From 20 September 2025, the Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee presents a work series by renowned architectural photographer Hélène Binet. As part of the Jewish Country Houses Project based at the University of Oxford, Binet travelled through Europe and examined the stylistic features of historic and modern country houses, from Italy to France to Great Britain. The photographed properties from the 19th and 20th centuries were built, acquired or redesigned by Jewish families and reflect a wide range of architectural styles.
A Journey through european architectural history
From the mid-19th century onwards, Europe experienced an architectural revival of the country house. The desire for a private retreat led to highly diverse designs, which Hélène Binet captures in her photographs: from the Gothic charm of Strawberry Hill in Twickenham to the reinterpretation of ancient Greek architecture in Villa Kérylos on the Côte d’Azur and the modern style of Villa Tugendhat in Brno.
Dr Evelyn Wöldicke, director of the Liebermann Villa:
“Max Liebermann also followed the country house tradition with the construction of the Liebermann-Villa. Together with architect Paul Otto Baumgarten, he realised his vision of a private residence in 1909: a classicist inspired summer house with a garden designed according to the principles of the reform garden movement. Hélène Binet discovers overlooked details and captures them in her own visual language.”
New Perspectives On Places Of Jewish Memory
For many Jewish families of that time, prestigious country houses were an expression of cultural belonging and self-expression. Hélène Binet’s artistic pieces show a detailed examination of the material, ornamental, and atmospheric characteristics of each property. At the same time, they reveal how Jewish builders and owners influenced European cultural and architectural history with their architectural visions.
Viktoria Krieger, exhibition curator:
‘The exhibition invites visitors to discover the individual country houses in detail, to find the subtle and the obvious, the connecting and the individual, and to immerse themselves in the stories of the houses and their inhabitants, as well as to learn about their historical significance and their use to this day.’
Framework program
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Saturday, Sep 20, 2025, 11 am
Opening reception
Regular museum admission applies (12 € / reduced 6 €).
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Sat & Sun 12 noon
Guided tours
Our public tours (in German) take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm. Tickets are available online. Please book an online time slot ticket with your tour ticket. The number of participants is limited.
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Saturday, Sep 20, 2025, 11:30 am
Drop-In Workshop for kids (de)
„Light-Lines-Shadow-Play“
Drop-in workshop for the exhibition opening.
Regular museum admission applies (12 € / reduced 6 €), free for kids.
Registration via vandenheuvel@liebermann-villa.de
Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025, 6:30 pm
Online Talk (en)
“Discovering Jewish Country Houses” – an exhibition on the run.
Online talk with collaboration partners. We kindly ask you to book a free ticket in advance. The Zoom link will be sent out one day before the event. Start: 6:30 pm.
Details
Sunday, Nov 9, 2025, 11:15 am
Family workshop (de)
„Light-Lines-Shadow-Play“
Details
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2025, 6:30 pm
Talk with Ruth Ur & Viktoria Krieger (de)
Contemporary Art Meets Public History. Conversation with Ruth Ur, curator and new director of the Exile Museum Berlin Foundation, and Viktoria Bernadette Krieger, curator of the exhibition “Vision and Illusion: Architectural Photographs by Hélène Binet.” The new Director of the Exilmuseum and curator Ruth Ur will be speaking about the important role artists can play in research projects and in communicating public history.
Details
Saturday, Nov 22, 2025, 11:15 am
Family workshop (de)
Grandparent’s Day.
Details
Thursday, Nov 27, 2025, 5 – 8 pm
Winter Evening at Wannsee
Invitation to an exclusive winter evening at the Liebermann Villa on Wannsee. With extended opening hours, you can explore the illuminated garden of the villa, stroll with mulled wine along the lit birch path to the jetty, and visit the current exhibitions. Tickets are available online and on-site that evening.
Details
Thursday, Dec 11, 2025 + Jan 15, 2026, 5 – 8 pm
Winter Evening at Wannsee & Guided Tour (de)
Invitation to an exclusive winter evening at the Liebermann Villa on Wannsee. With extended opening hours, you can explore the illuminated garden of the villa, stroll with mulled wine along the lit birch path to the jetty, and visit the current exhibitions. Included in the museum ticket is a guided tour led by students from the Institute for Art and Visual History at Humboldt University of Berlin. Tickets are available online and on-site that evening.
Tickets Dec 11 | Tickets Jan 15
Monday, Jan 19, 2026, 5 – 8 pm
Exhibition closing with extended opening hours
Details
The further accompanying program can be found at: liebermann-villa.
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