v. Kloeden

v. Kloeden on Wielandstraße near Olivaer Platz has been a family business since 1967, combining a bookstore, toy shop, and its own publishing house under one roof. Children's books are also available in English, French, and Spanish, along with wooden toys, dolls, building blocks, and handicrafts from the Erzgebirge. Extensive advice is provided here.

Bookstore and Toy Shop on Wielandstraße

Wielandstraße runs parallel to Kurfürstendamm but has remained relatively untouched by its hustle and bustle. Between Olivaer Platz and Savignyplatz, at house number 24, there is a shop that from the outside might be mistaken for just a bookstore, yet it is two things at once. v. Kloeden has been selling books and toys in one building since 1967. The business has remained family-owned to this day, which is evident in the way advice is given here: anyone who comes in asking what a seven-year-old child could read won’t be presented with a bestseller list, but rather handed three books. The establishment also includes a shop gallery and its own publishing house, where children’s books are published under the same name. If you come by subway, get off at Adenauerplatz; Savignyplatz station is also within walking distance. The area around Olivaer Platz is quieter than the large shopping street nearby, and among cafes and small shops, a visit can easily be extended into an afternoon. A window shopping stroll is worthwhile because the display regularly changes.

Gifts for Children: From Picture Books to Wooden Building Blocks

The book section of the house covers everything that accompanies children through the years: picture books for the very youngest, early reader titles, children’s and youth books, and beyond that, literature for adults. The foreign language department is noteworthy, featuring children’s books in English, French, and Spanish, as well as textbooks for Latin and Ancient Greek. For children growing up bilingual, this is a rare address in Berlin. On the other side are hands-on gifts for children: dolls and plush toys, board games, building blocks, Lego, and especially wooden toys. The large building block sets are around 53 Euros for the rainbow variant; a Brio starter set for the wooden train costs just under 40 Euros. Additionally, there are handicrafts from the Erzgebirge, which combine well with a book as a gift, as well as stationery, songbooks, and small souvenirs. If you don’t find what you’re looking for at v. Kloeden, you can place an order or use the shipping service, which is also offered for books within Germany. The shop gallery displays changing works, turning shopping into a small tour.