Places near me Random place
All Germany Berlin Silent Green Kulturquartier
AO Edited

Silent Green Kulturquartier

Concerts, art, offices, and a café in what used to be Berlin's first crematorium.

Berlin, Germany

Added By
Berlinblog
Entrance to the old crematorium in Wedding.   Berlinblog / Atlas Obscura User
Modernized facilities in the crematorium   Berlinblog / Atlas Obscura User
MARS Cafe in the old crematorium   Berlinblog / Atlas Obscura User
  Berlinblog / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In 1911, Berlin got its first crematorium: a dramatic, domed building that stands amidst a graveyard in the multicultural district of Wedding. After it closed in 2002, holding its final cremations, a group of Berliners reinvented the space as a hub for art, events, and learning. 

The former crematorium is owned and run by Silent Green, an organization whose investors include filmmaker and director Jörg Heitmann and developer Frank Duske, who has been involved in urban development projects. Their transformation of the historic building fits in with Berlin's tradition of reinventing abandoned buildings.

Silent Green's most notable feature is probably the acoustics and atmosphere of concerts held in the main area, with its dome, where mourners once gathered. The café on the premises, MARS, is a nice place for brunch, sandwiches, or even dinner, on occasion, and the garden is quiet and relaxing.

Related Tags

Art Performances Music Graveyards Death Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

Get off the U6 or S-Bahn Ring at the Wedding Station. Silent Green offers guided tours in German, and you can find the events schedule on the Silent Green website. The entrance is at Gerichtstraße.

Community Contributors

Added By

Berlinblog

Edited By

hrnick

Published

February 15, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berlin

Berlin

Germany

Places 140
Stories 18

Related Stories and Lists

Related Places

  • The tomb of Carlos Gardel.

    Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Cementerio de la Chacarita

    A vast necropolis where you'll find the elaborate mausoleums of Argentinian tango stars.

  • The bright green Astroturf that surrounds the graves of Hank Williams and his wife Audrey.

    Montgomery, Alabama

    Hank Williams's Gravesite

    The country music legend's grave is surrounded by Astroturf because fans kept plucking out the grass.

  • The bust bears a striking resemblance to Madame Danton, perhaps because it was molded off her actual face.

    Vizille, France

    The Death Mask of Gabrielle Danton

    The people's champion of the French Revolution was so overcome by grief at his wife's death that he exhumed her in the dead of night to make one final replica of her face.

  • A white suspension bridge across a large river

    Poughkeepsie, New York

    Bridge Music

    This sound-art installation features songs composed using only the Mid-Hudson Bridge as an instrument.

  • A plaque marking the area where Charlie’s Place, a bustling nightclub that attracted both Blacks and whites during the mid-20th century, once stood.

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

    Site of Charlie’s Place

    Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.

  •

    Victoria, British Columbia

    Ross Bay Cemetery

    This stately Victorian-era burial ground overlooking the Pacific Ocean is home to the graves of some of British Columbia's most famous figures.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member