Tapetenwechsel

Migration and Furniture since 1960

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The exhibition focuses on living in the ‘Arrival City’. It shows how people arrive and settle in. Through furniture, personal belongings and personal taste, it illustrates how a temporary place becomes a home. It also explores social experiences.

Location
Ephraim-Palais
Poststraße 16
10178 Berlin

Opening Hours
Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(also on public holidays)
Mon closed

Additional Opening Hours
see Info & Service

Admission
7 euros (single ticket) | 15 euros (combi-ticket*) | free admission (under 18 years or with reduction)

*Valid on two consecutive days for the Ephraim-Palais, the Nikolaikirche and the Knoblauchhaus.

A home is more than just a roof over one’s head. Homes hold memories and give a sense of belonging. For migrants, housing is often characterised by new beginnings, makeshift arrangements and creative solutions. This shows how people settle in and, step by step, create a new home for themselves.

Migrant workers’ camp, Ruhr region, 1974
© Ruhr Museum, Essen | Photo: Manfred Vollmer
Germany. Many migrant workers were initially unable to find their own flat. They lived in hostels, barracks, garden sheds or dilapidated buildings. The rooms were often cramped and offered little privacy.

Contract workers in the GDR and asylum seekers in the 1990s also lived in temporary accommodation. For many people, therefore, life in Germany began with living in makeshift accommodation – caught between arrival, uncertainty and the desire for a home.
Migration also means establishing a new daily routine. A table, a curtain or a sofa are more than just everyday objects. They tell a story of habits, aspirations and a sense of belonging. At the same time, tenancy agreements, letters and house rules show that housing is always shaped by political and social issues. Yet even under difficult circumstances, people create places they can call home.
Two chairs, with names and messages carved into them, undated
© DOMiD, Köln

The exhibition ‘Tapetenwechsel’ forms part of a thematic focus at the Berlin Museum on the history of migration. This also includes the exhibition ‘Geteiltes Leben’, which opens on 10 September 2026 at the Ephraim-Palais. It showcases art relating to migration and exile since the 1970s.
 
Guest Curators: Burcu Dogramaci und Manuel Gogos

Supported by:

Tickets

Admission

Combi-Ticket
15 euros
Valid for our three museums in the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolaikirche, Ephraim-Palais, Knoblauchhaus) on two consecutive days (please note opening hours)

Single Ticket
7 euros
Day ticket for the Ephraim-Palais

Free admission
With proof of reduction

for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, students, trainees, FSJ/FÖJ/BFD volunteers, Berlin Ticket S holders, severely disabled persons (at least 50% GdB) and their Personal Assistant, refugees (with a valid work or residence permit/eAT and a Ukrainian passport or valid residence permit from Ukraine), recipients of transfer payments (Bürgergeld, ALG I), holders of the Berlin-Brandenburg Ehrenamtskarte, holders of the Super-Ferienpass / Berliner Familienpass, ICOM members, members of Deutscher Museumsbund, Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Stadtmuseums Berlin e. V. (except for the Museumsdorf Düppel), Förderverein Museumsdorf Düppel e. V., and Förderkreis Museum Knoblauchhaus e. V., media representatives with a valid press card.

Info & Service

Opening Hours

Tue – Sun | 10 am – 6 pm (also on public holidays)
Mon closed

Differing opening hours:
Sat | 29.08. | 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. (Long Night of Museums)
Thu | 24.12. | Closed (Christmas Eve)
Fri & Sat | 25. + 26.12. | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (First & Second Christmas Day)
Thu | 31.12. | Closed (New Year’s Eve)
Fri | 01.01. 2027 | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. (New Year’s Day)

The visitor rules of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin apply.

Directions

Poststraße 16
10178 Berlin

Contact

Infoline
+49 30 24 002-162
Mo – Fri | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Write E-Mail

Accessibility

The Ephraim-Palais is accessible without steps. All exhibition areas are accessible via an elevator. There are barrier-free toilets in the building.

Programme

Permanent Exhibition

Visit our major Berlin exhibition on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Museum Ephraim-Palais!

Das Plakatmotiv zur Ausstellung
© Stadtmuseum Berlin | Fotos: Philip Myrtop auf

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