Long Night of Museums at the Nikolaikirche

In Berlin’s oldest surviving church building, you’ll experience an atmospheric journey into Berlin’s past, blending sound, history and crime.
 
Organist Jack Day plays famous tunes from film, television and the underworld on the organ – from Hitchcock to the German crime series ‘Tatort’. Guided tours on Berlin’s legal history explore the historic setting for court proceedings and punishment. The ‘criminal case’ of Nikolaikirche’s pastor Paul Gerhardt recounts a bitter dispute between the Church and the state.
 
A programme brimming with suspense, dark tales and evocative sounds set against a historic backdrop – and an extraordinary journey through Berlin’s criminal and cultural past.

6 p.m. + 8 p.m. + 10 p.m. + midnight + 1 a.m. | 30 minutes | at the museum
Music
Crime! Organ Music from Film, Television and the Criminal Underworld
Organist Jack Day invites you to an evening of organ music spanning cinema, TV and the underworld. He will play melodies that every crime drama fan is likely to associate with suspense and mystery – Kurt Weill’s ‘Mackie Messer’, Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor’ or the title melodies from ‘Tatort’ and ‘Polizeiruf 110’.
 
7 p.m. + 11 p.m. + 12.30 a.m. | 30 minutes | at the city model
Short guided tours
Between the Pillory and the Gallows
Where the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) stands today, the old Berlin Town Hall once stood, with the court arbour attached to it. It was here that guilt or innocence was publicly debated; it was here that judgements of life or death were passed. Thieves were chained to the pillory and mocked, whilst others were hanged. Art historian Claudia Wasow-Kania guides visitors through these fascinating stories using the large-scale model of the medieval city.
Language: German
 
9 p.m. | 30 minutes | Meeting point: Cash desk
Short guided tour
A Lutheran Against the State
In 1613, the Elector of Brandenburg converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism. This divided Berlin between the Calvinist court and a Lutheran population. His grandson and successor sought to impose Calvinism. When he promoted like-minded individuals to the highest offices, Lutheran preachers resisted, including Paul Gerhardt, pastor of St Nicholas’ Church. Art historian Claudia Wasow-Kania talks about the Berlin church dispute, a religious ‘criminal case’.
Language: German