Clockmaking in Berlin

Horizontal table clock in a leather case by Berlin clockmaker David Nicolaus Albrecht, 1680-1740
© Stadtmuseum Berlin

For a long time, little research was conducted into Berlin’s rich history of clockmaking. In 2014, the Stadtmuseum Berlin assembled an interdisciplinary team dedicated to researching particularly valuable and historic clocks made in Berlin. The result: 41 clocks from the 18th and 19th centuries can now be viewed online.

Frederick the Great (1712-1786) commissioned Berlin-based clockmakers to design handcrafted clocks specially to his taste and played a major role in promoting the still nascent craft in Berlin. His efforts bore fruit: from the 18th century onwards, Berlin clockmakers became known throughout Europe for the construction of small grandfather clocks (“bracket clocks”) and mechanical music boxes.

Berlin clockmakers also excelled in the manufacture of precision pendulum clocks for scientific purposes. However, despite its rich history of clockmaking, Berlin has received relatively little attention in this field compared to traditional clockmaking centres of Nuremberg and Augsburg. 

A team of researchers from several Berlin museums set out to change that. In 2014, they began working with private collectors to assemble a valuable archive. Images and descriptions of 41 historical clocks are now available to on the Museum-Digital platform for experts and laypeople alike.

Kaminuhr aus vergoldetem Zinkguss des Berliner Uhrmachers Conrad Felsing, 1868 © Stadtmuseum Berlin
© Stadtmuseum Berlin

Berlin Clocks

Theme Portal

Masterpieces of mechanics and craftsmanship: around 600 photographs, over 40 audio recordings and numerous texts impressively showcase the diversity of table clocks, console clocks, vase clocks and sundials in the typical Berlin style.

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The project “Berliner Uhren bis 1918” on Museum-Digital was carried out with funding from the Senate Department for Culture and Europe, with the coordination and support of the Research and Competence Centre Digitalization Berlin (digiS).

The team of researchers includes employees of the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg), the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts), the Musikinstrumenten-Museum (Museum of Musical Instruments) and the Berlin Museum. The clocks belong to their respective museum collections as well as those of other museums and private individuals.

Clock collection

The Stadtmuseum Berlin contributed 17 clocks from its collection for the project. The collection consists of around 380 different objects made in Berlin between the 16th and 20th centuries, making it one of the largest collection of Berlin-made clocks in the city.

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