The new exhibition will be located on the upper floor, where visitors will be guided along a circular route. Large-scale design elements will structure the exhibition and help visitors take in and navigate the expansive space. Dates suspended overhead will provide orientation and give visitors a clear sense of chronology. Each epoch will have a distinct look and feel, while dedicated transformation and reflection areas will draw attention to periods of transition and historical rupture. 

Striking objects from the collection will take centre stage, enriched by media stations, graphic displays, hands-on exhibits, and inclusive features that open up new sensory and interpretive approaches. Engaging all the senses, the exhibition will invite visitors to connect historical themes with their own lives. 

The ground-floor spaces will be redesigned, offering a range of themes, focal points, and formats for visitors to explore. The most important addition will be a new exhibition area for children and families. Spaces will also be created for temporary exhibitions and for “Arsenal”, an exhibition area dedicated to aspects of the DHM’s collection work, as well as a publicly accessible area that explores the story of the Zeughaus as a historic site. The main foyer and the Zeughaus courtyard will also be made more inviting, while a second entrance on the east side of the Zeughaus will provide direct access to the museum from the Museumsinsel underground station. 

History will be told not only through the exhibits, but through the building itself. The existing architecture will be carefully and respectfully integrated into the exhibition’s conceptual and spatial framework. Historic room structures will remain legible, sightlines will be deliberately opened up, and views of sites significant to the city’s history, such as the Brandenburg Gate, will become part of the visitor route.