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 Café Tiergarten
Where Community Gathers




Sunlight filters through the tall windows of Café Tiergarten, casting warm patterns on the wooden tables and chairs. The scent of freshly roasted coffee hangs in the air, mingling with the soft murmur of conversation. Though not a century-old institution, this ground-floor café in Berlin’s Hansaviertel feels like a living archive of the neighborhood, where every corner seems to hold a story. Outside, the green expanse of the park moves gently in the breeze, while inside, friends gather, readers linger, and the rhythm of community life carries on quietly yet vibrantly.




Café Tiergarten wasn’t founded by a historic enterprise or a famous chef. Instead, it was brought to life by three modern residents passionate about community and culture: curator Leonie Herweg, artist-entrepreneur Simon Freund, and experienced restaurateur Nicolas Mertens. Between 2023 and 2024, through negotiations with the landlord, crowdfunding, and careful restoration, they revived this long-unused space in a modernist building.




The café is located on the ground floor of Schwedenhaus, a modernist building complex from the 1957 Interbau international building exhibition. In the mid-20th century, it housed a bakery run by Wittler, then the largest bread manufacturer in Europe, serving the community’s daily needs. Over the following decades, the space continued as a neighborhood café, embedding itself into local life. Though it stood vacant for several years after a period of closure, every wall and window still holds the memories and warmth of the community.









Café Tiergarten’s charm lies in its simplicity. Wooden tables bear the marks of generations, pastries are baked fresh daily, and soft conversations fill the air. Outside, the park continues its quiet rhythm—autumn leaves, winter snow, spring blooms—framing the café as a living, breathing part of the city. Visitors come not just for coffee, but for the experience of slowing down, for a sense of continuity in a city that constantly moves forward.




Through the decades, the café witnessed the city’s transformations. During the Weimar Republic, intellectuals and artists would gather over coffee, exchanging ideas and inspiration. During the war, while much of the city was scarred, the café remained a quiet haven. In post-war Berlin, as the park was restored, it continued to serve as a place for families, friends, and travelers to pause, reconnect, and simply be.


Address

Altonaer Straße 3, 10557 Berlin, Germany

Website

https://cafetiergarten.berlin/






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Neighbor is a magazine about the people and places that feel close to home, no matter where you are. We believe that creativity lives everywhere — sometimes just down the street. In Neighbor, you’ll meet artists, designers, chefs, and other creative souls in their own spaces: sharing a meal, showing you their studios, or telling stories from their childhoods.

We also explore cities through their hidden gems: cafés, bookstores, galleries, and little corners worth visiting. Our goal is to capture moments that feel intimate and alive, presenting them in a simple, approachable way — because fascinating stories don’t need to be complicated.

Neighbor is for those who are curious, who want to connect with people, and who believe that inspiration can be found in the lives of our neighbors, wherever they may be.







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