Gemäldegalerie — Attraction in Berlin

I'll be there in one month and this is an evaluation about the Info-Service, that sent me, in less than 24 hours, this information regarding to accessibility (as for August 2024). I found it useful for other visitors:

Up to 2 wheelchairs are available in all of our houses except in the Museum für Fotografie (Museum of Photography).

All accessibility also applies to the Baby Stoller.

Museum Island (Museumsinsel)

Alte Nationalgalerie fully accessible for wheelchair users the entrance is located on the right side of the building (staff entrance) where you will find a lift to all floors 1 accessible WC on the ground floor

Altes Museum fully accessible for wheelchair users entrance via staff entrance, please inform the doorman 2 parking lots for disabled persons (unfortunately, they cannot be booked) Bode Museum fully accessible for wheelchair users entrance via lift 1 accessible WC, please contact staff at the entrance Neues Museum fully accessible for wheelchair users

Kulturforum:

Gemäldegalerie fully accessible for wheelchair users entrance via the Kunstbibliothek , located left on hand side from the main entrance

Kunstgewerbemuseum fully accessible for wheelchair users

Kunstbibliothek fully accessible for wheelchair users

Kupferstichkabinett fully accessible for wheelchair users

Neue Nationalgalerie fully accessible for wheelchair users entrance located left on hand side from the main entrance at Reichpietschufer

Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart fully accessible for wheelchair users wheelchair users can enter via the platform located on the left hand side oft he main entrance in building: lifts and 2 stair lifts (way through to „Rieckhallen” and the restaurant) the lifts may be hard to find, please approach staff if needed staff runs the stair lifts accessible WCs are available in the main building, ground floor next to the cloakrooms and in the “Rieckehallen” baby’s changing tables are available both in the gents and lady toilet in the ground floor of the main building next to the cloakrooms Schloss Köpenick fully accessible for wheelchair users

Museum für Europäische Kulturen (Museum of European Cultures) limited accessibility for wheelchair users entrance via parking lot at Lanstraße one accessible WC (via lift)

Charlottenburg

Museum für Fotografie fully accessible for wheelchair users entrance via platform at the main entrance 1 lift available to all floors

Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg fully accessible for wheelchair users

Museum Berggruen limited accessibility for wheel chair users 1 lift available for all floors some (way throughs) corridors are too narrow for wheelchair users to pass. Please...

It might be almost cliche to say that art museum gaurds are not the friendliest of people, but such was the case today. More importantly, for visitors from out of town not accustomed to German museum going policy, be prepared for rudeness and be aware that there is 'mandatory' check-in of your personal belongings. You need EXACT change in order to place your bag in a locker. If you don't have exact change, it will be frowned upon.

More importantly, it is also 'mandatory', apparently, to leave your jacket or coat with the coat check. As absurd as it is to enforce checking in even your jacket, it is even more absurd to single out people to enforce this rule and openly allow others to break it.

Overall the guard would not allow me to enter because I was wearing a jacket, but as I spoke with him, 3-5 people wearing jackets were coming out of the exhibition door. All were white. I hate to mention anything about race or racism ( it's honestly the last conclusion I would like draw) but could not help consider this would be a motivating factor for the guard not allowing me in (but letting in other random white people who broke this rule ( btw, I am brown, male). I personally did not not know this was an enforced rule ( I'm ok to check the bag) but it's definitely going overboard for an institution, especially a cultural one, to mandate and enforce the check in of simple jackets (where I carry all my personal items).

You might say, what's my problem? Don't be so sensitive, it's just a jacket, man! But the way in which certain rules are created, enforced, no matter how nonsensical and overall go completely unquestioned and accepted by the culture at large, (specifically art institutions in Berlin Germany ) just baffles my mind.

Overall, the guard was rude and the staff seem to be non human soulless individuals, doing a job, enforcing rules, allowing chosen people to break those rules. I suppose we the common people should be ever so grateful to be allowed to witness the rich and cultural life that they go so provide us with. I would not be surprised if the next thing they mandate is your underwear.

I love art but I will never return here. Fu&k art museums in Berlin.

I would have given 0...

While the collection is vast and varied and it can take hours to go through the well-organized galleries, the height at which many of the paintings are hung combined with the distance at which you have to stand and aggravated by the greenish-tinted protective glass and overhead skylights makes actually viewing the paintings almost impossible.

I kid you not. There's so much glare on the paintings that in some cases half of the painting is obscured. I am not certain if it's better if you're taller, but it doesn't matter. Museums should take into consideration all people of all heights when hanging their art.

I traveled 5,500 miles to see their Rembrandts and am disappointed at how little of the images I could actually see through the glare.

As a student of painting and as an artist, being able to see the entire image and to also be able to move in close enough to discern technique are vital one's improvement and education.

I attach the best images I could get by angling my camera obliquely to the paintings, not a good way to get an undistorted image for later study.

There is no substitute for in-person study and this collection is, for the part, hung in such a way as to utterly frustrate that endeavor.

I gave the museum 4 stars for the variety and completeness of the collection but maybe it ought to have been 3 because it was impossible to see the paintings in their entirety...