Kulturforum Berlin

Located at Tiergarten in Berlin, Kulturforum is a cultural center comprising many museums, concert venues and art galleries. The need for a 'culture forum' was first realized after the conclusion of the World War II when the division of Germany caused many art collections to be distributed between the split halves. East Berlin had Museum Island as an answer to a need for cultural center; West Berlin gleaned most of what fell into its share and came up with Kulturforum.

It was Hans Bernhard, the famous architect, who lent design to Kulturforum and narrowed down on Tiergarten district as the site for the forum.

Kulturforum got its first building in the shape of Philharmonic Hall in 1963. Built with expressionism in mind, the Hall looks no more than a nomad's tent from outside but its inside is known to have the best acoustics in the world. This concert hall accommodates little over 2,000 people and has a stage placed at the center.

The building that followed next was the Berlin Library of Prussian Cultural Heritage, which was trailed by New National Gallery in 1968. The Gallery has been called 'the temple of light and glass' and is one of the designs of Mies van der Rohe. It contains an impressive booty of 20th century European painting and sculpture.

Later in the 80s came the State Institute of the Musical Research and the Musical Instrument Museum. The Musical Museum in Kulturforum houses a wide collection of musical instruments that were used in Europe from the 16th to the 21st century.

In the 1990s Kulturforum was enlarged to house Kupferstichkabinett, a graphic arts museum, Kunstbibliothek, art library and Gemälderie, museum of fine arts. Other features of Kulturforum, Berlin includes Kunstgewerbemuseum, which was opened in 1985 and displays crafts from the medieval times.