Documentary photography
A clear emphasis on the reportage image.
Raimond Spekking — CC BY-SA 4.0 · usbotschaftberlin — Public domain · Ralf Steinberger from Milan, Berlin + Munich, Italy + Germany — CC BY 2.0 · Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany — CC BY 2.0
C/O Berlin is an independent institution for photography, founded in 2000 and now the city's leading reference point for the image. It holds no permanent collection: its programme is changing exhibitions that pair established international names with young photographers early in their careers, with a clear emphasis on documentary and photojournalism alongside fine art. Its home today is the Amerika Haus, steps from Zoologischer Garten station — a building that is itself part of Berlin's history: the United States built it in 1957 as a cultural centre for West Berlin during the Cold War, behind a curved modernist glass facade. The institution moved in during 2014 after years in the old postal building in Mitte. That move is worth practical attention: many older guides and databases still give the former Mitte address, so make sure you head to Charlottenburg. The institution also runs an award programme for emerging photographers and an open image library for visitors.
A clear emphasis on the reportage image.
1950s modernism on Hardenbergstrasse.
Hardenbergstrasse 22-24, 10623 Berlin
Museum fur FotografieBerlin's photography museum is built around a single archive: the collection of 2 minutes walk4.5
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial ChurchThe Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is Europe's most famous deliberately preserve5 minutes walk4.7
Berlin Zoological GardenBerlin's zoo is the oldest in Germany, opened in 1844 with animals the king gave6 minutes walk4.6
Berlin AquariumThe Berlin Aquarium is a historic three-storey building attached to the zoo, ope9 minutes walk4.6
Victory ColumnThe Victory Column is a tall stone column in the middle of the Tiergarten park, 20 minutes walk4.5The photography museum close by is built on Helmut Newton's archive and its permanent holdings — a museum with fixed collections. C/O Berlin is an exhibition institution with no collection, its programme changing several times a year. The two are minutes apart on foot near Zoologischer Garten and can be combined in a single afternoon by anyone interested in photography.