A tour of the cat museum in Berlin

For many years, a small and cozy Cat Museum has existed in Berlin. Its founder, Helmut Glanz, loves cats and collects everything related to these furry friends.

He found his first cat, Uli, on the street in 1947. “I was simply enchanted by this beautiful and noble animal,” Helmut recalls with a smile.

He immediately wanted to take Uli home. But Helmut had to convince his mother, who was initially against having a cat in the house, for a long time. Now Glanz has several thousand cats. Two charming pets purr tenderly on the sofa, while the other cats, shaped like figurines, sit quietly in museum display cases or attentively study the museum's guests from paintings.

Content

1 How Helmut Glanz founded his museum
2 A journey into the fascinating world of cats
3 Museum collections
4 Tea drinking in the museum kitchen

How Helmut Glanz founded his museum

From a young age, the museum's founder began amassing his unusual collection. He searched everywhere for cat-themed items at flea markets, antique shops, and souvenir stores. He was indifferent to what he bought: a beautiful porcelain cat doll or a cheap vase with a cat painted on it. Helmut also regularly received gifts, all of which inevitably featured cats. His enormous collection barely fit in his old apartment. So he and his wife rented a new apartment and opened a private Cat Museum there.

Cat Museum in Berlin

A journey into the fascinating world of cats

A beautiful cat is depicted on the door of the apartment-museum. The museum's owner warmly welcomes guests and leads them to the first exhibit in his collection. It's a porcelain cat figurine that Helmut obtained at a fair in 1948. The museum boasts numerous porcelain figurines, vividly depicting various aspects of the lives of these whiskered and striped cats. One figurine depicts a cat playing with a ball of yarn, while another depicts a cat stalking a mouse. Visitors gaze at such magnificence with great interest and admiration. Figurines of mystical feline creatures are also widely represented. One of the museum display cases displays elegant plates painted with images of cats and ostrich eggs shaped like kittens. And on the dresser, proudly perched is Puss in Boots, dressed in nineteenth-century costume.

Visitors are also captivated by the extraordinary collection of wristwatches with cat motifs. There are exquisite clocks from the Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and other eras. Cat figurines and dolls stand in every corner of the museum. A black panther statue adds a unique touch to the door to one of the rooms. Even the shoe trees in the hallway are decorated in feline colors. The Cat Museum is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful museums in the German capital.

Cat Museum in Berlin

Museum collections

Helmut can talk for hours about his treasures. But his favorites are two coffee sets. And it's no coincidence. Each of them depicts a cat that has lived in the Glanz family. One pitcher is decorated with a portrait of a cat named Berlioz. "This is our poor pet, who died under the wheels of a car," the Glanzes lament. Then the host leads his guests into the charmingly furnished kitchen of his museum. There, too, everything is stylized to resemble the world of cats.

Tea drinking in the museum kitchen

Cat lovers often gather in the museum kitchen in the evenings. They celebrate their beloved pets' birthdays or discuss the latest cat news over a cup of tea. "None of our guests suffer from headaches the next morning from one too many glasses of wine after our get-togethers," Helmut cheerfully notes.

The Cat Museum is located in Berlin at Luisenstrasse 38. This wonderful place offers a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the opportunity to admire the Glanz family's extensive collection. Enjoy a cup of coffee with the hospitable hosts.

Cat Museum in Berlin