Meistersaal
A protected historic concert hall in Berlin that became internationally known as Hansa Tonstudio's Studio 2 and now operates primarily as an event and cultural venue.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Meistersaal is a historic concert hall and cultural venue in Berlin, Germany. Located at Köthener Straße 38 near Potsdamer Platz, the building was conceived at the beginning of the twentieth century as the headquarters of the Real Estate Association of Berlin and its Suburbs. Construction took roughly three years, and the building opened in October 1913. At its centre was a 266-square-metre chamber-music room, which became known as the Meistersaal. The hall was designed for concerts, meetings, guild ceremonies and related cultural activity rather than as a commercial consumer brand in the conventional sense. During the 1920s, the venue became connected with Berlin's broader artistic and literary life. Publishers, gallery operators, writers, silent-film performers and cabaret artists used or occupied parts of the building. A 1921 reading by Kurt Tucholsky and appearances by performers including Carl de Vogt and Ludwig Hardt reflected the hall's position within the city's interwar cultural scene. The presence of Malik-Verlag and the George Grosz Gallery also gave the address an association with politically and socially engaged modern art, although the building's conservative guild owners later declined to renew the gallery and publisher leases. The building survived the Second World War with the main hall comparatively intact, despite the destruction of its rear wing during a bombing raid in November 1943. After 1945, the property was placed under Allied control and underwent essential repairs. It was used for concerts, cinema and cabaret, and was successively known as Ballhaus City and Ballhaus Susi. This phase ended after the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, when the hall's central location became a major geographic disadvantage. From 1961, the venue was used as a recording studio by the Ariola record label. In 1976, Meisel Musikverlage acquired the building and developed five Hansa Tonstudio facilities there. The Meistersaal became Studio 2, a recording room whose acoustic character, historic interior and location close to the Berlin Wall attracted artists from Germany and abroad. The studio hosted work by David Bowie, U2, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Eartha Kitt, Marillion, Snow Patrol and many other performers. Its association with Bowie's Berlin period, including the creation and recording of material connected with “Heroes,” became central to the hall's international reputation. U2's Achtung Baby was the final major production completed there before Studio 2 closed. Following German reunification, the economic rationale for a large traditional recording room weakened as the recording industry changed and the location lost its Cold War-era isolation. Thomas Meisel chose to restore the room and return it as closely as possible to its original appearance. Restoration began in 1993 and took approximately eighteen months, guided in part by rediscovered documentation from the hall's 1913 opening. The venue reopened for cultural programming in 1994, but performances were difficult to sustain without public support. After further management changes and technical refurbishment, it reopened again in 2009 under BESL Business Event Services & Locations GmbH. Today, Meistersaal functions primarily as a private event location, concert and cultural venue, and heritage site. Its approximately 650-square-metre ensemble includes the 266-square-metre main hall, foyer, stage, dressing rooms and the 79-square-metre Grüner Salon. The protected interior combines a seven-metre-high wooden coffered ceiling, classical ornament, gold detailing and restored foyer features with modern lighting and sound equipment. Emil Berliner Studios also moved into the premises in 2010, reintroducing professional music recording to the building. The venue's present identity therefore combines architectural heritage, music history, event hospitality and recording services.
History
Meistersaal originated as the chamber-music room of a Berlin association headquarters built at Köthener Straße 38. The Real Estate Association of Berlin and its Suburbs acquired the site in 1910, and the completed building was opened in October 1913 by association chairman Otto Heuer. The central hall hosted concerts, meetings and guild graduation ceremonies. In the 1920s, the venue became part of Berlin's avant-garde cultural environment. Kurt Tucholsky read there in 1921, while actors, silent-film personalities and cabaret performers appeared at the venue. Malik-Verlag and the George Grosz Gallery occupied ground-floor premises, but their leases were not renewed after exhibitions drew criticism from the conservative guild administration. From 1933, concerts by the State Chamber Music Orchestra were held in the hall. In 1936, pianist Claudio Arrau presented a series devoted to the complete piano works of Johann Sebastian Bach. An Allied bombing raid in November 1943 destroyed the rear wing, although the principal hall survived relatively well. During the war, cultural activity ceased. After 1945, the guild was dispossessed and the building was placed under Allied control. Following repairs, the hall returned to concert and entertainment use, with a cinema on the ground floor. It was renamed Ballhaus City in 1948 and Ballhaus Susi in 1953, becoming associated with cabaret and popular entertainment. The Berlin Wall's construction in 1961 sharply reduced public access and ended this period. Ariola then used the premises as a recording studio. In 1976, Meisel Musikverlage acquired the building and created the Hansa Tonstudio complex, converting the Meistersaal into Studio 2. The room became famous for its distinctive acoustics and atmospheric location near the Wall. International and German artists recorded there, including David Bowie, U2, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Eartha Kitt, Nena, Nina Hagen, Udo Lindenberg and many others. The hall's connection with Bowie's Berlin work and the final Studio 2 production, U2's Achtung Baby, cemented its status in popular-music history. After reunification, the end of the Wall-era environment and the changing economics of recording reduced the viability of Studio 2. Thomas Meisel initiated a restoration in 1993, using archival images and a 1913 commemorative brochure to guide the reconstruction. The hall reopened in 1994, initially presenting concerts, readings, theatre and choral events. Financial sustainability proved difficult without state support, leading to management changes after 2002. A further technical refurbishment preceded a 2009 reopening under BESL Business Event Services & Locations GmbH. Since then, Meistersaal has operated mainly as an event and cultural venue. Emil Berliner Studios moved into the building in 2010, giving the site a renewed recording function. The building is protected and retains its historic façade, foyer, coffered ceiling, decorative woodwork and Grüner Salon while accommodating contemporary sound, lighting and event infrastructure.
