Exploring the city through research… At the beginning of November, Berlin becomes the smartest city in the world, for as long as the tenth edition of Berlin Science Week fills museums, forums, and stages. From November 01.–10.11.2025, more than 150 partners from Berlin and beyond will host over 350 events, showing how research comes alive when it steps out of the lab and into the city. At the same time, it becomes clear that science is deeply connected to culture, society, and our most nagging questions. The theme for this year’s anniversary edition is “Beyond Now”, and it’s an invitation to stay curious amid the chaos of the present. For instance, the Campus at the Museum für Naturkunde (01.–02.11.2025) will transform into a small city for researchers and the curious alike. There, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) will showcase the particle accelerator of the future, while the Fraunhofer Network for Science, Art and Design experiments with fabrics that respond to touch. Scripts (04.11.2025) will explore how science and politics challenge one another at the Centre for East European and International Studies.
Under the title “Collective Freedom: What’s Worth Fighting For”, experts from science, politics, and society discuss the conditions under which freedom must be fought for today. The festival then moves to the water, to the Forum at Holzmarkt 25 (06.–09.11.). There, at the Decision Theater Idea Lab (06.–07.11.), vast amounts of data become visible and dynamic through interactive tools, revealing just how much tomorrow depends on our actions today. In “Introduction to the Future Self” (07.11.), artist Angela Aux merges concert and experiment into a progressive, dreamlike performance. And on November 9, you can completely immerse yourself: “Coral Sonic Resilience” transforms coral reefs into soundscapes. Can sound be healing? Maybe. Most of the festival is free of charge. One thing’s for sure, we all still have plenty to learn.
Text: Emma Zylla / Photos: Christoph Schneider, Felix Zahn, Photothek
Berlin Science Week 01.–10.11.2025. Find the full program and the locations here.
@berlinscienceweek
