Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Encyclopedia
The Haus der Kulturen der Welt ("House of the Cultures of the World") in Berlin
is Germany's national centre for contemporary non-European art. It presents art exhibition
s, theater and dance
performances, concert
s, author reading
s, film
s and academic conference
s on non-European Visual Art and culture
. It is one of the few institutions which, due to their national and international standing and the quality of their work, receive funding from the federal government as so-called "lighthouses of culture."
The building is located in the Tiergarten
park and a direct neighbour of the Carillon
and the new German Chancellery
. It was formerly known as the Kongresshalle conference hall, a gift from the United States
, designed in 1957 by the American architect Hugh Stubbins Jr.
as a part of the Interbau
exhibition. John F. Kennedy
spoke here during his June 1963 visit to West Berlin
. On May 21, 1980 the roof collapsed killing one and injuring numerous people. The hall has been rebuilt in its original style and reopened in 1987 at the 750 years jubilee of Berlin. To Berliners it is also known as the Schwangere Auster ("pregnant oyster").
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
is Germany's national centre for contemporary non-European art. It presents art exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
s, theater and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
performances, concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, author reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
s, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and academic conference
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
s on non-European Visual Art and culture
Culture by region
Cultures of the world is the aggregate of regional variations in culture, both by nation and ethnic group and more broadly, by larger regional variations. Similarities in culture often occur in geographically nearby peoples...
. It is one of the few institutions which, due to their national and international standing and the quality of their work, receive funding from the federal government as so-called "lighthouses of culture."
The building is located in the Tiergarten
Tiergarten
Tiergarten is a locality within the borough of Mitte, in central Berlin . Notable for the great and homonymous urban park, before German reunification, it was a part of West Berlin...
park and a direct neighbour of the Carillon
Carillon in Berlin-Tiergarten
The Carillon in Berlin-Tiergarten is located in a freestanding tower next to the House of World Cultures , near the Chancellery in the northeastern part of Berlin's central Tiergarten park...
and the new German Chancellery
German Chancellery
The German Chancellery is a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The chief of the Chancellery holds the rank of either a Secretary of State or a Federal Minister ...
. It was formerly known as the Kongresshalle conference hall, a gift from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, designed in 1957 by the American architect Hugh Stubbins Jr.
Hugh Stubbins Jr.
Hugh Asher Stubbins Jr. was an architect who designed several high profile buildings around the world.-Biography:...
as a part of the Interbau
Interbau
Interbau was a housing development, constructed as part of the 1957 International Building Exhibition in the Hansaviertel area of West Berlin....
exhibition. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
spoke here during his June 1963 visit to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. On May 21, 1980 the roof collapsed killing one and injuring numerous people. The hall has been rebuilt in its original style and reopened in 1987 at the 750 years jubilee of Berlin. To Berliners it is also known as the Schwangere Auster ("pregnant oyster").