Large Late‑Medieval Stone Cellar Unearthed at Berlin’s Molkenmarkt

Overview

• Archaeologists publicly revealed the stone cellar on Wednesday after multi-year excavations at Molkenmarkt and dated it to the 14th or early 15th century.
• The room measures about 8.5 meters by 7.5 meters and contains substantial wall remains, niches and light and ventilation openings that suggest commercial use.
• Project scientists say the cellar likely belonged to a large representative building and may have served as a Kauf- or Handelskeller, a medieval trade or storage space.
• The remains are unusually well preserved because wartime destruction left them buried and post-1945 infilling sealed the site, and teams will re-cover the exposed cellar in the coming days to protect it.
• Excavations at Molkenmarkt began in 2019, are planned through 2027, and city officials call the campaign one of Germany’s largest urban-archaeological projects with further study and documentation to follow.