Artist café in Bellevue street
Café Josty was a well-known artists’ café, located from 1880 to 1930 at Bellevuestraße 21 overlooking Potsdamer Platz. This was already the busiest transport hub in the city at the turn of the century, with the Potsdam long-distance train station, the subway, which opened in 1902, and numerous bus and streetcar connections.
It was an important meeting place, especially for Expressionist and New Objectivity artists. Käthe Kollwitz often met there with friends and relatives. She also enjoyed listening to lectures at the Urania and concerts at the Philharmonie; this fun-loving side of the otherwise serious artist also shines through in her diary entries.
The building was badly damaged during the war and demolished in 1947. The new Café Josty in the Sony Center has only the name in common with the traditional café and is located about 200 meters from the former location.
