Berlin Zoological Garden

Berlin Zoological Garden, commonly known as Zoo Berlin, is Germany's oldest surviving zoo and one of the country's best-known cultural and tourist institutions. It opened on 1 August 1844 in Berlin's Tiergarten and developed from a royal initiative supported by animals donated by Frederick William IV of Prussia from the menagerie on Pfaueninsel and from the Tiergarten pheasantry. The institution later became closely associated with the surrounding Zoologischer Garten transport hub, which opened in 1882 and helped make the zoo accessible to visitors from across Berlin and beyond. The zoo occupies approximately 35 hectares and maintains a collection of roughly 1,380 species and more than 20,000 animals, although exact counts change over time. Its collection includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. The associated aquarium, opened in 1913, forms an important part of the visitor experience and houses aquatic animals as well as many of the complex's reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Major animal areas include the great-ape collection, carnivore house, bird house, walk-through aviaries, large herbivore enclosures and nocturnal-animal displays. The zoo has also been known for exhibiting species that are uncommon in zoological collections, including tuatara and Luzon tarictic hornbills. Berlin Zoo's history reflects both the development of modern zoological institutions and the darker legacies of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century exhibition culture. Between 1878 and 1932 it hosted a number of Völkerschauen, or ethnographic shows, in which Indigenous people were displayed to paying audiences. These included exhibitions involving Nubian, Inuit and Kawesqar people. Such practices are now understood as racist and exploitative, and they form an important part of the institution's historical record. During the Nazi period, Jewish board members were removed, Jewish shareholders were pressured to sell their holdings, and Jewish visitors were excluded from 1939. The zoo's then director, Lutz Heck, also held a senior state conservation position under Hermann Göring. The zoo suffered catastrophic damage during the Second World War. Allied bombing in 1943 destroyed much of the aquarium, while fighting in April 1945 caused further destruction. A postwar inventory found that only 91 of 3,715 animals had survived. The surviving collection included the elephant Siam, the hippopotamus Knautschke and a small number of predators, primates and birds. Rebuilding introduced more naturalistic display principles and a renewed emphasis on breeding rare species. Because the zoo stood in West Berlin, East Berlin later established a separate institution, Tierpark Berlin. In the modern era, Berlin Zoo combines public exhibition, education, conservation breeding and scientific cooperation. It participates in European breeding programmes, maintains studbooks for species including black and Indian rhinoceroses and gaurs, and supports species-protection and reintroduction work with international partners. Its public profile has been shaped by individual animals, especially the polar bear Knut, the giant panda Bao Bao, the gorilla Fatou and the elephant Pang Pha. The zoo and aquarium attracted more than 3.5 million visitors in 2017 and remain major attractions for both Berlin residents and international tourists. At the same time, the institution has faced criticism over its Nazi-era history, historical ethnographic exhibitions, animal-management practices, workplace conditions and the balance between entertainment, education and conservation.

Berlin Zoological Garden opened on 1 August 1844 as the second zoo established in Germany, after the short-lived Thiergarten in Hamburg-Horn. Its initial animals came largely from the Prussian royal collections, including the menagerie at Pfaueninsel and the Tiergarten pheasantry. The zoo's location in central Berlin and the opening of the nearby railway station in 1882 supported its growth into a major public attraction. The aquarium was added in 1913. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the zoo expanded its collections and also participated in the era's exploitative exhibition practices. From 1878 through 1932, it hosted approximately 25 Völkerschauen, or ethnographic shows, in which Indigenous people were placed on display. These included a Nubian exhibition, an exhibition of Inuit people and a display involving Kawesqar people forcibly brought from Tierra del Fuego. Contemporary crowds could be extremely large, and the shows were framed through racial theories that are now discredited and condemned. The institution was also implicated in Nazi persecution and state structures. In 1938, Jewish board members were removed and Jewish shareholders were forced to sell their holdings at a loss as part of the Aryanization of the institution. From 1939, Jews were barred from visiting. Director Lutz Heck became the senior official responsible for nature conservation within the Reich forestry administration, a position obtained through his relationship with Hermann Göring. The Second World War almost destroyed the zoo. Bombing began affecting the grounds in 1941, with especially severe attacks on 22 and 23 November 1943. The aquarium was destroyed by a direct hit, and many animals died. During the Battle of Berlin, artillery fire struck the zoo area from 22 April 1945 onward. Keepers had to kill some dangerous animals, while others escaped or were killed during the fighting. An inventory on 31 May 1945 recorded only 91 survivors from a population of 3,715 animals. Among them were the elephant Siam, the hippopotamus Knautschke, two lion cubs, two hyenas, primates and a black stork. Reconstruction after the war adopted more naturalistic enclosure and display principles. Berlin's division created a distinctive institutional rivalry: Berlin Zoo remained in the western part of the city, while Tierpark Berlin was developed in the east. The zoo rebuilt its animal collection through international cooperation and breeding programmes and gradually became known for rare species, successful reproduction and a broad range of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. The Nazi-era treatment of Jewish shareholders received little public attention until 2000, when Werner Cohn asked what had happened to shares once held by his father. After initially denying that Jewish shareholders had been forced to sell, the zoo acknowledged the issue amid public criticism and commissioned historical research to identify shareholders and descendants. In the twenty-first century, the zoo's public identity has been strongly influenced by individual animals. Knut, born in 2006 and hand-reared by keeper Thomas Dörflein after rejection by his mother, became an international media celebrity. Bao Bao, a giant panda associated with the zoo for decades, also became a symbol of Berlin's international connections. Giant pandas returned in 2017, and Meng Meng produced twin cubs in 2019 and another pair in 2024. Alongside its visitor mission, Berlin Zoo participates in European breeding programmes, maintains studbooks, works with universities and conservation organizations, and supports endangered-species protection and reintroduction efforts. Its history nevertheless remains contested because of its links to colonial-era display, Nazi persecution, animal-management controversies and recent workplace criticism.

