Charlottenburg Palace – Theater BuildingKäthe Kollwitz Museum

In 1788, a theater building, commissioned by the art-loving Frederick William II, was erected on the western end of the impressive ensemble complex of Charlottenburg Palace. The three-story, early Neoclassical building was constructed according to plans by Carl Gotthard Langhans, who had also designed the Brandenburg Gate and the Belvedere in Charlottenburg’s palace gardens.

Connected to the Old Palace through the elongated Large Orangery, the theater space with its curving auditorium and the king’s loge was the scene of opulent court festivities. With the interior decoration having been removed in 1902 to make space for furniture storage, only the building exterior was reconstructed after severe damage in World War II. Until 2009, the rooms served as the home of the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Museum of Prehistoric and Early History) of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

Since 2022, the facades and roof of the Theater Building are being renovated as part of the special investment program. The Käthe Kollwitz Museum opened its doors in September 2022 on the first floor of the Theater Building, in 2024 the museum will expand its exhibition space to the 1st floor.