Friedrichswerder Church | Open Days | 18. + 19.01.2020

In January 2020, Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s Friedrichwerder Church, which had been closed for years due to renovation work, will be on display again for the first time, before it will be used again as a museum by the National Gallery from summer 2020. On Saturday, January 18th, and Sunday, January 19th 2020, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the National Gallery of the National Museums in Berlin invites you to open days in the Friedrichswerder Church at Werderscher Markt in Berlin-Mitte. Admission is free.

Image above: Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, exterior view 2019 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / David von Becker

The Friedrichswerder Church was planned by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and built between 1824 and 1830 – almost simultaneously with his Altes Museum. Initially designed in classicist style, Schinkel bowed to the wishes of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm who preferred a church in “Old German”, i.e. neo-Gothic style.

After completion of the church, it was used by the German and French congregations of the Protestant Church in Prussia.

Severe damage during the Second World War necessitated extensive remediation between 1979 and 1986. The reopening and first use as a museum church finally took place on the occasion of Berlin’s 750th anniversary in 1987.

Since 2012, the church building could only be experienced from the outside, as the construction of new buildings in the immediate vicinity had caused serious damage and resulted in a costly, recently completed repair and restoration.

The Friedrichswerder Church is Schinkel’s only surviving church in Berlin’s inner city, whose façade and interior still correspond to its original appearance today. As before its closure in 2012, the Friedrichswerder Church will again be used by the Alte Nationalgalerie as a branch for the presentation of sculptures. In the summer of 2020, a newly conceived exhibition of sculptures from the Nationalgalerie’s holdings from the Schinkel period to the Empire will open.

The open days in the Friedrichswerder Church are accompanied by a varied and informative programme of guided tours through the architectural and restoration history of the church. Following the open days, public guided tours will be offered every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month until the opening of the exhibition in summer 2020.

Programme Open Days:
January 18th and 19th 2020, 10 am – 4 pm

Guided tour for restorers:
Sa und Su / 11 am and 2 pm
Diploma restorer Gottfried Grafe leads through the church and reports about the reconstruction of the church and the restoration measures in the course of time.
Participation free of charge
Limited number of participants, no registration required

Ask the curator!
Sa and Su / 11.30 am and 2.30 pm

Ralph Gleis, director of the Alte Nationalgalerie, and Yvette Deseyve, curator for sculpture at the Alte Nationalgalerie, answer your question about the collection of the Nationalgalerie and future exhibitions.
Participation free of charge
Limited number of participants, no registration required

Public guided tours for Individual visitors

A masterpiece in the historic centre of Berlin
Sa and Su / noon, 1 pm, 3 pm

The Friedrichswerder Church was built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel between 1824 and 1830 on behalf of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. It is regarded as one of the architectural highlights of the German New Gothic period. The history of the building and the current significance of the building, which is located not far from the former Bauakademie and the Museum Island, are the themes of the guided tour.
Participation free of charge
Limited number of participants, no registration required

Further events in the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche:

Bookable guided tours for groups

A masterpiece in the historical centre of Berlin

Duration: 60 minutes
German: 80 €
English: 90 €
Max. 25 persons
Only bookable online www.smb.museum.

Public guided tours for individual visitors

A masterpiece in the historic centre of Berlin
So / 2 pm/ from February 2020, each 2nd and 4th Sunday per month

The Friedrichswerder Church was built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel between 1824 and 1831 on behalf of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. It is regarded as one of the architectural highlights of the German New Gothic period. The history of the building and the current significance of the building not far from the former Bauakademie and the Museum Island are the themes of the guided tour.
Participation fee: 4 €
Limited number of participants.
Participation cards can only be booked online at https://www.smb.museum/fwk

Insights into the restoration of Tiecks Schinkel Statue

Work in progress
Tue / noon / from May 2020, each 1. Tuesday of the month

Shortly after Schinkel’s death, Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia commissioned a Schinkel statue for the series of artist statues in the vestibule of the Altes Museum. The realization took more than a decade and was completed by Hermann Wittig after Tieck’s death. Visitors will gain practical insights into the ongoing restoration work on the statue.
Participation fee: 4 €
Limited number of participants.
Participation cards can only be booked online at https://www.smb.museum/fwk

Lecture series V14 of the Academy

Schinkel – A glimpse into Prussia’s blossom
Wed / 11 am – 12.30 pm / 22.4., 29.4., 6.5., 13.5.2020

The series focuses on Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s paintings, his museum plans, the memorial buildings for the Napoleonic Wars and the architectural plans for the Königsplast in Athens. Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s approach is compared with that of his Munich counterpart Leo von Klenze in order to work out different attitudes.
Speaker: Lutz Stöppler
Participation fee: 24 €
Venue: Auditorium James Simon Gallery

Supplementary work consideration
W 14a: Tue / 19.5. / 11.30 am
W 14b: Tue / 19.5. / 3 pm
W 14c: Wed / 20.5. / 2.30 pm
Participation fee: 6 € plus entrance fee
Venue: Alte Nationalgalerie

Information and Booking

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Bildung, Vermittlung, Besucherdienste
Tel.: +49 30 266 42 42 42 (Mo–Fr 9–16 Uhr), service@smb.museum