The Museum

The ZiLLEMUSEUM was founded to provide the city, its citizens and visitors from all over the world with a permanent place of remembrance and commemoration of its great son and 80th honorary citizen Heinrich Zille and his work.

The museum aims to keep alive the memory of Berlin’s long-time most popular artist and provide information about his life and work. It pays tribute to Heinrich Zille’s importance as a committed chronicler of the city and its social problems as well as his artistic achievements as a painter, graphic artist and photographer.

With more than 150 exhibits, the ZiLLEMUSEUM showcases an important part of Berlin and German art and cultural history.

We are currently presenting the permanent exhibition “Life and Work”, the special exhibition “Zille Exhibition Posters from 60 Years”, the photo exhibition “Time Travel Zille” and in our cabinet “Eroticism by the Master” drawings and books on the cycle “Whore Talks” written by Zille under the pseudonym W. Pfeifer, which was immediately banned by the Prussian censors when it was published in 1921.

In our cinema room, you can relax and watch excerpts from the film “Det war Zille sein Milljöh” by Irmgard von zur Mühlen. The film begins with a self-portrait of Zille and shows unique shots of the artist and Berlin. The full-length DVD is available in our ZiLLESHOP .