A sport museum is an institution that conserves and presents the history of physical education, sports, and games; in short, a museum of sport deals with the history of the culture of movement. The Sportmuseum Berlin has itself been the object of a very special kind of “culture of movement” for the past 15 years: it was located at 14 venues, sometimes for shorter periods, sometimes longer, throughout Berlin-Brandenburg.  The 15th venue is the so-called “indoor pool wing” at Jahnplatz in the German Sport Forum (Olympic Park Berlin). Late this summer (2005) the Sportmuseum Berlin settled down in its final destination for the diverse collections and archives in a space of approx. 1,500 sqm.

Historically restored building facade

In inside life of the two stories of the indoor pool wing was finished this fall (2005). According to the renovation plans by the Brenne architecture office, the interior was cored out and rebuilt according to the needs of the Sportmuseum.  This included acclimatized rooms for the photo archives and the painting collection. The exterior facade of the building was historically renovated with newly created windows, which nonetheless are constructed in such a manner that they abide to the security and lighting regulations for museums. The fire and theft protection facilities on the interior of the building secure the safekeeping of the collections.

Localised collection of the repository

Now the team of the Sportmuseum can finally categorise and process the collections without wasting time going from one collection site to another. It is also now possible to carry out sport history events for up to 30 people in the seminar room, while the nearby auditorium in the “Haus des Deutschen Sports” (House of German Sport) can  accommodate up to 200 persons.

Complete Sport Museum Library

The extensive sport museum library is complete for the first time, now set in the same location where the voluminous book collection of the sport organization and Reich Academy for Physical Exercise was stored from 1956 to May/June 1945. The part of the building now housing the Sportmuseum was used during that same period by the “Department of Exercise” for administrative duties.

Excellent cooperation between the administrative offices for sport, building, and culture

Eighty years after the founding of the “Museum for Physical Exercise” and 15 years after its establishment in a unified Berlin, the Sportmuseum Berlin has finally found an adequate and final venue for four fifths of its museum duties: namely collecting, conserving, making accessible, and researching. With, for Berlin, almost unparalleled cooperation between the administrative offices for sport, building, and culture, these adequate and professional collection and work rooms have successfully been created in the Olympic Park.

We would like to express our sincere thanks once again to those responsible for and accompanying these hard endeavours!

Long overdue exhibition spaces have to be established 

Already in 1925 and 1930, back in the time of the Weimar Republic, a museum of sport in the Olympic Park was planned by both the “Museum for Exercise” and by Werner March, the architect of the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The time has now come to create a long overdue exhibition area in Germany’s unique historical sport venue. The last fifth of the museum’s duties, the presentation and communication of the historical artefacts, which is seen by the public as the primary duty of a museum, could thus be fulfilled.

"German School of Exercise"

The simplest and most cost effective location for the exhibition space would be in the rooms of the “Deutschen Turnschule” (German School of Exercise), which are only 100m from the collection venue.  This suggestion has been lying with those responsible in the senate administration for many years and is waiting urgently to be acted upon – the Track and Field World Championships in 2009 would be an excellent date for its opening!

Gerd Steins

Photos: qeste, Sportmuseum Berlin

The library, archives, and collection of the Sportmuseum Berlin will be open to the public starting on October 17, 2005 (please call or write for an appointment).

Contact:

Sportmuseum Berlin

AIMS Marathon-Museum of Running -

German Sport Forum in the Olympic Park Berlin -

Hanns-Braun-Strasse

14055 Berlin

Tel.: 030 - 3 05 85 00

Fax: 030 - 3 05 85 40

Email: Sportmuseum.Berlin@t-online.de

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Library/Archives:

Christa Liebscher

Tel.: 030.3 05 83 90

Photo Collection:

Thomas Willaschek

Tel.: 030.3 05 83 50

Special Exhibit

on the occasion of the 32nd real,- BERLIN MARATHON from September 20 – October 3, 2005.

Venue:

(Gallery of the Berlin Water Works)

Neue Jüdenstr. 1 (Entrance on Stralauer Str.)

10179 Berlin-Mitte

Subway line U 2 - Klosterstrasse

Opening Hours:

daily from 2 – 6 p.m.

On September 25: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., entrance is free!