of those activities are most appealing to the students? What would they like to do when they visit the museum and senior center?
Click here to access a timeline of the home's history
Click here to access the virtual tour of the museum