On our list of places to visit: ICC Berlin
Posted by jpluimers on 2026/04/02
This is definitely on our list to visit, despite it being permanently closed: [Wayback/Archive] ICC Berlin (de) / [Wayback/Archive] ICC Berlin (en).
Wikipedia pages:
- Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin – Wikipedia (de)
- Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin – Wikipedia (en)
Last year, it was open during the [Wayback/Archive] Day of the Open Monument | visitBerlin.de (the German term is Tag des offenen Denkmals “seit 1993 am zweiten Sonntag im September”).
Just like the celebration of the Mauerfall gained popularity¹, the ICC Berlin has regained popularitly, hopefully later this year, a decision will be made if/how it will be repurposed, as well as the status of the asbestos. There seems to be enough potential:
- [Wayback/Archive] Begehrte Immobilie: Berliner ICC hat “ausreichend Bietende” für neue Nutzung gefunden | rbb24
- [Wayback/Archive] Berlin: Verliert das ICC bald ein “C”? – Zukunft als Kongress-Standort ungewiss | tagesschau.de
- [Wayback/Archive] Flächenluxusliner: Das Internationale Congress Centrum Berlin (ICC) wird neu gedacht – Deutsche BauZeitschrift
The first time I found out it was permanently closed was in 2021 when [Wayback/A] Emma • Doen in Berlijn (@doeninberlijn) | Twitter was still active:
[Wayback/Archive] Emma • Doen in Berlijn on Twitter: “Goedemorgen vanuit Berlijn! Wie weet waar ik deze foto heb gemaakt? 😊… “- [Wayback/Archive] Jeroen Wiert Pluimers on Twitter: “Hier?… “
I got reminded to this last Day of the Open Monument by two people I know that live in Berlin:
- [WaybackSave/Archive] Djeekop de Dichter ★ on X: “Ja, afgelopen weekend was het hier in Berlijn ook open monumentendag of, zoals ze dat hier noemen, Tag des offenen Denkmals. Ik maakte van die gelegenheid gebruik om een keer het Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin (ICC Berlin) van binnen te bekijken. En wow, …” (with images)
- [WaybackSave/Archive] 𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚔 𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚜𝚜 on X: “Awesome , this closed Berlin building with retro future vibes is just open for 3 days – watching restored Mephisto in it tonight . …” (with images)
- [WaybackSave/Archive] 𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚔 𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚜𝚜 on X: “@jpluimers …” (more images)
- [WaybackSave/Archive] 𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚔 𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚜𝚜 on X: “Watched the 1927 masterpiece #Metropolis in Berlin’s abandoned #ICC, a nearly 100-year-old film that still had me on the edge of my seat. 2x retrofuture : the building, the film. Cinema history in a building that’s now history itself: …”
This was the official info:
- [Wayback/Archive] Media service for “49h ICC Berlin” | about.visitBerlin.de
- [Wayback/Archive] 49h ICC Berlin | visitBerlin.de (DE)
- [Wayback/Archive] 49h ICC Berlin | visitBerlin.de (EN)
Another thing to do is visit some of the places mentioned in the 35 Jahre Mauerfall website around the 9th of November: it will be way less busy than during a lustrum.
- [Wayback/Archive] 35 Jahre Mauerfall – Info, Programma en meer • Wattedoeninberlijn.nl
- [Wayback/Archive] 35 Jahre Mauerfall – Website zum Jubiläum des Mauerfalls
--jeroen
1999 and 2009 had 10th and 20th anniversary celebrations. 2004 – when the 15th anniversary had a very quiet celebration in for instance the Pallast der Republik and sober discussion programmes on German Television – a movement started to celebrate in bigger way.
See:
- Fall of the Berlin Wall: 10th anniversary celebrations – Wikipedia
- [Wayback/Archive] Debatte: Thierse fordert neuen Nationalfeiertag – SPIEGEL ONLINE
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
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