Brücke-Museum: German Expressionism on the edge of the Grunewald

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Brücke-Museum, at Bussardsteig 9 in Dahlem, is the only museum in the world devoted to "Die Brücke", the Expressionist artists' group founded in Dresden in 1905 by four architecture students: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Fritz Bleyl. It holds paintings, watercolours, woodcuts, drawings and sculptures by the founders and by artists close to the group, such as Emil Nolde and Max Pechstein. The low building, set among greenery, borders the Grunewald forest. The works, with their bold colours and angular forms, are shown on rotation in changing exhibitions, so you never see exactly the same selection twice.

Highlights

The collection exhibitions

The museum shows a selection of its holdings each time, sometimes in dialogue with contemporary art. The programme changes several times a year: check the website to see what is on show during your stay.

A museum in the woods

The small modern building and its garden, at the edge of the forest, make a quiet setting far from the centre. You can extend the visit with a walk in the nearby forest; there is a café in the neighbouring Kunsthaus Dahlem.

The "Die Brücke" group in Berlin

The group's artists came to Berlin around 1911; the group broke up in 1913. Street scenes, open-air nudes and landscapes from the Berlin period are themes to look for in the rooms.

Practical info

Tips

Allow one to one and a half hours. No timed ticket is needed. The museum's toilets are not wheelchair accessible: those of the neighbouring Kunsthaus Dahlem are. The ground-floor entrance is step-free, but the exhibition includes a few steps or a ramp. On the first Sunday of the month (Museumssonntag), admission is free. Prices checked in October 2026.

How to get there

Bus 115 or X10, with a stop about 5 minutes' walk from the museum; the U3 serves Oskar-Helene-Heim and Dahlem-Dorf, after which you need a bus. Parking is available on site. The museum is a short distance from the Allied Museum, the botanical garden and the Grunewald forest: see our guide to Dahlem and Grunewald.