We went to the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Berlin in September 2019, when Michał and Patrycja came to visit us. The same day we also saw the history of the city in the models of Little BIG City – I write about it in the post Berlin: in the footsteps of the Berlin Wall.
The first museum was founded in London in the 19th century by Marie Tussaud herself, and the London one is of course much bigger. Still, the Berlin museum impressed us a lot – it was far above my expectations. You walk through a series of rooms with lifelike figures of politicians, writers, composers, scientists, athletes and film and TV stars, and at the end through an exhibition devoted to Star Wars. You can walk up to most of the figures, stand next to them and take a photo – and that is the biggest fun here.
Table of contents
- Politicians – from Ulbricht to Obama
- Composers, writers and scientists
- Music, film and TV stars
- Footballers
- The Star Wars exhibition
- Is it worth it?
- Practical information
Politicians – from Ulbricht to Obama
The most interesting room for us was the one with politicians, because many of these figures are linked to the history of divided Berlin. Walter Ulbricht, the leader of East Germany, stands in front of a map of post-war Germany divided into occupation zones. In June 1961 he declared that “no one has the intention of building a wall” – two months later the Wall went up in Berlin.
His successor, Erich Honecker, sits at a desk with a telephone – you can take the seat opposite and “make a call”. Honecker ruled East Germany until the autumn of 1989; you can see his “fraternal kiss” with Brezhnev on the walls of the East Side Gallery.
Next to him stands Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the USSR when the Berlin Wall fell.
The American presidents include John F. Kennedy, who in 1963 in West Berlin said the famous “Ich bin ein Berliner”, and Ronald Reagan – the one who in 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate called out: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”. Reagan stands next to Barack Obama, and a bit further on is Donald Trump.
The German politicians include Joachim Gauck, President of Germany from 2012 to 2017, at a lectern with the federal eagle. A Polish touch is the figure of Pope John Paul II in front of a stained-glass window with doves.
Composers, writers and scientists
In the rooms devoted to culture you will find German composers – Johann Sebastian Bach in a Baroque interior and Ludwig van Beethoven with a sheet of music – as well as William Shakespeare, of course holding a skull, as in “Hamlet”.
Science is represented by Sigmund Freud, who “sees patients” in a study with a couch, and Albert Einstein at a blackboard full of formulas.
Music, film and TV stars
Among the musicians and actors there are Michael Jackson in a sparkly jacket, Will Smith, whose sofa you can sprawl on, and the German singer Wincent Weiss with a microphone.
Marilyn Monroe stands in the white dress from “The Seven Year Itch” – one of the most famous scenes in film history. Spielberg fans will also find E.T. on a bicycle against the moon.
There are quite a few characters known mainly to Germans. In the studio of the quiz show “Wer wird Millionär?” – the German version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” – the host Günther Jauch is waiting, and you can sit in the contestant’s chair. There is also Horst Schlämmer, a comedy character played by Hape Kerkeling – the “deputy editor-in-chief” of the newspaper “Grevenbroicher Tagblatt”.
Footballers
Football fans will find Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo here, and among the Germans – goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Oliver Kahn and world champions Franz Beckenbauer and Jürgen Klinsmann.
The Star Wars exhibition
The icing on the cake was the exhibition devoted to Star Wars – life-size scenes from the films, with sets and lighting. Here you meet Darth Vader surrounded by stormtroopers, Han Solo and Princess Leia, Master Yoda, the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul.
Is it worth it?
In my opinion, yes – especially with a few people, because half the fun is posing for photos with the figures. Many of them look alive, and the room sets (Honecker’s office, Freud’s study, the “Millionaire” studio, the Star Wars sets) make it more than a row of figures against a wall. We liked the politicians linked to Berlin’s history and the Star Wars exhibition the most. If you have already been to London, you will find a smaller museum here, but with many figures connected with Germany and Berlin.
Practical information
- Where – Unter den Linden 74, a few steps from the Brandenburg Gate; the nearest S-Bahn and U-Bahn station is Brandenburger Tor.
- Tickets and opening hours – check current prices and hours on the museum’s official website, as they vary depending on the day and season.
- Photos – photography is allowed, and many figures have props and sets for photos.
- Nearby – the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag; in autumn try to catch the Festival of Lights, when the Gate and other buildings are lit up with colourful projections. I show the city’s history in the post about the Berlin Wall.
