Haus am Kleistpark

Katharina Kaiser, *12. Februar 1947, † 1. August 2026

The Tempelhof-Schöneberg District Office mourns the loss of Katharina Kaiser, former head of the Arts Office

It is with great sadness that the Tempelhof-Schöneberg District Office has learnt of the death of the former head of the Arts Office, Katharina Kaiser (12 February 1947 – 1 August 2026).

Katharina Kaiser headed the Arts Office at the Haus am Kleistpark from 1982 until her retirement in 2011. During this time, she had a particularly significant influence on the district’s municipal arts and cultural work. With great dedication, professional expertise and a keen eye for contemporary art, particularly photography, she developed the Haus am Kleistpark into an exhibition venue recognised far beyond the district’s borders.

Under her leadership, an open forum for dialogue between art, society and urban history was created. She provided important impetus for the promotion of the arts and initiated projects whose impact is still felt today. These include, in particular, the exhibition ‘Wir waren Nachbarn’ (‘We Were Neighbours’) at Schöneberg Town Hall, which commemorates the lives and persecution of Jewish people from Schöneberg during the Nazi era and remains an important site of remembrance to this day.

District Councillor for Schools, Sport, Further Education and Culture, Tobias Dollase:
“Katharina Kaiser never viewed her work as an administrative duty, but rather as an invitation. She brought together people who would otherwise never have met – both at the Haus am Kleistpark and at Schöneberg Town Hall. We are very grateful to her for this commitment spanning almost three decades.”

Katharina Kaiser has had a lasting influence on the cultural development of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. Her work remains inextricably linked to the Haus am Kleistpark and the borough’s municipal arts and remembrance initiatives.

The Tempelhof-Schöneberg Borough Office would like to thank Katharina Kaiser for her many years of service and her exceptional commitment to art and culture in the borough. Our thoughts are with her family and all those who were close to her.

Department of Art, Culture and Museums
Dr Irene von Götz
Tel.: (030) 90277-6163
Presse-museum@ba-ts.berlin.de