The neighbourhood around Nordbahnhof in Mitte, used to be a hot spot for the art scene back in the day, sprinkled with history and goings on. Lückeladen is one of the last remaining shops along Bernauer Straße, tangible to the echoes of what once existed in the art community. Alas, it is not just a window to Berlin’s past, but what lies within, you will likely find something that unlocks memories of your own. The tiny space with its only 14 square meter space sits at the entrance of Norbahnhof station and was approved for restoration in 2014. It was put together by local artists Norbert and Alexandra Stück who studied fine arts in West Berlin. Since the early 2000s, Norbert and Alexandra have opened a number of interdisciplinary experimental spaces and exhibitions commissioned by renowned institutions. Lückeladen is filled with nostalgic memorabilia that Norbert and Alexandra have dedicated themselves to recovering over the years. The space is both a cultural display and a shop, comprised of timeless designed objects from many parts of the world. For me, when I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the “view master”, a red stereoscope where you could view 3D images by inserting film. Something that I hadn’t seen since my childhood.
The second thing I had noticed was the record player – Norbert played a record and explained that they were rectangular and had different artistic prints on them to disguise that they were records. They were shared in secret by the community when certain pop artists were forbidden in Germany. Lückeladen is just one of their ventures, they’ve taken what might be someone’s “trash” and turned it into treasure. Each object has a whole lifetime of stories, from music to trinkets, postcards, art, candy dispensers, old packaging, toys, stationary and postage stamps, Norbert knows them all.
Text & photos: Ruby Watt
Lückeladen, Invalidenstr.20, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
