{"id":8235,"date":"2026-10-05T18:11:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/?p=8235"},"modified":"2026-10-05T18:21:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:21:21","slug":"my-art-in-architecture-mosaic-discoveries-in-berlin-in-the-summer-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/my-art-in-architecture-mosaic-discoveries-in-berlin-in-the-summer-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"My Mosaic Discoveries in Berlin this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

My “Art in Architecture” Mosaic Discoveries in Berlin in the Summer of 2026<\/p>\n

While I was waiting for the birth of my third grandchild in Berlin, I set out to explore mosaics in the eastern part of the city. I\u2019m familiar with the mosaics at the Haus des Lehrers and the reopened Caf\u00e9 Moskau. This summer, I discovered two more wall mosaics at a construction site on Karl-Marx-Allee, just around the corner from my son\u2019s family\u2019s apartment, where I spent a lot of time this summer for the reason mentioned above.<\/p>\n

I strike up a conversation with a passerby, who also points out the mosaic fountain in the garden of the former State Council building in Berlin-Mitte. That\u2019s how the idea for a photo walk with my friend and photographer Sabine Ohle was born.<\/p>\n

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Mosaic fountain in the garden of the former State Council building, now the ESMT (European School of Management and Technology), Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin; Photo: Sabine Ohle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Detail of the mosaic fountain by Ortraud Lerch, 1964, photo by Sabine Ohle<\/p><\/div>\n

Mosaikbrunnen befindet sich im Garten des ehemaligen Staatsratsgeb\u00e4udes, heutige ESMT (European School of Management and Technology), Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin<\/p>\n

On a hot July morning, I meet up with Sabine to take pictures of the mosaic fountain. The garden is accessible daily through the main entrance of what is now the management school.<\/p>\n

On this hot day, we step into an oasis behind the Humboldt Forum\u2014Berlin\u2019s former palace. The grounds, which are deserted during the school break, feature a large lawn, trees, and flower beds, as well as a low-rise building with a caf\u00e9 and a ping-pong table.<\/p>\n

Aber der Mosaikbrunnen ist der gro\u00dfe Farbklecks in diesem eher n\u00fcchternen Ensemble. Das Brunnenbecken ist ohne Umrandung flach in den Rasen eingelassen und hebt sich durch seine kr\u00e4ftigen Farben Wei\u00df, Blau und Rot sowie die gro\u00dfen, flie\u00dfenden Muster wunderbar von seiner Umgebung ab. Er ist ein Hingucker, l\u00e4dt zum Hineinlaufen ein und ist in dem sonst eher schlicht gehaltenen Garten fast ein st\u00f6rendes Element. Ich bin fasziniert.<\/p>\n

The fountain was designed by Ortrud Lerch in 1964. It was restored in 2025 using donations and is now open to the public again.<\/p>\n

Here is a brief art-historical description:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.museum-der-1000-orte.de\/kunstwerke\/kunstwerk\/mosaikbrunnen\/inline<\/a><\/p>\n

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Stained-glass window in the ESMT stairwell, designed by Walter Womacka in 1962, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sabine and I are in luck: We\u2019re able to join a guided tour of the ESMT building on the spur of the moment. The large, colorful stained-glass window in the stairwell\u2014designed by Walter Womacka in 1962 and spanning three floors\u2014is truly impressive.<\/p>\n

The manufacturing technique is interesting. To avoid giving the impression of church windows, the ornaments were affixed to transparent glass. Unfortunately, I couldn\u2019t find any information about the glass workshop that originally made the window, but I did find a reference to the glass workshop that renovated it in 2012. https:\/\/kunstglaserei-berlin.de\/restaurierung\/womacka-fenster<\/p>\n

The tour also takes us to the building’s former ballroom. There, we are surprised by a gigantic wall mosaic featuring the GDR emblem in the center against a simple geometric background of natural stone and glass.<\/p>\n\t\t

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