Castles,
Villas,
Mansions |
Hellersdorf |
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Gründerzeit
Museum in the Mahlsdorf Manor House |
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Index
Registry
Office
Gründerzeit
Museum
Villa
von der Heydt
Villa
Harteneck's Garden
Mittelhof
Country-House
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The steps leading up to the Mahlsdorf manor house are framed on both sides by red thorn trees pruned into spherical
shapes. At the back, the old estate stretches out with its tall trees and bright flower
meadows. Before Charlotte von Mahlsdorf moved here in 1958, the ruined house was about to be pulled down, after numerous alterations and having been put to various
uses. Charlotte, born in Mahlsdorf as Lothar Berfelde was a
transvestite, curator, maid, museum director, author and was awarded an Order of
Merit. For decades, Charlotte devoted herself to the restoration of the old country
villa, which is over two hundred years old. After only two years she opened her private
Gründerzeit Museum in the first rooms to be
renovated. In the 1970’s, the collection grew to 23 complete interiors and many single
pieces. She commented that “nothing would have come to fruition if l had not had a feminine disposition in a masculine
body. This museum is here because l played with dolls’ house furniture as a
child, because I am still a cleaning lady today, because l enjoy this Gründerzeit period and because I always wanted to have a household around
me.” In 1995, the expert and lover of the Gründerzeit took the last visitors around the museum herself and shortly afterwards moved to
Sweden. Various circumstances led to this, among them an assault by Neonazis. The collection was bought by the city and since then has been managed by a
trust. Even without the lady of the house, it is still a pleasure to be guided through the 5 living
rooms, through the kitchen, washhouse, maid’s room, barrel-organ music room and the complete installation of the “Mulackritze,” the last “Zille-Kneipe” in Berlin. Every piece of furniture reflects the history of the passionate
collector. Her dedication to her hobby and unusual preservation of historical buildings and
monuments, against the resistance of GDR bureaucracy, are the subject matter of many an
anecdote. |
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(Bild1oben.jpg)
Bild2unt.jpg)
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Address: Hultschiner Damm 333
12623 Berlin
Tel: +49 030 - 567 83 29 Fax: +49 030 - 565 94 873
Bus, Tube, Tram: S 5 Mahlsdorf; Bus 198; Tram 62
Hours of opening: Wed and Sun 10.00-18.00
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