The Harnack House was built in 1929 as a conference center and guest house for the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft, conceived in 1909 to encourage development in all branches of science, but particularly in physics and organic chemistry.

The first head of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft was Alexander von Harnack, an eminet theologian. Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Max von Laue, Werner Heisenberg, Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner were all members. The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft became a center of international scientific exchange after World War I.

In June 1942 an important meeting took place at the Harnack House between leading phsicists and chiefs of German war production. The Germans decided at this meeting not to assign priority to the building of an atomic bomb.

After the war, when the U.S. forces got this part of Berlin (US-sector), the Harnack House became an American officers club and visitors quarters. On the other side of Ihnestrasse a new building was build - the Dahlem Guest House.

The Fiddlers Green Bar was located at the ground floor. Every Friday afternoon there was “happy hour” with raffle, small prizes and karaoke. In the hallway to the bar there were glass cabinets containing the beer mugs of the club members. I miss Sean the irish bar keeper, on St. Patricks Day he served green beer.

During lunch time you could order your meal at the restaurant and in summertime the iced tea was great.

The Marine Bar was a nice place to enjoy the Saturday nights. At the early Sunday morning the outer appearance of some guests has changed.

Affiliated to the club there was a hotel. In 1992 the elevator burned out. The heat damaged the most of the hotel. During the renovation work additional fire protection doors were installed.

The building is now used by the Max Planck Gesellschaft
(http://www.harnackhaus-berlin.mpg.de/eng-index.htm)





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