The "New Berlin" is a playground for International architects. One of the most talked about last year was Daniel Liebeskind. His spectacular Jewish Museum opened in January 1999. The building is unlike anything I've ever seen. The link above takes you to more pictures of the building that is located at Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin. The museum hasn't opened yet, as the concept of its exhibition is still under discussion.

To learn more about the Jewish community in Berlin (dating back to 1295 A.C. and currently the fastest growing world wide) visit Jews in Berlin? 

Konrad Zuse: Inventor of the First Functional Computer

The first binary digital computer, the Z1, was build in 1938 by Konrad Zuse in Berlin, Germany. Zuse went on to develop the Z3, the first fully functional program-controlled electromechanical digital computer in 1941. Both models were destroyed during the war.

Read Zuse's first hand account (in English) of these history making inventions. Zuse was also an avid painter. This second link leads to a short bio in English and German and an online exhibition of Zuse's paintings. Konrad Zuse died December 19, 1995 at the age of 85.

A copy of the Z1 is on display in the Museum for Transport and Technology (Museum fur Verkehr und Technik) in Berlin while the German Museum (Deutsches Museum) in Munich houses a copy of the Z3. One of the biggest collections of historic computers can be seen at The Boston Computer Museum.

Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection Berlin (in German)

The Egyptian Museum in Berlin Charlottenburg, Germany, is home to an extensive Amarna collection. Armana was a city founded by Akhenaten, father of Tut-Ankh-Amun. Among the museum's treasures is the famous bust of Nefertiti (local link to Egypt page), Akhenaten's wife. One of my favorite pieces has always been this delicate head of Queen Teje, Nefertiti's mother-in-law. Made from wood and dated around 1360 B.C. the head measures less then 4 inches in height.

Photo Copyright © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz. Published with permission.

Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum (in English)

America relied heavily on German toy imports through the beginning of WWII. With materials getting hard to obtain in Germany and exports subsequently shrinking, America had to increase her own production of dollhouse articles and toys. Today true to scale miniature crafts are alive and well in the U.S. as is the heritage of German wood working.

Unlike today, the dolls and doll houses of the past typically were items on display. Children were allowed to touch them on special occasions only. Spanning a collection of 300 years, the Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum shows some of its treasures on the Web. Among them are a Nuremberg kitchen from 1840 and a German grocery store by Moritz Gottschalk (1880). (Shown here a doll house from Savannah, GA (USA) from the museum's collection.)

If you are in the Boston area, you might want to pay a visit to The Boston Children's Museum. There you will find on display doll houses designed and built by Boston architectural firms in the past. One of the best collections is housed in The Dollhouse Museum in Washington, D.C.

German Historical Museum (in German and English)

In the decades before German reunification this Berliner museum conveyed a Marxist-Leninist perspective of history. This emphasis led the museum to not only document the history of former East Germany and the labor movement, but to also collect objects from the French Revolution.

The German Historical Museum on the Web offers a fascinating collection spanning from graphics, photographic archives, textiles and toys to documents and coins. Some of the collection's pieces date back to the year 800. Each photograph is accompanied by a description and historic or cultural background. Shown here a Prussian helmet from 1740. Definitely worth a visit!