The new permanent exhibition on the Deutscher Werkbund and the product and design culture of the 20th and 21st centuries has opened at the new location in Leipziger Straße 54 in Berlin-Mitte.
The new permanent exhibition of the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge in the form of an Open Storage has been updated in terms of content and design. On display are 15.000 objects from the 20th century to the present day that have been invented and designed, produced and traded, bought and used, repaired and thrown away. Their quantity and diversity allow us to explore questions relating to the character of objects, the relationship between people and objects, and how everyday life is shaped by these objects.
The Deutscher Werkbund is the focus of the museum and therefore a fundamental element of the permanent exhibition. Founded in 1907 by representatives from the fields of art, industry and politics, the association sought to promote the modern and functional design of industrially manufactured products, architecture and living environments in the 20th century. Its philosophy was characterised by demands for functionalism, sustainability and truth to materials, as well as the renunciation of decor and ornament. The association pursued national economic goals as well as ethical, social and cultural aims. It utilised various tools to enforce its interests: sample collections of “good” and “bad” objects, exhibitions, product guides, Werkbund boxes and home advice services.
The Open Storage is a space where the product culture of modernism and the historical strategies of the Werkbund are critically reflected upon and examined in the context of our globalised world and its major social and environmental transformations.
As the new museum premises are smaller than before, many of the objects from the collection remain in boxes and therefore many themes stay hidden. The furniture collection can only be shown in a limited and condensed form with just a few chairs.
Despite the shortage of space, the Open Storage also includes empty spaces that offer room for external perspectives, expansions and interventions. It invites exploration and discussion about design and society.
With the opening of the Open Storage, the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is now fully accessible again, just a year after its forced relocation from Kreuzberg to Berlin-Mitte. On May 22, 2024, the museum already opened with the exhibition “Profitopolis or the Condition of the City”. Since then the archive and library are also open to visitors after prior notification.