- 2010
Emil Berliner Studios moves in
[1]The relocation restored a recording-studio presence to the building.
- 2009
Event-venue reopening
[1]After technical work, Meistersaal reopened under BESL as an event and cultural venue.
- 1993
Historic restoration begins
[1]Thomas Meisel began an extensive restoration designed to recover the hall's original architectural character.
- 1991
Studio 2 closes
[1]Studio 2 ceased operations after a final period associated with U2's Achtung Baby.
- 1989
Fall of the Berlin Wall changes the venue's position
[1]Reunification removed the geographic isolation that had helped make the studio attractive, while recording-industry demand was also changing.
- 1976
Hansa Studio 2 established
[1]Meisel Musikverlage developed the building into the Hansa Tonstudio complex and designated the Meistersaal as Studio 2.
- 1961
Ariola recording-studio era begins
[1]Ariola began using the premises for recording, taking advantage of the site's quiet position near the Berlin Wall.
- 1948
Renamed Ballhaus City
[1]The postwar entertainment venue adopted the name Ballhaus City before later becoming Ballhaus Susi.
- 1943
Rear wing destroyed in wartime bombing
[1]A bombing raid destroyed the rear wing, while the principal Meistersaal remained comparatively intact.
- 1921
Kurt Tucholsky reading
[1]Writer Kurt Tucholsky gave a reading at the hall, reflecting its role in interwar Berlin's cultural scene.
Products and positioning
A protected Berlin heritage venue positioned at the intersection of concert-hall architecture, cultural events, premium location hire and internationally recognized recording history.
Concert and event venue · 1913
Meistersaal main hall
The 266-square-metre principal hall is the site's signature space. It has a seven-metre-high wooden coffered ceiling, restored decorative detailing, a built-in stage, dressing rooms and modern sound and lighting systems installed with regard to the building's protected status. It is used for concerts, cultural programmes, receptions, corporate events, filming and private hire.
Hospitality and event space · 1994
Grüner Salon
The 79-square-metre Grüner Salon is the ensemble's bar and hospitality room. Its green decorative scheme, fixed bar and period-style ceiling ornament complement the main hall. The room has served different functions over time, including a restaurant during the Ballhaus period and an editor's suite during the recording-studio era.
Recording studio · 1961
Music recording facilities
The building has hosted recording operations under Ariola, Hansa Tonstudio and later Emil Berliner Studios. Its reputation rests on the distinctive acoustic and visual character of the historic hall, which attracted both German and international artists and remains part of Berlin's recorded-music heritage.
Brand decisions
2009
Reopen as an event-location businessStrategyBackground
Earlier cultural programming had struggled to cover operating costs without state support, and the building required further technical work.
Action taken
Following refurbishment, BESL Business Event Services & Locations GmbH reopened and operated Meistersaal as an event and cultural location.
Aftermath
The venue developed a contemporary event-hire role while retaining its architectural and recording heritage.
1993
Restore the historic hall for cultural useStrategyBackground
After Studio 2 became economically impractical, the owner sought to preserve the building's heritage and establish a new operating model.
Action taken
Thomas Meisel commissioned an extensive restoration based on the hall's original appearance and reopened it for events and cultural programming.
Aftermath
Meistersaal shifted from a specialist recording room to a venue for concerts, readings, theatre, private events and later renewed recording activity.
1976
Convert the hall into Hansa Studio 2StrategyBackground
The building's recording use had developed under Ariola, and Meisel Musikverlage sought to create a larger multi-studio recording complex.
Action taken
The company acquired the building, established five Hansa Tonstudio rooms and adapted the Meistersaal as Studio 2.
Aftermath
The hall became internationally associated with major pop and rock recordings, especially artists working in Berlin during the Cold War period.
Sources1 sources
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