Museum für Kommunikation Berlin

What Museum für Kommunikation Berlin does

Museum für Kommunikation Berlin is a communications-themed museum in Berlin-Mitte founded in 1872 by Heinrich von Stephan as the world's first postal museum. It is operated by Museumsstiftung Post und Telekommunikation (MSPT), a private foundation under public law with long-standing institutional backing from Deutsche Post and Deutsche Telekom. The museum maintains a 3,000 sqm permanent exhibition of approximately 2,000 objects, an 8,800 sqm collection depot housing several hundred thousand items including the Blue Mauritius and an Enigma machine, and a digital museum platform.

The institution generates revenue through a diversified mix: admissions (€8 adult / €4 reduced), structured school and educational programs (group fees €50-120 plus entry), corporate and private venue rentals, retail, and philatelic sales. It serves general visitors, school groups, families, philatelists, and corporate event clients. Recent programming includes the Roboter-Rallye augmented-reality children's experience, a 2026 special-exhibition pipeline covering Lucky Luke, Real Talk, APROPOS SEX, and niemals radlos, the Comic-Stipendium 2026 residency with the Berlin Senate, a Comic Invasion block with the Korean Cultural Center, and participation in Lange Nacht der Museen. Staffing is lean at approximately 20 employees, consistent with a foundation-operated cultural venue of this footprint.

The business model is fundamentally foundation-subsidized: admissions and ancillary income are insufficient to cover a collection of this scale and a free educational mandate, so Deutsche Post and Deutsche Telekom sponsorship provides the structural underpin. Commercial upside comes from venue rental utilization, special-exhibition draw, and digital-channel extension, while the key risk is any change in the corporate-sponsor commitment that historically defines the institution's operating envelope.

Name

Museum für Kommunikation Berlin

Legal name

Museumsstiftung Post und Telekommunikation

Website

https://mfk-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Museum für Kommunikation Berlin is a 1872-founded communications museum in Berlin-Mitte operated by MSPT, serving general visitors, school groups, families, philatelists, and corporate event clients through exhibitions, educational programs, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Cultural museum exhibitions
• Communication history exhibits
• Educational museum programs
• Interactive museum experiences
• Event venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission Fees: Ticket sales for museum entry with tiered pricing for adults, reduced admission, and free entry for children under 18
2. Educational Programs and Workshops: Guided tours, workshops, and media literacy seminars for schools and groups with booking fees ranging from 50-120 EUR plus entry
3. Event Venues and Rentals: Event hosting and venue rental services including corporate events and private celebrations
4. Retail Operations: Museum shop sales and café/restaurant operations (Museumscafé W66)
5. Philatelie Sales Partnership: Monthly stamp sales events in partnership with Deutsche Post, offering new stamps, special cancellations, and philatelic products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Museum für Kommunikation Berlin operates a permanent exhibition covering 40,000 years of communication history across 3,000 square meters with 2,000 objects, complemented by rotating special exhibitions. It offers educational programs, family activities, and digital experiences including an AR-based robot rally. Additional revenue comes from on-site café/restaurant (W66), museum shop, corporate event venue rentals, and stamp sales partnerships.

Product overview

The Museum für Kommunikation Berlin operates as a cultural institution offering physical and digital experiences centered on communication history. Its core product is the permanent exhibition (Dauerausstellung) spanning 3,000 square meters with 2,000 objects covering 40,000 years of communication history. This is complemented by rotating special exhibitions such as APROPOS SEX, niemals radlos (Pedal Power), Lucky Luke, Real Talk!, and Comic-Stipendium. The museum offers digital products including the Roboter-Rallye augmented reality experience and a museum audio guide app. Educational services encompass programs for kindergartens, schools, families, and adults. The institution also provides visitor amenities including a café/restaurant (W66), museum shop, and online digital collections through its Digitales Museum platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dauerausstellung: The permanent exhibition covering 40,000 years of communication history on 3,000 square meters with 2,000 objects.
• Schatzkammer
• Roboter-Rallye
• Museum App

Products and services

• Dauerausstellung (Permanent Exhibition) The museum's permanent exhibition covering over 40,000 years of communication history across 3,000 square meters with 2,000 objects, featuring interactive stations, the communication gallery, and the treasure chamber with iconic items like the Blue Mauritius stamp and Enigma machine.
• APROPOS SEX (Speaking of Sex) Special exhibition exploring the history of sexuality discourse over a century, featuring seven interactive areas covering topics like language and sexuality, sex education, boundaries, and media influence. Target audience: ages 14 and older.
• niemals radlos. Das Fahrrad bei der Post (Pedal Power) Exhibition tracing the 125-year history of bicycles in postal services, from delivery optimization to emancipation significance, including interactive delivery bike stations and modern sustainable mobility perspectives.
• Lucky Luke. Morris' einsamer Westernheld
• Real Talk! Sprache. Macht. Welt. Exhibition examining human language in a diverse, multilingual, and technologically advanced society across six themed rooms: Language Worlds, Diversity, Identities, Contact, Power, and Future.
• Comic-Stipendium Berlin 2026 Scholarship exhibition showcasing works by six recipients of Berlin Senate Department for Culture fellowships in comic arts, featuring diverse perspectives from the Berlin comic scene.
• Roboter-Rallye (Robot Rally) Augmented reality experience where children aged 8-12 search for missing robots C-Bot and letter robots through the permanent exhibition using AR technology, guided by characters MR4 and Katzomat. Developed with Kulturstiftung des Bundes funding and NEEEU Spaces GmbH as technology partner.
• Bildung & Vermittlung (Education Programs) Educational programs including workshops for kindergartens, schools (7th grade+), vocational schools, and adult groups covering media literacy, communication history, and digital competencies. Booking fees range from €50-€120 plus entry fees.
• Kinder & Familien Angebote (Children & Families Programs) Family-oriented programs including children's birthday parties, Family Sundays, holiday programs, flashlight tours, family tours, and the Robot Rally AR experience.
• Digitales Museum (Digital Museum) Online collection and digital offerings including the Expotizer virtual exhibition viewer, online collections database, and digital supplementary materials for exhibitions.
• Ferienprogramm (Holiday Program) Creative craft workshops for children ages 5-12 during school holidays, including activities like magic tricks, secret messages, comic heroes, snail mail, bicycle reflectors, and recycling projects.
• Familien-Tour (Family Tour) Guided experience tour for families exploring the treasure chamber, robots, pneumatic post system, and museum highlights.
• Museum App (Audio Guide) Audio-visual app providing three tours: Milestones in Communication History, Museum Highlights, and Architecture, accessible via web app and Google Play Store with information on opening hours and floor plans.
• Museumscafé & Restaurant W66 On-site café and restaurant located at Leipziger Straße 16, offering refreshments and meals for museum visitors.
• Museumsshop (Museum Shop) Museum retail shop offering souvenirs, publications, and exhibition-related merchandise including the DAS ARCHIV magazine.
• Event & Venue Rental Event hosting and venue rental services for corporate events and private celebrations in the museum's landmark Wilhelmine-era building.
• Monthly Stamp Sales (Philatelie Events) Monthly stamp sales events in partnership with Deutsche Post, offering new stamps, special cancellations, and philatelic products for collectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving visitors through multiple communication channels and accessibility options including German sign language and easy language

