Bode Museum

Bode Museum (Manuela Fischer)

The concept of the museum, which was originally called the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, can be traced back to Crown Princess Victoria of Prussia, who published her ideas in a memorandum in 1883. It was Wilhelm von Bode who finally put these ground-breaking ideas into practice.

After extensive renovation work, the museum building reopened to the public in autumn 2006. Contrary to the original concept, it now principally houses the Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst (Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art). The display of sculptures is enriched by some 150 works from the collection of the Gemäldegalerie (Old Master Paintings), which has been located at the Kulturforum near Potsdamer Platz since 1998. With its collection of coins and medals, the Münzkabinett (Numismatic Collection) is also housed at the Bode-Museum, where it presents its chronicle of human history forged in metal.

Certified in the period

December 2022 - November 2025

Accessibility certified People with walking disabilities

Barrier-free information

Short Report as PDF

All areas relevant for testing meet the quality criteria of the label "Accessibility certified - accessible for people with walking disabilities".
Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • The DB/S-Bahn station Friedrichstr. is approx. 500 metres away. Bus stops are located near the Museum Island. Further information on public transport in Berlin can be found at https://www.bvg.de/de.
  • Most of the way to the museum is not easy to walk or drive on.
  • The building is accessible without steps at the main entrance via a stair platform lift. 
  • All evaluated rooms and facilities available to the guests are steplessly accessible at ground level or via an elevator, an inclined platform lift (access Great Dome) or an wheelchair lift (access level -1).  
  • The stair platform lifts at the main entrance and at the Great Dome entrance are 95 cm x 82 cm and can only be used with the help of service staff. 
  • The elevator cabin is at least 240 cm x 240 cm. 
  • The wheelchair lift to level -1 is 100 cm x 140 cm.  
  • The cash counter is 90 cm high. 
  • All doors/passages that can be used and raised for the guest are at least 90 cm wide.
    Exceptions: Door to the workroom (level 0) 86 cm, doors to the public WCs (level 0) 75 cm, access to the public WC in room 122 82 cm/85 cm
  • The exhibits and stations are not predominately visible when seated (height of the steles with exhibits partly between 140 cm and 160 cm).
  • Seating is available in the exhibition. 
  • There are wheelchair accessible tables in the café (maximum height 80 cm, accessible at a height of 67 cm and a depth of 30 cm). 
  • Offered aids: wheelchair 
  • Guided tours for people with walking impairments and wheelchair users are offered on request. A reservation in advance is necessary.
  • Mobile or fixed seats are available for people with walking disabilities, which may be used during the guided tour.
  • The entire route of the guided tour is steplessly variable for wheelchair users. 

Public WC for people with disabilities (Level 0: Ladies)

  • The manoeuvring spaces are:
    in front of the washbasin 150 cm x 100 cm;
    in front of the WC 150 cm x 110 cm;
    to the left of the WC 99 cm x 56 cm; to the right of the WC 47 cm x 56 cm.
  • There is a grab rail on the right side of the toilet. The grab rail can be flipped-up. 
  • The sink is wheelchair compatibleand the mirror can be viewed while standing or sitting.
  • An alarm trigger is not available.

Public WC for people with disabilities (Level 0: mens)

  • The manoeuvring spaces are:
    in front of the WC 180 cm x 103 cm;
    in front of the washbasin 180 cm x 118 cm;
    to the left and right of the WC 45 cm x 56 cm. 
  • There is a grab rail on the right side of the toilet. The grab rail can be flipped-up. 
  • The sink is wheelchair compatible and the mirror can be viewed while standing or sitting.
  • An alarm trigger is not available.

Public WC for people with disabilities (Level 1, in exhibition room 122)

  • The manoeuvring spaces are:
    in front of the washbasin and in front of the WC 150 cm x 150 cm;
    to the left of the WC at least 90 cm x 70 cm,  no manoeuvring space on the right.  
  • There are grab rails available on the right and left of the toilet. The grab rail on the left of the toilet can be flipped-up. 
  • The sink has limited access. 
  • The mirror can be viewed while standing or sitting.
  • There is an alarm trigger.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

 Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.     

  • There is no clearly visible alarm.Visitors are escorted out of the building in the event of an alarm. 
  • There is no audio induction loop system.
  • An outgoing emergency call in the elevator is confirmed acoustically. Alternatively, stairs are available. 
  • Information about exhibits and objects is provided in writing. 
  • Tables with bright, glare-free lighting are provided in the café, with no lamps standing or hanging that interfere with the field of vision or eye contact. 
  • There are no guided tours for people with hearing disabilities and deaf people. 

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

 Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.    

  • Assistance dogs may be brought into all relevant areas/rooms.
  • The entrance is visually contrasting.
  • Almost all raised and usable areas for the guest are well lit, i.e. bright and glare-free. 
  • Signage is designed in legible, high-contrast lettering.  
  • An outgoing emergency call in the elevator is confirmed audibly. The break position is not announced by spoken commands. The operating controls are visually rich in contrast and tactilely detectable. 
  • Stair treads are not visually contrasting. Handrails are provided on at least one side, except at the main entrance.
  • Exhibits and objects are generally well lit.
  • Information about exhibits/objects is provided in writing and is always visually contrasting.  
  • Information is not available in Braille or prismatic font. 
  • There is an audio guide.
  • There are no guided tours available for people with visual impairments and blind people. 

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

 Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.    

  • The name or logo of the museum is clearly recognizable from the outside.
  • Orientation plans are colorful and pictorial. There is continuous signage.
  • Information about the exhibits and objects is conveyed in writing and acoustically (audio guide), but not in Easy Language.
  • Guided tours for people with cognitive impairments are offered on request. A reservation in advance is necessary. 
  • The contents (e.g. exhibits) of the guided tour for people with cognitive impairments are easy to understand or are explained in a way that is easy to understand (e.g. visually). 
  • Information is not displayed with pictograms or images. 

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

Image gallery

Bode Museum Bode Museum (Manuela Fischer)
Bode Museum Bode Museum (Manuela Fischer)
Bode-Museum Bode-Museum (DSFT Berlin)