--- title: "Musica di strada. Italians in Prenzlauer Berg" date: 2023-05-03 last_modified: 2025-10-31T14:54:24+01:00 generated_at: 2026-05-22T21:06:07Z url: "https://www.stadtmuseum.de/en/exhibition/musica-di-strada-italians-in-prenzlauer-berg" description: "Mechanical Musical Instruments from the Stadtmuseum Berlin at the Museum Pankow" image: "https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Strassenmusiker.jpg" language: "en-US" --- # Musica di strada. Italians in Prenzlauer Berg ### Trade, crafts and music: Mechanical Musical Instruments from the Stadtmuseum Berlin at the Museum Pankow ![]() ![Nach dem Umzug in die Kastanienallee 32 stellte das Unternehmen vorrangig Pianolas](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Montiersaal.jpg) Frati & Co. assembly hall, around 1902 ![Drei Menschen sind zu sehen. Ganz links ein Mann mit Trommel auf dem Rücken und einer Trommel schlagend vor sich, seine Mütze ist besetzt mit Glocken. Rechts neben ihm steht ein Mann hinter einer Drehorgel. Davor steht ein Mädchen.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Strassenmusiker.jpg) Street musicians and barrel organ players in Berlin, around 1930 ![Ein Mann in Frack und Zylinder spielt vor einer Menschenmenge eine Drehorgel.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Latschenpaule.jpg) Latschenpaule on Alexanderplatz, no year given - With the founding of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the time of the "great migration" began. By 1914, around 14 million people had left their homeland. One destination was Berlin. The joint exhibition of the Museum Pankow and the Stadtmuseum Berlin tells the story of the settlement and migration of the Italians in Prenzlauer Berg. Objects from the Stadtmuseum Berlin complement the exhibition. **Location** Museum Pankow Kultur- und Bildungszentrum Sebastian Haffner Ausstellungshalle Prenzlauer Allee 227/228 10405 Berlin **Entry** free **Opening hours** Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon + Holidays | closed **Website** (in german) [Website Museum Pankow](https://www.berlin.de/museum-pankow/aktuelles/ausstellungen/artikel.1304756.php) After the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, many Italians came to the booming metropolis of Berlin. Around 1900, around 1,300 Italians were already living in the capital. As the population grew, the city expanded, especially to the north. Many settled in what is now Prenzlauer Berg. In the area around Pappelallee and Schönhauser Allee, an Italian community of around 250 people developed. With their traditional crafts and professions, they shaped the Berlin district for decades. ## Families in Prenzlauer Berg ![]() ![Die meisten der rund 450 Familien aus Bedonia arbeiteten als Musiker oder Schausteller, die mit ihren Tieren von Ort zu Ort zogen. Vier große Schaustellertruppen kamen allein aus](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Schaustellerkompanie.jpg) The Showman's Company of the Bernabò Family from Bedonia in Germany, End of the 19th Century ![Hintere Reihe von links: Giovanni Battista Gattorna, Giuseppe Bacigalupo, Giovanni Battista Bacigalupo, Luigi Bacigalupo, Assunta](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Silberhochzeit.jpg) 1892 was an eventful year for the Bacigalupos. They celebrated the silver wedding anniversary of Giovanni Battista and Maria Rosa Bacigalupo, the wedding of their eldest son Luigi to Assunta Brignole and the baptism of their youngest daughter Luigia. ![Vier in weißen Kitteln gekleidete Erwachsene, zwei Männer und zwei Frauen, dazwischen ein langer Tisch, auf denen Brotteig legt. Ein Kind sitzt mit einem Laib Brot ebenfalls in weißer Kleidung rechts neben einer stehenden Frau.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Backstube.jpg) Charlotte and Antonio Pascotto, in front daughter Rosemarie, journeyman Molgedei and saleswoman Agnes in the bakery (from right to left), n.d. ![Zwei Männer stehen in Anzug und Krawatte nebeneinander vor einer Fabriktür](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Giuseppe_Luigi-Bacigalupo.jpg) Giuseppe and Luigi Bacigalupo, circa 1918 ![Familie Ramondini hatte zunächst in der Weißenburger Straße 29 (heute Kollwitzstraße 66) ihre Eisdiele. In den 1930er Jahren zog sie in die Schivelbeiner Straße um.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Eiscafe.jpg) The Ramondini family in front of their ice cream parlour on Kollwitzplatz, 1929 ![Ein Mann mit Brille und Arbeitshemd hält in der rechten Hand ein Scheren-ähnliches Arbeitsinstrument. Er bearbeitet dammit eine Walze.