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Museumsstiftung Post und Telekommunikation (MSPT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent foundation managing all three Museums für Kommunikation (Berlin, Frankfurt, Nürnberg) and Archiv für Philatelie in Bonn. Provides governance, collections, and operational support.
• Deutsche PostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary corporate sponsor along with Deutsche Telekom. Provides philatelic products for monthly stamp sales events and supports postal history collections.
• Deutsche TelekomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary corporate sponsor along with Deutsche Post. Key institutional supporter of museum operations and exhibitions.
• Friede Springer StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded the sub-project 'Sprachbiografien – Vielfalt erleben, Demokratie stärken' within the Real Talk exhibition focused on linguistic diversity and democracy.
• CHRYSANTIL StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded the interactive station in the 'niemals radlos' exhibition about bicycles and postal services.
• Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit (BIÖG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided loans and funding support for the APROPOS SEX exhibition on sexuality and communication.
• Deutsches Philatelie ServiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for stamp designs and philatelic services in the Erstverkaufstag der Philatelie events.
• THE ROOM – LABS UGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'Escape Mission: Das Rathenau-Geheimnis' escape room experience for Lange Nacht 2026 event.
• Swing Patrol BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDance partner for Roaring Twenties themed programming during Lange Nacht 2026.
• Wild & WieseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCocktail partner for speakeasy bar during Lange Nacht 2026 events.
• Ladenkino BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation partner for open-air cinema screenings during Lange Nacht 2026.
• Korean Cultural Center BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for country focus programming at Comic Invasion Berlin 2026 featuring Korean manhwa culture.
• Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen ZusammenhaltcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment sponsor for Comic-Stipendium Berlin 2026 providing six working fellowships and one Paris residency.
• Deutscher Comicverein e. V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Berlin Comics Fellowship exhibition and Comic Invasion Berlin festival.
• Kulturstiftung des BundesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded the Robot Rallye project through 'dive in. Programm für digitale Interaktionen' and NEUSTART KULTUR program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin: Large state-funded Berlin history museum that competes for the same school-group, family, and tourist visitor base as MfK Berlin, with broader historical scope and significantly larger public funding.

Direct peers

• Museum für Kommunikation Nürnberg: Third sibling museum under MSPT, sharing the same communication-history curatorial mandate, parent foundation, and corporate sponsorship model. Together the three form the network the Berlin museum belongs to.
• Smithsonian National Postal Museum (Washington, DC): The US counterpart postal/communication museum with a comparable mandate (postal and communication history), shared subject matter including iconic philatelic artifacts, and parallel educational mission — frequently cited as the international analogue to the Berlin museum.
• Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum (Paderborn): Large German technology museum focused on information and communication technology history, with comparable permanent exhibition scale and educational mission positioning it as a national peer.
• Bröhan Museum Berlin: Berlin museum focused on Art Deco, functionalism, and communication-related design (poster, advertising, applied arts) — overlaps with MfK Berlin's communication-history subject in a different curatorial register.
• Technikmuseum Berlin: Berlin-based technology museum with overlapping technology-history subject matter (transport, communication, industrial heritage) targeting similar family, school, and tourist visitor segments.
• Deutsches Museum (Munich): Germany's flagship science and technology museum, with similar communication/technology exhibits, comparable educational programming for schools and families, and a recognized brand for science-pedagogy innovation.
• Museum für Kommunikation Bern: Swiss counterpart communication museum with near-identical curatorial mandate, comparable collection of communication artifacts, and similar educational programming targeting families and school groups.
• Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt: Sister museum under the same Museumsstiftung Post und Telekommunikation (MSPT) foundation, operating identical exhibitions on communication history with shared collections, governance, and Deutsche Post/Telekom sponsorship structure.

Emerging players

• Futurium Berlin: Federal government-funded Berlin museum focused on future technologies and human-machine interaction, partially overlapping MfK's communication-technology theme but oriented forward-looking rather than historical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mfk_berlin
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mfkberlin
• Facebookfacebook.com/mfk.berlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museum-f%C3%BCr-kommunikation-berlin
• Instagraminstagram.com/mfk_berlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum für Kommunikation Berlin