Haus der Kulturen der Welt

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Kongresshalle, site of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt

Kongresshalle, Berlin, View from Backside

The Haus der Kulturen der Welt ("House of World Cultures") in Berlin is an art institution presenting art exhibitions, theater and dance performances, concerts, author readings, films and academic conferences on non-European art and culture. It is one of the few institutions which, due to their national and international standing and the quality of their work, receive funding from the federal government as so-called "lighthouses of culture."

The building is located in the Tiergarten park and a direct neighbour of the Carillon and the new German Chancellery. It was formerly known as the Kongresshalle conference hall, a gift from the United States, designed in 1957 by the American architect Hugh Stubbins Jr. as a part of the Interbau exhibition. John F. Kennedy spoke here during his June 1963 visit to West Berlin. On May 21, 1980 the roof collapsed killing one and injuring numerous people. The hall has been rebuilt in its original style and reopened in 1987 at the 750 years jubilee of Berlin. To Berliners it is also known as the Schwangere Auster ("pregnant oyster").