Onkel Philipp's Spielzeugwerkstatt

Uncle Philipp’s Toy Workshop: Toys with History

Since the late nineties, Philipp Schünemann has been restoring, selling, renting, and exchanging toys. The circular economy concept is central to his shop at Choriner Straße 35: those who hand in toys receive money or other toys in return, depending on their condition, quantity, and demand. Broken favorites are repaired in the workshop. Because used items constantly arrive, the stock changes continuously, and rarities regularly appear among the shelves.

In addition to used items, there are new toys such as wooden toys, board games, puzzles, Carrera racetracks and model trains, plush toys, dolls, Lego, Duplo and Playmobil, as well as Punch and Judy shows and hand puppets. Here you’ll find classics for children as well as collector’s items for adults.

Uncle Philipp’s Toy Workshop: the GDR Toy Museum in the Basement

Together with Hans Heckel, Schünemann has set up a GDR Toy Museum beneath the shop. Admission costs 1 Euro. Through a small hatch in the shop, a narrow spiral staircase leads to the basement, where you can set a carousel in motion with a remote control and turn on the lights in a dollhouse. The collection comprises around 5,000 objects. A visit to the shop can be well combined with a trip to the museum, especially if the gift is intended for someone who grew up with GDR toys.