The MINSK Art House
The MINSK Art House, a museum for contemporary art, opened on the Brauhausberg at the former terrace restaurant “Minsk”. Learn all about this new attraction in Potsdam and book your tickets for the MINSK Art House.
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Minsk Art House: Museum for Contemporary Art in Potsdam
In the former terrace restaurant “Minsk” on the Brauhausberg, Hasso Plattner opened his second museum in Potsdam, following the Museum Barberini. The MINSK Art House, a museum for contemporary art, opened on September 24 and 25, 2022. The “Minsk” was built in the 1970s in the modernist style of the GDR and was used as a café until 2000. After a long period of disuse, it is now being transformed into a place for encounters between modern and contemporary art.
Here, artworks from the Hasso Plattner collection, including pieces from the former GDR, are presented in new contexts. This spring, THE MINSK Art House is showcasing the group exhibition “Soft Power,” which uses textile design as an artistic medium to question power dynamics. The exhibition addresses various aspects of textile art in three chapters.
The Café HEDWIG offers lunch, cakes, and coffee. In the summer months, the building’s spacious terraces provide an impressive view over the city.
History of the Terrace Restaurant “Minsk”
From 1971 to 1977, the former terrace restaurant “Minsk” was built on the Brauhausberg in Potsdam in the modernist style of the GDR, designed by architects Karl-Heinz Birkholz and Wolfgang Müller. As early as 1962, a swimming pool and a restaurant with a terrace and fountain were planned for the area. Delays due to the late clearance of the area in 1967, financial constraints, and material shortages meant that the ensemble was only completed years later.
The swimming pool opened in 1971, and the restaurant followed in 1977 as a Belarusian folklore restaurant, designed by Minsk artists and architects. This naming reflected the partnership between Potsdam and Minsk that had existed since 1968.
The “Minsk” was a popular recreational spot in the GDR where guests met, celebrated, and danced. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the restaurant closed in the mid-1990s, and the building fell into disrepair. Thanks to the commitment of Potsdam’s citizens, demolition was prevented. In 2019, the Hasso Plattner Foundation acquired the building, renovated it, and reopened it to the public as THE MINSK Art House.
Inside, elements of the old “Minsk” have been preserved, such as the large spiral staircase and the rounded bar counter, although they have been redesigned. The interior design of the foyer and bar was realized by the architectural firm Linearama from Genoa and Valter Scelsi in collaboration with the Hedwig Bollhagen Workshops from Marwitz.
Minsk Art House: Exhibitions & Program
At the Minsk, artworks from the former GDR that are part of the Hasso Plattner collection are displayed.
A focus of the Hasso Plattner collection is on art from the former GDR. THE MINSK Art House in Potsdam manages works from the collection that were created after 1945. The extensive collection of significant works by renowned artists such as Wolfgang Mattheuer, Bernhard Heisig, and Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt forms the basis for the museum’s program. These works are placed in dialogue with contemporary art at the MINSK.
The opening exhibition includes works by painter Wolfgang Mattheuer (*1927 in Reichenbach/Vogtland; † 2004) and photographer and filmmaker Stan Douglas (*1960 in Vancouver)
- Wolfgang Mattheuer: The Neighbor Who Wants to Fly
- Stan Douglas: Potsdam Allotments for the Public
Permanent works:
- Dan Perjovschi: For No One And Everyone
- Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt: Cagy Being (Käfigwesen) 3
- Wolfgang Mattheuer: Masked Man/?Showing Face (1981)
Address
THE MINSK Art House in Potsdam, Max-Planck-Straße 17, 14473 Potsdam
Admission Prices
| Adults | 10.00 EUR |
| Reduced | 8.00 EUR |
| Families | 18.00 EUR |
| Children (under 18 years and students over 18 years) | 0.00 EUR |
Opening Hours
Regular hours (10 AM to 7 PM)
More information below https://dasminsk.de/
WINTER MARKET at MINSK
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![Minsk, Wintermarkt]( "The MINSK Art House")
THE MINSK – WINTER MARKET The festive stalls offer warming drinks & foods, a selection of handmade specialties, toys, paper goods, design items, and jewelry.
More information at https://dasminsk.de/kalender/4375/wintermarkt
Minsk Art House Tickets & Tours
Tickets for the MINSK Art House can be conveniently booked online.