The Letter Museum in Berlin will close in a matter of weeks. - Berlin's Alphabet Museum is just a few weeks from opening
Berlin Letter Museum to Close Due to Funding Shortage
The Berlin Letter Museum, a unique institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing letters and signage from various eras, will be closing its doors on October 6, 2023. The museum's founder and director, Barbara Dechant, announced the closure to the German Press Agency.
The museum, located in a S-Bahn arch near the Bellevue station, has been a labour of love for Dechant and a team of dedicated volunteers. They have been handling opening hours, transportation, and manual work, with Dechant herself bearing the main burden.
The collection, consisting of approximately 3,500 letters and signage, is a treasure trove of historical artefacts. It includes items like the "Zierfische" sign from the early 1980s and the names "Möbelhaus Kern" or "Tagesspiegel". Many exhibits are signage from public spaces such as shops, train stations, or institutions.
One of the oldest objects in the collection is a still-functioning neon sign from 1947. The largest letters in the collection measure up to three meters. The materials in the collection range from metal and wood to porcelain, glass, and acrylic.
The museum documents not only the letters and signage themselves but also their history and context. The collection includes exhibits from Berlin, as well as other parts of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The museum's closure is due to a lack of institutional and regular funding. Visitor numbers have halved since the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising energy and operating costs could no longer be covered by the museum.
To help address these financial challenges, the museum has been collecting funds online, including for the repayment of COVID-19 relief funds. The donation campaign for the maintainer of the Berlin Writing Museum was initiated by the Förderverein Deutsches Schriftmuseum.
Dechant emphasized that the collection focuses on the built, 3D, touchable letters. She stated, "We want to preserve the history of letters and signage, not just as objects, but as tangible pieces of our past that hold stories and memories."
The closure of the Berlin Letter Museum leaves the future of this unique collection uncertain. However, the museum's dedication to preserving and sharing the history of letters and signage continues to inspire and educate those who visit.
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