We'll be back: Tourism and West Berlin as Destination

Wie wurde aus West-Berlin ein touristisches Ziel? Vom Wiederaufbau des touristischen Angebots nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg an prägten die historischen Brüche die Vermarktung der Metropole.

Pfannkuchen-Dose, 1970er Jahre.

How did West Berlin become a tourist destination? From the rebuilding of the city’s tourism infrastructure after the Second World War onwards, historical upheavals shaped the marketing of the metropolis. Following the construction of the Wall, Berlin’s isolated location made travelling here more complicated than to other major cities. Once there, however, many visitors felt as though they were experiencing the Cold War at first hand. At the same time, experiential tourism increasingly took centre stage, sharing space with the alternative culture that simultaneously subverted the image of tourism. 

This history of tourism is one angle explored by the exhibition ‘We’ll Be Back’. The exhibition highlights the areas of tension inherent in the phenomenon of tourism. Among the contradictions of this phenomenon is the fact that it seeks to remain invisible, whilst producing a vast number of images. At the same time, engaging with tourism means grappling with its own contradictions, for the promise of relaxation is ambivalent when we are aware of the social and ecological upheavals that accompany tourism.

Organised jointly by the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Museum and Kunstraum Basement Berlin, this exhibition combines artistic and historical perspectives. The exhibition at Basement focuses on contemporary artworks, some of which are also on display at Villa Oppenheim. 

Funded by City Tax funds for special tourism projects in the district administered by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises

Translated with DeepL.com

Runtime: Fri, 26/06/2026 to Sun, 11/10/2026

Takes place here:

• Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in der Villa Oppenheim