lifetime_bookstores in Berlin

Comprehensive guide to Berlin Germany with information on Bookstores.

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Berlin has a few excellent, independent bookstores each with a character of its own, so the avid reader, 'englischsprachige' of course, has a pretty good choice. The larger chain bookstores do have English language selections, but, with the exception of Kiepert, they tend to carry the bestsellers or the standards and don't offer as knowledgable staff or as wide a range of services.

Books in Berlin

bookberlin@aol.com
Goethestrasse 69, 10625 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 313 1233, Fax: no fax | S-Bahn Savignyplatz |

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This small bookstore just off the Knesebeckstrasse sells new and quality used books. They will buy your used books as well. Primarily American literature, but a good smattering of British. Accepts special orders. Friendly, down to earth service.

Bote & Bock

Hardenbergstrasse 9A, 10623 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 31 10 03 12, Fax: 31 10 03 38 | U Ernst-Reuter-Platz | Times: Mon-Fri 10-18:30, Sat 10-14

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Vis-à-vis the Fine Arts and Music College, Bote & Bock specializes in classical music, jazz and rock, with a large selection of sheet music as well as books about music theory and history and biographies about musical personalities. Many are in English, making Bote & Bock the bookstore of choice for those wanting to read major rock writers such as Greil Marcus, Nik Cohn or Nelson George in their native tongue or just to pick up the latest guilty pleasure glossy fanbook imported from the UK.

Buchexpress

Habelschwerdter Allee 4, 14195 Berlin - Dahlem | Tel: 831 40 04, Fax: 831 62 61 | S-Bahn Lichterfelde West | Times: Mon-Fri, 9-18, Sat, 9-13.

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This bookstore is a bit out of the way, especially considering there are better finds closer to the city center, but it's a favorite with university students because they receive reduced prices for books needed for their studies. Good English language video selection.

Bücherbogen

Kochstrasse 19, 10969 Berlin - Kreuzberg | Tel: 251 13 45, Fax: 25 11 73 | U6 Kochstraße | Times: Mon-Fri, 10-20, Sat, 10-16.

Their main branch is on Savignyplatz under the S-Bahn tracks, but the staff in Kochstrasse are friendlier and more helpful. A selection of architecture and art books in English, as well as some interesting media books. Worth a browse just to look at the pretty books.

Fair Exchange

Diefenbachstrasse 58, Berlin - Kreuzberg | Tel: 694 467 5, Fax: U-Bahn Südstern | Times: Mon/Tue/Fri, 11-18:30, Wed/Thu, 11-19:30, Sat, 10-14.

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Used books only, this bookstore has a surprisingly good selection of English literature in stock. Will buy your used books.

Hamburger Bahnhof

Invalidenstrasse 50-51, 10117 Berlin - Mitte | Tel: 39 78 98 70, Fax: no fax | S Lehrter Bahnhof, U6 Zinnowitzer Straße | Times: Tue-Fri 10-18, Sat/Sun 11-18

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This contemporary art museum has a nice bookstore just to the left of the entrance as you walk in. They have some English language books and have a good sale table.

Kiepert

www.kiepert.de
Hardenbergstrasse 45, 10623 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 31188-0, Fax: 31188-120 | U-Bahn Ernst-Reuter Platz | Times: Mo-Fri, 9-8pm, Sat, 9-4

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Large English-language department on the second floor, which also includes a well-selected history section. Kiepert will order books, but doesn't seem to have the same flexibility as some of the other bookstores mentioned here.

Literatur Handlung

Joachimstaler Str. 13, 10719 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 882 42 50, Fax: no fax | U1, U15 Kurfürstendamm | Times: Mon-Fri 9.30-18.30, Sat 9.30-14.

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Berlin's only Jewish bookstore. Literatur Handlung - the name means simply Literature Store - is something of an oasis, one of the few places in Berlin one can go and be thoroughly immersed in things Jewish. It's not large, but it's extremely well-stocked and a great browser's bookstore. Open since 1993, this is the latest branch of a store with outlets in Munich and Vienna.
About 10% of the offerings are in English. Strong suits include European Jewish history, books on the Third Reich and Jews under Nazism, and literature (the latter, however, all in German). Just about anything in print on Jewish Berlin can be found here too, but the vast majority, of course, is in German. There´s a good-sized Yiddish section and lots in Hebrew.
If the printed word leaves you cold, you can find plenty of CDs and cassette tapes: Israeli pop, Yiddish and klezmer music, and cantorial singing (including recordings of Berlin's own longstanding cantor, Estrongo Nachama). Literaturhandlung also sells calendars, cards, Jewish newspapers and magazines from Germany and abroad, as well as ritual objects such as mezuzim and kippot. Anything in the store is also available by mail order.

Marga Schoeller Bücherstube

Knesebeckstrasse 33, 10623 Berlin - Charlottenburg | Tel: 881 11 12/22, Fax: 881 84 79 | S-Bahn Savignyplatz | Times: Mon- Wed, 9:30-19:00 , Thurs, Fri, 9:30-20:00, Sat, 9:30-16:00.

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Marga Schoeller has been a well-known name in the bookselling industry for years, and her thoughtful selection of books and knowledgable staff explain why. Her strength is fiction, and you can always spot some unusual finds. Marga Schoeller is also helpful in ordering books.

Prinz Eisenherz Buchladen & Versand

Bleibtreustrasse 52, 10623 BerlinCharlottenberg | Tel: 313 9936, Fax: 313 1795 | S-Bahn Savignyplatz | Times: Mon-Fri, 10-7pm, Sat, 10-4pm

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An excellent bookstore for gay literature, as well as videos, CDs, newspapers, and magazines. Will gladly order anything they don't have in stock, regardless of its genre. Pleasant place to browse.

Village Voice

Ackerstrasse 1a, 10115 Berlin - Mitte | Tel: 282 45 50, Fax: no fax | U8 Rosenthalerplatz |

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Yes, the weekly of the same name counts among the reading matter here. Not the hugest selection of books, concentrating mostly on literary works by the classical modernists (modern classics?) Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Burroughs, Capote et al., plus the the bigwigs of the postmodernists, Auster, Boyle etc. But a nice place to browse because of the generous opening hours and integrated cafe. Shows films in the English OV on video every Thursday.