Opening of the International Library of Things

On April 29, 2026 at 4 PM, the Heinrich Böll Library will افتتاح the “International Library of Things.” The project is the result of an unusual collaboration between the Pankow Public Library and the Goethe-Institut, bringing objects from around the world to Berlin.

More than 75 items from various countries and Goethe-Instituts have been specially provided to the Heinrich Böll Library for this project. From now on, they can be borrowed by people in Pankow and across Berlin. The aim is not only to make objects accessible, but also to offer insights into the everyday lives and cultures of others.

The focus is on kitchen utensils, board games, and musical instruments—objects that connect people worldwide. Visitors can discover and try out items such as a tortilla press from Mexico, a pepper roaster from Sofia, the board game Tavla from Istanbul, or a musical instrument like an oud from Amman.

A key aspect of the project is not to present these objects in isolation, but to embed them within their cultural contexts. Each item is accompanied by personal information from the people who selected and sent it to Pankow, turning every object into a storyteller of its own history.

With the “International Library of Things,” the Heinrich Böll Library expands its offerings with an innovative format that makes cultural diversity tangible and creates new spaces for encounter.

Accompanying the project, several workshops by artist Rubén Manuel Gonzales (INTIKUREN) will take place until autumn 2026, offering a platform for exchange, ideas, and participation around food, community, and culture.

From North to South – Corn and Quinoa in the Style of East Berlin!
April 29, 2026 | 4:45 – 6:30 PM
At the façade of the Heinrich Böll Library (Greifswalder Str. 87, 10409 Berlin)

Eclectic, post-migrant cooking workshop on the occasion of the opening of the International Library of Things

How do we relate to everyday objects in a post-migrant city where many cultures come together? When visiting a fellow student or colleague, we might come across a pepper roaster, a tortilla press, or a tamagoyaki pan—and use them to create a shared meal. If so, which ingredients would we use? How much knowledge and how many flavors are shared, passed on, and recombined in our everyday food practices?

To mark the arrival of 75 objects—selected by local Goethe-Institut colleagues from around the world—at the Heinrich Böll Library in Pankow, we will prepare a menu that is as eclectic as it is fitting for a city like Berlin, where four out of ten people have a migration background.

We bring contributions from Abya Yala—the Indigenous term for the American continent—and propose a menu based on corn and quinoa: two ancient crops from Mesoamerican and Andean regions. Today, these foods have gained strong presence in transcultural societies like Berlin. What happens when they come together?

With Rubén Manuel (artist, cultural producer, and researcher)
Guest: Victor Mendivil (chef, artist, and author)

Registration required: https://kochworkshop.eventbrite.de

Kategorien: Highlight, Feste, Events, Kunst, Kultur, Ausstellungen

Bezirk: Pankow