Hundt Hammer Stein Buchhändler

Hundt Hammer Stein in the Basement of the Scheunenviertel

Hundt Hammer Stein Booksellers is located on Alte Schönhauser Straße at the intersection between Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, surrounded by the shops and restaurants of the Scheunenviertel. The bookstore is situated in the basement of a listed building, which is not apparent upon entering: The premises were designed by Atelier Architecture & Scenography by Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, are kept in simple white, and surprisingly bright for a location below street level.

The store has been at this address since 2004, owned by Kurt v. Hammerstein. For getting there, the subway is more worthwhile than the car, as Alte Schönhauser Straße is part of parking zone 29, making it the most strictly managed zone in Mitte. The U8 stops at Weinmeisterstraße, the U2 at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, and Hackescher Markt and Alexanderplatz are also within walking distance. Parking is managed there seven days a week until midnight, which is why traveling by train is definitely more advantageous.

Indiebooks and English-Language Original Editions in Mitte

Hundt Hammer Stein sees itself as an independent bookstore for German and international literature and draws a clear conclusion for its selection. In addition to the large commercial publishers, the independent publishing landscape is deliberately given space, meaning genuine indiebooks, as well as prize winners and major works. Special attention is paid to literary discoveries and curiosities. A large selection of English-language original editions is also carefully maintained, from fiction to non-fiction to children’s books.

Further sections complete the picture: a high-quality selection of children’s and young adult books from picture books to young adult thrillers, non-fiction and biographies on politics and current events, selected crime novels from historical to hard-boiled, a shelf of cookbooks with many vegetarian and vegan options, and its own Berlin corner with Berlinalia. Titles not in stock can be ordered, and the promise is concrete: Anyone who calls or emails in the afternoon can pick up most available books the next day. Shipping is also possible, and the team will inform you about proportional shipping costs in advance. Recommendations for takeaway are also provided by the book podcast “Im Bett mit Buch” (In Bed with Book), which the owner produces himself.