The building was erected in between 1871 and 1874, originally as a museum of Post. It was one of the first technology museums in the world; it’s mission was to show the progress of communication methods from the middle ages up until the XIX century. The opening was attended by Kaiser Wilhelm I himself
The structure was renovated in the 1890’s. During those works a sculpture by Erns Weck was added as a façade’s centerpiece – Giants holding a globe – an allegory for how the communication technology envelops the entire world.
The building is decorated in a revivalist style, containing mostly neoclassical elements.
The museum was closed during both wars, it was severely damaged during the Berlin bombing in World War II.
During the communist times the building found itself in the East Berlin territory, under soviet jurisdiction. Up until 1981 the museum only showed a collection of stamps.
In 1981 it was reopened as East German museum of post.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany it was decided that the building needs to be renovated and reinvented with a new function. The works started at the beginning of the 1990’s and involved building a new underground floor, among others.
It was reopened in 2000 as a Museum of Communication. It serves this function in Berlin ever since.
The old exhibits from before the war and the division of Germany are now located mainly in Frankfurt (where the museum was moved in the late 1940’s). The Berlin collection consists mainly of history of transport (old cars, cartography equipment etc.), of the Post Office in Germany and of written communication.
You can visit the Museum’s website here:
See in Berlin 