History

The Berlin Prater has sustained its cult status without interruption. The café operators Kalbo first opened it just outside the city gates as a garden restaurant in 1837, and from the outset it attracted people looking for rest and relaxation or hungry for experiences. Entertainment was offered in the Prater hall and beer garden, but it was also a place of political agitation and discussion. As the city grew and changed, the Prater remained a central meeting point for the neighborhood, where people gathered to eat, drink, debate, dance, and celebrate together. To collect the many special experiences that visitors had in the Berlin Prater, we founded ‘Vom Prater aus’.

‘Vom Prater aus’ is an archival project by Prater Galerie and Prater Digital that makes the lived history of the Berlin Prater before its temporary closure in 2017 accessible to all. The aim is to create a diverse, multi-perspective portrait of this unique historical icon. Contemporary witnesses are warmly invited to upload both written pieces and images to contribute to a growing and vibrant repository of knowledge.

In addition to visitors’ individual memories, we have also compiled on the website the most important historical events of the Berlin Prater, from its beginnings nearly 200 years ago to the present day. Here you can read how the garden restaurant just outside the city gates developed into one of Berlin’s most popular and culturally rich places. The chronicle, illustrated with historical photographs, is available not only in German and English but also in German Sign Language and German Easy Language.