Hackesche Höfe

Hackesche Höfe, located in Berlin’s Scheunenviertel Quarter, is a series of eight courtyards, all linked together and lovingly restored to form one complex consisting of shops, apartments, offices and more.

These courtyards were built in the early 1900s – probably from 1905-1907 - when the design of such courtyards was the norm for Berlin.

Many consider the Hackesche Höfe complex to be one of the finest examples of industrial Jugendstil architecture in Germany. Once the site of a Jewish girl’s club, a ballroom, multi-story factories, apartments, and a poets’ society, the buildings of Hackesche Höfe are mostly covered with white glazed tiles and boast Moorish mosaic designs. While other Berlin courtyards have been joined together as well, this one is the largest of its kind and attracts tons of locals and visitors each day.

After extensive, painstaking renovation, Hackesche Höfe was converted to one of the city’s most bustling locations. Hof I, also known as the Endellscher Hof, was designed by the Jugendstil artist and architect August Endell and includes a cinema, several bars and restaurants, and the very popular Chameleon Theatre (Chamäleon Variété), a variety theater where it’s not unusual to find everything from tap dancers to trapeze artists on stage. Shows are quite hilarious and usually attract a young crowd who enjoy partying after the show.

Hof 2, also known as the Theatrehof, houses the Hackesche Höfe Theatre, a theater of Yiddish culture, as well as several offices. The smaller remaining courtyards feature small shops and galleries, all a delight for both browsers and hardcore shoppers.

Hackesche Höfe is one of the most popular areas for nightlife and is always alive and kicking after 9 or 10 pm and usually continues to be lively until the wee hours of the morning.