Buchstabenmuseum, Typography museum in Hansaviertel, Berlin, Germany
Buchstabenmuseum is a museum in Hansaviertel dedicated to typography and lettering from the public realm. It holds more than 1000 objects including neon signs, scripts, and large metal letters that formerly hung on Berlin buildings.
The museum was founded in 2005 as the first institution dedicated to collecting typography from Berlin's streets. The first exhibition opened in 2008 and demonstrated the importance of preserving these graphic witnesses to the city's past.
The collection shows letters and signs that have shaped Berlin's appearance over decades, coming from shops, cinemas, and public buildings. These objects tell stories of different periods and design movements that the city has experienced.
The museum closed permanently after a final sale in October 2025, so there are no opening hours or admission to plan around. Its last home was the Stadtbahnbogen at S-Bahn station Bellevue in the Hansaviertel, where the collection of some 3000 letters had been shown since 2016. The closure was announced in July 2025, citing the loss of the premises, overstretched volunteers and financial difficulties.
A large letter E from the collection was used in Quentin Tarantino's film Inglourious Basterds and is now a relic from a famous Hollywood production. This unexpected link between film history and urban archive makes the museum particularly interesting.
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