Want to know my personal all-time favourite and a must-visit for any culture vulture visiting or living in Berlin? This is it, the ‘culture store’ in Berlin’s central Friedrichstrasse, KK (KulturKaufhaus) Dussmann. I’ve been coming here practically every Friday after work, to celebrate the start of the weekend 🙂
There are two things I like most about Dussmann: the International Bookshop and their music section. The former, despite its name, is really more of an English bookshop. There are editions in French, Spanish, Russian etc. but the department is overwhelmingly English. They have a huge fiction section, an extensive Berlin and Germany interest section, and all kinds of non-fiction – history, economics, politics, geography, philosophy, religion, linguistics, cooking, gardening, manga and much much more. There is an amazing poetry section as well, and that’s just in English! In addition, there are two worthy shelves that you bump into right after you climb the staircase – the staff recommendations and the new arrivals. Always top quality things there. The books are constantly updated, and all the “tasty” latest titles are sure to be here. I’ll tell you a secret – you don’t even have to buy anything, just come here for a bookworm’s nightcap – picking a couple of books and leafing through them while sitting on one of the leather armchairs kindly provided by Dussman 🙂
Now the music. Did you know that Dussman’s classical music department is the largest in the world? I’ve stumbled upon some really good CD’s here, like my Naxos 30th Anniversary set, at a knock-down price. Besides classics, they have an impressive jazz, rock, pop and folk collections, and I especially recommend looking at the CD’s (some of the sets are sold at discounted prices). They also have a decent vinyl section (mostly jazz and rock), but the prices there are still higher than you pay at Amazon. A nice bonus – there is an opportunity to have a listen to a disk before purchase – just scan it, put the provided headphones on and enjoy!
And what is the most important thing to me – you can tell that everything is done with love here, all the themed installations, decorations, bookshelf arrangements. I heard that Dussman was actually among the first to protest against the German policy that all shops should be closed on Sundays, unsuccessfully so far 🙁 I wouldn’t mind if they do succeed, though, because that would mean having a chance to treat yourself seven days a week!
This is an okay bookstore for English readers with mostly bestsellers (similar to a Barnes Noble without the helpful sales people!) Not a great selection of classics and literature but they do have a section of translated German authors. I actually found a better selection of English contemporary literature and classics at Thalia, a general chain in Berlin, where one can also read at little tables and chairs. The cafe downstairs is nice and a good respite but unfortunately poor service—considering their very expensive menu. (They even charged us for tap water!)