The planetarium and observatory located in Berlin-Schöneberg (Berliner Planetarium und Sternwarte Wilhelm Foerster) are named after astronomer Wilhelm Foerster, who was director of the Berlin Observatory from 1865 to 1903 and co-founder of Gesellschaft Urania, a society devoted to promoting astronomy to a broader public audience. The Verein Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte, an association founded in 1953, now operates the planetarium and observatory and also works to continue the tradition upon which they were founded.
The observatory was opened in 1963 on a post-WWII rubble hill known as the "Insulaner." It became home to the so-called "Bamberg Refractor" built in 1889 and taken from the Urania building, which had been destroyed in the war. The planetarium was built two years later, at the foot of the Insulaner. The proximity of these two institutions to one another is unique in Europe.
When the weather is clear, the observatory provides a stunning view of celestial bodies. With the help of a large telescope, visitors can make out craters and mountains on the earth's moon and observe other planets and their moons. The sun, its spots and a huge number of stars, nebulas and galaxies can also be seen.
In the 300-seat planetarium, visitors are guaranteed a gloriously starry sky no matter what the weather or visibility conditions. Over 4,000 stars, comets, meteor showers, coordinate systems, constellations and eclipses of the sun and moon can be projected onto the artificial sky of the 20-metre dome. The movements of celestial bodies are simulated in a fast-forward motion. A number of lectures, audio presentations, readings, laser shows and special programs for children also help to introduce visitors to the secrets of the universe.