DHM's Main Building Likely Closed Until 2031

The German Historical Museum (DHM) in Berlin will remain without its main building, the Zeughaus on Unter den Linden, until at least 2031 due to renovation delays. Museum director Raphael Gross stated that a reopening before 2031 is not realistic, though this is an informal estimate. The museum expects to learn the binding construction schedule from the Federal Agency for Real Estate and the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning in 2027. Gross noted that authorities are aware of the urgency and are working to avoid further delays. Meanwhile, the museum and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media are seeking an alternative interim venue, with the Humboldt Forum under discussion. The Zeughaus has been closed since 2021, but the museum continues to use its modern Pei Building, where the exhibition 'Objekte. Geschichte. Geschichten' (Objects. History. Stories) has opened, showcasing around 200 highlights from the collection of one million objects. Exhibits include a Japanese samurai armor once gifted to Adolf Hitler, an engraved ostrich egg, tools from the Prosper Haniel mine in Bottrop, and a bed frame from a refugee shelter established in Kassel in 2015. The exhibition also explores the museum's own history and its predecessor institutions.