Haus der Kulturen der Welt

Haus der Kulturen der Welt, commonly abbreviated as HKW and translated as House of World Cultures, is a major cultural institution and events venue in Berlin's Tiergarten. It presents contemporary art and intellectual work from across the world, with particular emphasis on artistic practices, histories, and social questions that are not centered on Europe. Its program spans exhibitions, theater, dance, concerts, film, literature, lectures, conferences, and interdisciplinary research. Rather than operating only as a conventional exhibition hall, HKW functions as a platform where artists, writers, scholars, scientists, and publics meet around questions of culture, politics, ecology, technology, and global modernity. The institution occupies the distinctive former Kongresshalle, a conference building designed by the American architect Hugh Stubbins for the 1957 International Building Exhibition in West Berlin. The building was presented as a gift from the United States and became a visible architectural symbol of postwar international exchange. Its location in Tiergarten, near the Carillon and the German Chancellery, places it within Berlin's governmental and cultural landscape. The venue's history also includes a major structural disaster: on 21 May 1980, the roof collapsed, killing a radio journalist and injuring several other people. The building was reconstructed in its original style and reopened in 1987. Before the Second World War, the site was associated with Magnus Hirschfeld's Institut für Sexualwissenschaft. HKW maintains commemorative links to that history through the Magnus Hirschfeld Bar and a garden named for Lili Elbe. These references connect the institution's contemporary cultural program with Berlin's earlier histories of sexology, gender research, sexual minorities, and intellectual experimentation. HKW's public identity is also shaped by the building itself. Berliners have long used the nicknames Die schwangere Auster, or “the pregnant oyster,” and “Jimmy Carter's smile,” referring to the hall's expressive thin-shell roof. The architecture, its surrounding landscape, and Henry Moore's monumental bronze sculpture Large Divided Oval: Butterfly form part of the visitor experience. The sculpture, installed outside the entrance, was restored after environmental deterioration and vandalism. The institution is treated by the German federal government as one of the country's culturally prominent “lighthouse” institutions. It receives public support associated with the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Federal Foreign Office. HKW also works as a venue and collaborative partner for festivals, curatorial initiatives, biennials, and mentorship programs. Examples mentioned in reference material include transmediale, the Berlin Documentary Forum, and Forecast. Since 2013, a sustained strand of work has examined the Anthropocene and related debates about planetary change. This activity has combined conferences, exhibitions, artistic projects, and other formats, bringing artists into dialogue with philosophers and scientists. The work associated with figures such as Bruno Latour and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber illustrates HKW's preference for cross-disciplinary formats rather than a strict separation between art, science, and public debate. Overall, HKW is best understood as a publicly supported international cultural forum whose “offerings” are exhibitions, events, research conversations, and opportunities for encounter rather than commercial products.

Haus der Kulturen der Welt is based in Berlin's Tiergarten in the building formerly known as the Kongresshalle. The structure was designed by American architect Hugh Stubbins and erected for Interbau, the 1957 International Building Exhibition in West Berlin. It was presented by the United States as a gift and was intended to symbolize international cooperation and cultural exchange during the Cold War. Its expressive thin-shell roof soon became one of Berlin's recognizable architectural forms. The building's curved silhouette also generated the local nicknames Die schwangere Auster, or “the pregnant oyster,” and “Jimmy Carter's smile.” The site's history extends further back than the postwar building. Before the Second World War, the grounds were occupied by Magnus Hirschfeld's Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, an influential center associated with sexology, gender research, and the study of sexuality. In its present use, HKW acknowledges this earlier history through the Magnus Hirschfeld Bar and a garden named after Lili Elbe. These memorial references situate the institution within Berlin's longer history of experimental scholarship, queer history, and contested ideas about society. The former Kongresshalle was also used for major public occasions. During John F. Kennedy's June 1963 visit to West Berlin, he spoke there at a trade-union meeting. The building later became the setting for the West German heat of the television program Jeux Sans Frontières in 1970. Its public and media visibility continued beyond cultural programming: in 2005 it served as an exterior filming location for the science-fiction action film Æon Flux. A decisive interruption came on 21 May 1980, when the roof collapsed. The incident killed a Sender Freies Berlin radio journalist and injured several people. The hall was subsequently reconstructed in its original style and reopened in 1987, around the time of celebrations marking Berlin's 750th anniversary. The reconstruction allowed the building to continue as a major public venue while preserving the architectural identity that had made it distinctive. The institution known today as Haus der Kulturen der Welt developed as Germany's national center for presenting and discussing international contemporary arts. Its remit is broader than a museum's collection-based model. HKW presents temporary exhibitions and live events, but also commissions and hosts conversations that connect cultural production with political, scientific, and social questions. Its areas of activity include visual art, theater, dance, music, film, literature, and academic exchange. A defining feature is attention to cultures and societies beyond conventional European art-historical frameworks. HKW also operates as a partner and host for projects initiated by other organizations and networks. Reference material identifies collaborations or hosted activities involving transmediale, the Berlin Documentary Forum, curatorial platforms, and the Forecast mentorship program. Such partnerships reinforce its role as cultural infrastructure rather than a single-format festival or gallery. The institution provides space, production capacity, and an international public setting for projects that may cross disciplinary or geographic boundaries. Since 2013, HKW has developed an extended program of inquiry into the Anthropocene and planetary change. This work has used exhibitions, conferences, and artistic formats to bring together practitioners from the humanities, sciences, and arts. Figures associated with the referenced activities include philosopher Bruno Latour and climate scientist Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. The program illustrates HKW's broader method: cultural events are used not only to display works but also to create forums for public reasoning about global conditions. The German federal government recognizes HKW as one of the country's culturally prominent “lighthouse” institutions. Its activities receive public support connected with the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Federal Foreign Office. The institution therefore combines an international artistic remit with a national public-cultural function. Its architectural setting, historical associations, international programming, and interdisciplinary projects together define HKW as a Berlin-based platform for global contemporary culture and debate.

