Zucker-Museum

Zucker-Kasten, mit dem größere Zuckerbrocken in mundgerechte Stücke geschnitten bzw. gebrochen wurden.

The Exhibitions of the Zucker Museum tell the history of the sugar beet, but also examine colonialism and slavery in the sugar trade and sugar’s role in foods and alcohol

Berlin has a surprising connection to sugar. In 1747, in Berlin, German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf developed the extraction of sugar from beets. Following his advances, in 1867 the first sugar institute in the world was founded in the city; this museum followed in 1904 in Berlin’s Wedding district.

Exhibitions tell the history of the sugar beet, but also examine colonialism and slavery in the sugar trade and sugar’s role in foods and alcohol. Curiosities on display include a death mask of Kemal Atatürk in sugar, packaging for sugar and sweets from around the world, and ancient preserved specimens of sugar cane and sugar beets. Some say the roof of the ornate building is meant to evoke the shape of a sugar beet. Guided tours, demonstrations, films and slide shows are on offer in English or German, for a fee, and can be geared towards kids, teens or adults; they should be pre-arranged.

The Zucker-Museum (sugar museum) relocates. At the end of 2015 it will open at the new place at the Deutsches Technikmuseum.