Urania

The Urania in Berlin's Schöneberg district offers one of the widest popular science and adult education programs in the world. It was established in 1888 by the astronomers Wilhelm Foerster and Wilhelm Meyer, with financial aid from the industrialist Werner von Siemens. Its first home, equipped with a public observatory, the first technical natural history museum, one of the first planetariums, lecture rooms and a "scientific theater," was in Invalidenstrasse.

Urania Map

Important Information:

Address: An der Urania 17, Kleiststrasse 13-14, D-10787 Berlin, Germany

Facilities: Restaurant or food service

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Around the turn of the century a further institute was opened in Taubenstrasse. Many Nobel prizewinners lectured here and instructed Berliners on the latest scientific discoveries. Similar institutes, modeled on the Urania, sprang up all over Europe, and the name became synonymous with high-quality scientific instruction in many forms. After the Second World War it was re-established in West Berlin and in 1962 a modern building was erected between Wittenbergplatz and Nollendorfstrasse. Its new home boasts lecture halls and a large hall for films and stage shows, exhibition rooms and a cafeteria. Every year about 200,000 people attend some 800 lectures given by top experts covering a wide program of current developments in all spheres of scientific, cultural and social subjects.

Related Attractions

Postal Museum of Berlin

Founded in 1966, the Postmuseum Berlin was extensively redesigned in 1986-89. Now the exhibition entitled "Berlin and its post - yesterday, today and tomorrow" is spread over some 2,000 sqm/21,500 sq.ft. The upper floor presents the history of the Prussian postal system up to 1945: 1648-1815 (introduction of a postal system by the Great Elector Frederick William); 1815-66 (the city post in Berlin); 1866-1945 (the period up to the division of Berlin into four sectors). In the entrance foyer is an exhibition of medieval postal arrangements. Between the floors the theme is "Communication by Satellite." On the ground floor will be found an exhibition devoted to recent technical development in the media. A video-conference studio makes contact with modern technology possible. A stamp collection labeled "Berlin's postal management as mirrored in its postage stamps" will prove interesting to all philatelists.

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