• 2024

  Meng Meng gives birth to two female cubs

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  A second pair of twin panda cubs was born on 22 August 2024.

• 2019

  First panda twins of the new Berlin period are born

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  Meng Meng gave birth to twin male cubs named Pit and Paule.

• 2017

  Giant pandas return

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  Jiao Qing and Meng Meng arrived under a breeding-loan arrangement with China.

• 2006

  Knut is born

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The polar bear cub was born on 5 December and later became the zoo's most internationally recognized modern animal.

• 1984

  Elephant Gate is reconstructed

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The entrance destroyed during the war was rebuilt according to its original plans.

• 1945

  War leaves only 91 surviving animals

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  A postwar inventory recorded 91 survivors from 3,715 animals.

• 1938

  Jewish shareholders and board members are removed

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The institution participated in the forced exclusion and dispossession of Jewish stakeholders under Nazi rule.

• 1913

  Aquarium opens

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The aquarium became part of the Zoological Garden complex and expanded the institution's aquatic and herpetological collections.

• 1882

  Nearby Zoologischer Garten station opens

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The adjacent transport station opened and strengthened the zoo's role as a major public destination.

• 1878

  First Völkerschau held at the zoo

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The zoo hosted its first ethnographic exhibition, beginning a long period in which Indigenous people were displayed to visitors.

• 1844

  Berlin Zoological Garden opens

  [1]Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org

  The zoo opened to the public on 1 August 1844 in Berlin's Tiergarten.

A historic, centrally located zoological garden positioned around species diversity, public access, conservation breeding, education and the emotional appeal of highly recognizable animals.

• Zoological garden · 1844

  Zoo Berlin

  The principal zoological collection covers approximately 35 hectares and presents a large range of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Major attractions include great apes, big cats, rare predators, elephants, rhinoceroses, birds and regular feeding presentations. The collection is supported by breeding, research and conservation partnerships.

• Aquarium and animal exhibit · 1913

  Berlin Aquarium

  Opened in 1913, the aquarium forms part of the Berlin Zoological Garden complex. It presents aquatic life and houses much of the institution's collection of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, complementing the terrestrial animal exhibits.

• Educational service

  Education and guided tours

  The zoo offers educational programming, keeper presentations and guided tours intended to explain animal biology, zoological management and conservation. The scale of these services has varied, and staffing shortages reportedly led to restrictions on guided tours in 2023.

• 2023

  Education department faces workplace criticism

  Education employees alleged exploitation, disrespect and a decline in the priority given to educational quality. Terminations and resignations reportedly reduced staffing and restricted guided-tour capacity.

  Source

• 2008

  Animal sales and killing practices criticized

  The zoo director faced allegations concerning the sale of animals for slaughter or to buyers in China. He also acknowledged killing feral kittens found on the premises, provoking criticism of his management practices.

  Source

• 2000

  Historical treatment of Jewish shareholders becomes public controversy

  Questions from Werner Cohn about shares held by his father prompted renewed scrutiny of the zoo's role in Nazi-era Aryanization. After initially denying forced sales, the institution acknowledged the issue and commissioned historical research.

  Source

Read more

• 2017Return of the giant pandas

  Germany · China · International tourism

  The arrival of Jiao Qing and Meng Meng renewed the zoo's long-running association with giant pandas and strengthened its international public profile.

  Outcome. The programme produced twin births in 2019 and another pair of cubs in 2024.

  Source
• 2007Knut public engagement

  Germany · International media markets

  The hand-rearing and public presentation of Knut generated extensive international media coverage, licensed merchandise and a major increase in public interest in Berlin Zoo.

  Outcome. Knut became a global symbol of the zoo and one of its most commercially significant animal personalities.

  Source
• Species conservation and breeding partnerships

  Germany · Europe · International

  Berlin Zoo participates in European breeding programmes, maintains studbooks for selected endangered species and supports conservation organizations and reintroduction projects.

  Outcome. The zoo remains an active participant in coordinated ex-situ conservation, although individual programme results vary by species.

  Source

• 2017

  Enter a new giant-panda breeding-loan arrangementM&A

  Background

  After the earlier era associated with Bao Bao, Berlin Zoo sought to renew its giant-panda programme.

  Action taken

  Jiao Qing and Meng Meng arrived from China under a breeding loan.

  Aftermath

  The programme produced panda births in 2019 and 2024 and became a prominent visitor attraction.

  Source

• 1945

  Rebuild around more naturalistic animal presentationStrategy

  Background

  Wartime destruction left the zoo with only a small fraction of its prewar animals and damaged much of its infrastructure.

  Action taken

  The zoo and aquarium were reconstructed with enclosure designs intended to approximate natural habitats more closely.

  Aftermath

  The rebuilt institution restored its collection and developed a stronger emphasis on breeding rare species and conservation cooperation.

  Source

• 1913

  Add an aquarium to the zoological complexProduct launch

  Background

  The zoo expanded beyond terrestrial animal display as public zoological institutions increasingly developed specialized aquatic collections.

  Action taken

  An aquarium was opened as part of the Zoological Garden complex.

  Aftermath

  The aquarium became a permanent component of the institution and a major home for aquatic, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate exhibits.

  Source

1. 1Berlin Zooen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Zoo Berlin official websitezoo-berlin.de