Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte

The Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte is a public observatory located on Insulaner hill in Schöneberg and welcomes visitors to observe celestial objects through its telescopes. The facility houses several instruments including a large refractor telescope capable of magnifications up to 700 times.

The observatory was established in 1947 when residents began organizing informal stargazing activities in post-war Berlin. It relocated to Insulaner hill in 1963 and developed into a stable educational institution.

The observatory serves as a gathering place where people come together regularly to share the experience of looking at stars and planets through telescopes. This sense of shared curiosity and wonder shapes how visitors interact with the space and with each other during viewing sessions.

The facility sits on a hill with good viewing conditions and maintains regular hours for visitors to observe. Cloud cover can occasionally close the observatory, so checking ahead before your visit is worth doing.

One of the telescopes dates from 1889 and was once Prussia's largest refractor. Despite its age of over a century, it continues to function and allows visitors to see celestial objects with impressive clarity today.

Location: Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Inception: 1947

Elevation above the sea: 78.4 m

GPS coordinates: 52.45750,13.35140

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:08