Former Reichsluftfahrtministerium

Former Reichsluftfahrtministerium

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Designed by Ernst Sagebiel in 1935 and ’36, this behemoth was not only Hermann Göring’s power centre but also where the resistance group ‘Red Orchestra’ conspired until being caught and executed in 1942. There’s a memorial to them in the foyer of what is today the Federal Finance Ministry. Facing Leipziger Strasse is a 20m-long mural made of Meissen porcelain tiles by GDR artist Max Lingner in 1950 for what was then East Germany's House of Ministries.

It's an idealised depiction of strong and optimistic East Germans looking forward to a bright future under socialism.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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  • Neues Museum und Alte Nationalgalerie (right) at Museumsinsel in Berlin.

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Nearby attractions

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3. Watchtower Erna-Berger-Strasse

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Imagine what it was like to be a Berlin Wall border guard when climbing up the iron ladder of one of the few remaining watchtowers. The octagonal…

4. Martin-Gropius-Bau

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With its mosaics, terracotta reliefs and airy atrium, this Italian Renaissance–style exhibit space named for its architect (Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius…

5. Deutsches Spionage Museum

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High-tech and interactive, this private museum not only documents the evolution of spying from ancient Egypt to the 20th century, it also displays…

6. Dalí – Die Ausstellung

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If you only know Salvador Dalí as the painter of melting watches, burning giraffes and other surrealist imagery, this private collection will likely open…

7. Trabi Museum

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If you were lucky enough to own a car in East Germany, it would most likely have been a Trabant (Trabi in short), a tinny two-stroker whose name (…

8. BlackBox Kalter Krieg

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This small exhibit right by Checkpoint Charlie provides an easily accessible chronicle of the Cold War using photographs, maps, original footage and…