1. 2013Anthropocene program begins

   HKW begins a sustained interdisciplinary program addressing Anthropocene discourse through exhibitions, conferences, and artistic projects.

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2. 2010Large Divided Oval: Butterfly restored

   Henry Moore's sculpture undergoes restoration following environmental and vandal-related damage.

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3. 2005Building used as a film location

   The building serves as an exterior location for the science-fiction film Æon Flux.

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4. 1988Henry Moore sculpture acquired for Berlin

   Large Divided Oval: Butterfly, initially loaned to West Berlin, is sold by the Henry Moore Foundation to Berlin and remains associated with the venue.

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5. 1987Building reopens after reconstruction

   The hall reopens after reconstruction in its original style, close to Berlin's 750th-anniversary celebrations.

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6. 1980Roof collapse

   The roof collapses on 21 May, causing one death and several injuries.

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7. 1970Venue appears in Jeux Sans Frontières

   The Kongresshalle hosts the West German heat of the television competition Jeux Sans Frontières.

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8. 1963John F. Kennedy speaks at the hall

   During his visit to West Berlin, U.S. President John F. Kennedy addresses a trade-union meeting at the Kongresshalle.

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9. 1957Kongresshalle opens for Interbau

   The building designed by Hugh Stubbins opens as part of the International Building Exhibition in West Berlin, supported as a gift from the United States.

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A publicly supported national and international forum for contemporary arts, cultural debate, and cross-disciplinary exchange, with a strong focus on non-European cultures and societies.

• Contemporary art exhibitionsExhibitions

  Temporary exhibitions present contemporary artistic practices from international contexts, with particular attention to perspectives and cultural histories outside dominant European frameworks. The exhibition program is part of HKW's wider effort to connect visual art with political, ecological, intellectual, and social questions.

• Performing-arts programTheater, dance, and live performance

  HKW presents theater, dance, and other live formats by artists working across national and disciplinary boundaries. Performances complement the institution's exhibition and discussion programs and contribute to its role as a venue for contemporary international cultural production.

• Music and concert programsMusic

  Concerts and music-related events form part of HKW's multidisciplinary program. They provide a public setting for international musical practices and can be combined with conversations, festivals, screenings, or other forms of cultural inquiry.

• Film and literature eventsFilm and literature

  The institution hosts film screenings, author readings, and literary events. These formats extend HKW's attention to contemporary societies and ideas beyond the visual-art exhibition format, while creating direct encounters between creators, researchers, and audiences.

• Conferences and interdisciplinary forumsConferences and public debate

  Academic conferences, lectures, and public discussions are central to HKW's identity. The institution uses these formats to examine cultural, political, scientific, and ecological issues, often bringing artists into dialogue with scholars and other specialists.

• Anthropocene-related programInterdisciplinary research and cultural programming2013

  Since 2013, HKW has developed exhibitions, conferences, and artistic formats around Anthropocene discourse and planetary change. The strand is notable for combining artistic practice with philosophy, science, and public debate.

• 2013Anthropocene interdisciplinary program

  Germany · International

  HKW established an extended program of conferences, exhibitions, and artistic projects examining the Anthropocene and the relationship between human activity, planetary systems, culture, and science.

  Outcome. The program became a sustained example of HKW's cross-disciplinary approach and involved artists, philosophers, and scientists, including figures identified in reference material as Bruno Latour and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber.

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• 1987Reconstruct and reopen the KongresshalleStrategy

  The former Kongresshalle had been closed after its roof collapsed in 1980, causing a death and several injuries.

  What changed. The building was reconstructed in its original architectural style and reopened as a public cultural venue.

  Aftermath. The reopening preserved the building's role as a prominent Berlin location for international public events and cultural programming.

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• 2013HKW develops sustained Anthropocene program

  The institution began a continuing interdisciplinary engagement with Anthropocene debates through conferences, exhibitions, and artistic formats involving artists, philosophers, and scientists.

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• 2010Large Divided Oval: Butterfly restored

  Henry Moore's monumental bronze sculpture outside the building was restored after suffering damage associated with environmental pollution and vandalism.

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• 1987Reconstructed Kongresshalle reopens

  After the 1980 structural disaster, the building was reconstructed in its original architectural style and reopened in time for Berlin's 750th anniversary celebrations.

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• 1980Kongresshalle roof collapse kills one and injures others

  The former Kongresshalle building suffered a roof collapse on 21 May 1980. A Sender Freies Berlin radio journalist died and several other people were injured.

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1. Haus der Kulturen der Welt
2. Haus der Kulturen der Welt official website