Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus in Berlin-Mitte

Five floors and roughly 7,500 square metres on Friedrichstrasse hold more than 100,000 book titles, the largest classical music department in the world and some 18,000 films. As a gift for men the courses in the DruckManufaktur stand out, as does the chance to have your own record pressed in the KulturManufaktur.

Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus on Friedrichstrasse: five floors of culture in Mitte

The building stands on Friedrichstrasse, only a few steps from the station of the same name, which makes it one of the best connected addresses in the city. A pyramid-shaped glass ceiling spans the central aisle, and in the entrance area stands a sphinx of Queen Hatshepsut from around 1475 BC, on permanent loan from the Egyptian Museum. The house opened in 1997 on a plot that had lain empty for decades after the war. On the facade hangs Patrick Blanc’s vertical garden with more than 6,600 plants across 270 square metres.

Inside, roughly 7,500 square metres of retail space spread over five floors. Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus carries more than 100,000 book titles, including a large English-language section, along with some 18,000 documentaries, films and series and over 10,000 postcard designs. The classical music department is considered the largest in the world, with jazz, pop, world music and vinyl beside it. A cafe on the second floor plays records on a turntable. Audiobooks, sheet music, games, calendars, stationery and even musical instruments mean a visit easily stretches past an hour.

Workshops, readings and gift ideas for men at the KulturKaufhaus

For a present that goes beyond a book, the events programme is worth a look. The KulturBühne hosts readings, short concerts and signing sessions for no more than a hundred guests, and a reading costs 10 euros. Many signings and events such as tea tastings or games tastings are free.

Things get more hands-on in the DruckManufaktur, where courses in letterpress, intaglio printing and 3D collage cost 60 euros each. In the KulturManufaktur you can even have your own record pressed, which is hard to beat as a gift for a man with a record collection. Anyone who would rather not decide picks a gift voucher from the online shop. The house loyalty card brings twenty per cent off events and workshops, which pays for itself by the second course. Books ship free from the online shop, and anyone in a hurry orders there and collects in store. For visitors from abroad the English-language section on the ground floor is often the easiest starting point, because it carries fiction, non-fiction and childrens books side by side.