Who shaped Berlin · Part 8
Italian Berlin: from the first recruitment agreement to the Renaissance on Museum Island
Labour recruitment began with Italy in 1955, and since 2008 a new generation of young Italians has moved to Berlin. Here is the story in brief, plus an embassy building with a heavy past and two museums where Italy sits in the middle of Berlin.
20 December 1955 the first German recruitment agreement, signed in Rome with Italy
33,822 people with Italian citizenship in Berlin (30 June 2025)
Since 1999 and 2000 the restored building on Tiergartenstraße has again been Italy's embassy
Free under 18 at the Gemäldegalerie and the Bode-Museum with their Italian collections
From guest workers to a new generation
West Germany signed its first recruitment agreement with Italy in Rome on 20 December 1955, and the first Italian seasonal workers came to Germany in 1956. The agreement was meant as a rotation, with workers returning after a while, but many stayed and started families. According to research, the former guest workers and their descendants still make up most people of Italian origin in Germany.
Berlin has its own, younger Italian story. Since the financial and economic crisis from 2008, many young Italians have moved to the city, to study, for art and culture or for a fresh start, and according to a conference at Freie Universität Berlin their official number had doubled within ten years by 2016. Today, according to the Statistical Office for Berlin-Brandenburg, 33,822 people with Italian citizenship live in Berlin.
Where to experience it today
01 Italian Embassy and Italian Cultural Institute · Tiergarten
about 7 minutes on foot from the Gemäldegalerie, about 17 minutes from Potsdamer Platz station
Directions in Google Maps · Official site
The palazzo on Tiergartenstraße has a heavy history. It was built from October 1938 to plans by Friedrich Hetzelt in the new diplomatic quarter that Albert Speer had intended for the Nazi regime's allies, and according to berlin.de 80 forced labourers first had to demolish six villas. The building was badly damaged in the war. In 1999 and 2000 Italy had it restored to plans by Vittorio de Feo, and it has been the embassy again ever since. In the same building, with its entrance at Hildebrandstraße 2, the Italian Cultural Institute presents concerts, readings, exhibitions and films and offers Italian courses. Registration is required for many events.
02 Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum · Tiergarten
about 13 minutes on foot from Potsdamer Platz station
Directions in Google Maps · Official site
Italy is one of the Gemäldegalerie's focal points, with works by Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio alongside the great Dutch and German masters. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays, and entry is free for under-18s. Current prices are on the website of the Staatliche Museen.
03 Bode-Museum · Mitte
about 7 minutes on foot from Oranienburger Straße S-Bahn station
Directions in Google Maps · Official site
At the tip of Museum Island, the sculpture collection shows Italian sculpture from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Its foundations include purchases in Venice and Florence in 1841 and 1842, among them a bust by Desiderio da Settignano. According to the Berlin museum portal it is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and at weekends from 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays.
Good to know
- Embassy from outside only: the embassy building is not a museum. Photos from the street are fine, but please do not get in the way of security staff.
- Combine the Kulturforum: the Gemäldegalerie and the embassy are only a few minutes apart, with the Philharmonie and the Neue Nationalgalerie right next door.
- Food: Italian food is available in almost every neighbourhood, and restaurant tips from across the city are in Where Berliners eat.