BerlinZEIT
The City Makes History!
At the Ephraim-Palais, we present the history of Berlin in a permanent exhibition – concise, easy to understand and entertaining.
Location
Ephraim-Palais
Poststrasse 16
10178 Berlin
Opening Hours
Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (also on public holidays)
Mon closed (except Easter Monday and Whit Monday)
Admission
7 Euro / 4 Euro (reduced) | up to 18 years free admission
Combi-Ticket:
10 Euro / 6 Euro (reduced)
Valid on two consecutive days for the Ephraim-Palais, the Nikolaikirche and the Ephraim-Palais.
Trailer
Watch and discover the exhibition!
A city of diversity, disruption and change
The exhibition takes you on a journey through eight centuries, exploring defining eras and events – from the city’s foundation to the present day and beyond. Along the way, you’ll discover, through original artefacts, the city’s diversity and openness, but also its history of upheaval and radical change.
Three thematic threads run through the permanent exhibition: how Berlin has grown and been repeatedly destroyed; how people have lived here amidst a mix of tolerance and persecution; and how power, rule and participation have shaped the city.
At media and interactive stations, you can explore selected topics in greater depth – from anti-Semitism and women’s rights to gay and lesbian emancipation, right through to interviews with people who helped shape Berlin after the fall of the Wall. ‘Free Spaces’ offer new perspectives on Berlin and its diverse urban society. A bilingual audio guide takes you through the exhibition in German or English.
“The new exhibition […] offers insight into the city’s history from its foundation to the present day, revealing many of the city’s layers and stories that are usually hidden. Not least, it displays, in just the right places, subtle humour.”
‘Free Space’ for Manfred Butzmann
With a ‘free space’ in the permanent exhibition ‘BerlinZEIT’ at the Ephraim-Palais, we are commemorating the Berlin artist who passed away on 4 January 2026.Background
We are showing “BerlinZEIT” at the Ephraim-Palais because the Märkisches Museum – our traditional venue for permanent exhibitions on Berlin’s history – is undergoing extensive renovation. The neighbouring Marinehaus is also being modernised. In a few years’ time, the two buildings will together form a new museum and creative quarter at Köllnischer Park.
The permanent exhibition makes the Nikolai Quarter the perfect place to explore Berlin’s past. Directly opposite the Ephraim Palais, the Knoblauchhaus shows how Berliners lived during the Biedermeier period. And just a few steps further on, the Nikolaikirche tells the story of the city’s origins and its medieval history.
Programme
Info & Service
Opening Hours
Tue – Sun | 10 am – 6 pm (also on public holidays)
Mon closed
Differing opening hours:
Sat | 29.08. | 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. (Long Night of Museums)
Thu | 24.12. | Closed (Christmas Eve)
Fri & Sat | 25. + 26.12. | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (First & Second Christmas Day)
Thu | 31.12. | Closed (New Year’s Eve)
Fri | 01.01. 2027 | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (New Year’s Day)
The visitor rules of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin apply.
Directions
Poststraße 16
10178 Berlin
Contact
Infoline
+49 30 24 002-162
Mo – Fri | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Write E-Mail
Accessibility
The Ephraim-Palais is accessible without steps. All exhibition areas are accessible via an elevator. There are barrier-free toilets in the building.
Tickets
Admission
Combi-Ticket
15 euros
Valid for our three museums in the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolaikirche, Ephraim-Palais, Knoblauchhaus) on two consecutive days (please note opening hours)
Single Ticket
7 euros
Day ticket for the Ephraim-Palais
Free admission
With proof of reduction
for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, students, trainees, FSJ/FÖJ/BFD volunteers, Berlin Ticket S holders, severely disabled persons (at least 50% GdB) and their Personal Assistant, refugees (with a valid work or residence permit/eAT and a Ukrainian passport or valid residence permit from Ukraine), recipients of transfer payments (Bürgergeld, ALG I), holders of the Berlin-Brandenburg Ehrenamtskarte, holders of the Super-Ferienpass / Berliner Familienpass, ICOM members, members of Deutscher Museumsbund, Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Stadtmuseums Berlin e. V. (except for the Museumsdorf Düppel), Förderverein Museumsdorf Düppel e. V., and Förderkreis Museum Knoblauchhaus e. V., media representatives with a valid press card.