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Luigi-Bacigalupo.jpg) Luigi Bacigalupo in his workshop at Schönhauser Allee 79, spruiking a wooden roller, around 1950 ![Eine Familie bestehend aus einer Frau, einem Mann und zwei Jungen, posieren auf einer Wiese neben einer Drehorgel. Im Hintergrund sind verschwommen ein Auto und die Hinterköpfe von sitzenden Frauen zu sehen. Auch Bäume gibt es verschwommen am Horizont. Die Familie heißt Graciela Quezada, Juan Lizana, Manuel Lizana und Héctor Lizana.](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Lizana-Quezada.jpg) Lizana Quezada family with the El Jerez barrel organ, 1960 > The company Cocchi, Bacigalupo & Graffigna from Schönhauser Allee became world-famous with the production of barrel organs and orchestrions. Some instruments are on display in the special exhibition. These include the mechanical musical instruments from the music collection of the Stadtmuseum Berlin. They are moving to Pankow in the course of the extensive renovation of the Märkisches Museum over several years. Among them are barrel organs (also called lyre boxes), pianolas (self-playing pianos) and unique objects such as the Fratihymnia orchestrion. ## Programme Regular demonstrations of the instruments and an extensive accompanying programme on various topics complement the exhibition. ## Exhibition highlight The orchestrion was originally built around 1900 as the Soleil model by the Cocchi, Bacigalupo & Graffigna company in Berlin. It produces the sound of a complete salon orchestra. In 1919, the Frati & Co. company replaced the mechanism and installed the company's own Fratihymnia type of orchestrion. It required an electric motor and a wind machine for the drive instead of a weight lift. After the conversion, the Fratihymnia came into the possession of Giovanni Crescio and played for decades, until 1951, in the Italian restaurant in Genoa. In 1962, the Märkisches Museum bought the orchestrion. Even today, the approximately 150 paper music rolls can be played. In addition to the potpourris of great operas, they let melodies from the operettas of Walter Kollo and Jean Gilbert as well as popular hits of the 1920s resound. ## Dismantling of the Orchestrion At the end of 2022, the orchestrion was dismantled within a few days at the Märkisches Museum. The cabinet-like automatophone is now on display in the Museum Pankow's special exhibition. [![Blick auf ein schrankgroßes mechanisches Musikinstrument, das mit Heimatbildern und vielen Verzierungen versehen ist](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Pankow_Orchestrion_Fratihymnia-221x300.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwgE2fQDAJU&t) ## Find out more - [ ![](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mechanische-musikinstrumente-maerkisches-museum-300x200.jpg)](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/en/article/pianola-orchestrion-gramophone-and-more) - [ ![](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/thomas-alva-edison-phonograph-1888-cropped-1024x582-1-300x171.webp)](https://www.stadtmuseum.de/en/article/canned-music) ## A joint exhibition in cooperation with [ ![](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Museum-Pankow-Logo_schwarz-300x223.png)](https://www.berlin.de/museum-pankow/) and with Fachbereich Museum/Bezirkliche Geschichtsarbeit [ ![](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/BA_PA_AfWuK_Logo_V_rgb-300x175.png)](https://www.berlin.de/museum-pankow/aktuelles/ausstellungen/artikel.1304756.php) ## Sponsored by [ ![](https://stiftung-stadtmuseum-berlin.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LOTTO-Logo-300x147.jpg)](https://www.lotto-stiftung-berlin.de/) As well as funded by the Bezirkskulturfonds (BKF). Supported by the Internationale Drehorgelfreunde Berlin e.V. ## Info & Service ##### Opening hours Tue – Sun | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon + Holidays | closed ##### Directions Museum Pankow Kultur- und Bildungszentrum Sebastian Haffner Ausstellungshalle Prenzlauer Allee 227/228 10405 Berlin [ Website](https://www.berlin.de/museum-pankow/aktuelles/ausstellungen/artikel.1304756.php) [ Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/YLNvKmFDDcMVfEZm6) [ Bus & Train](https://www.bvg.de/en/connections/connection-search) ##### Contact Museum Pankow +49 90295-3917 [Write an E-Mail](mailto:museumsek@ba-pankow.berlin.de) ## Tickets ##### Entry free