The Pulverturm — the Powder Tower — is a squat round tower that was once part of Bernau's defensive circuit and served as a gunpowder store. It now houses the Wolf Kahlen Intermedia Arts Museum, a small but genuinely unusual exhibition space dedicated to media art, video installation, and digital work. Wolf Kahlen is a Berlin-based artist who has used the tower as both studio and gallery since the 1970s.
The combination of a medieval tower interior — bare brick, narrow slits, low vaults — and contemporary screen-based art creates an oddly effective atmosphere. The collection rotates and the space is small; a visit takes about 45 minutes. It is an offbeat choice that most visitors to Bernau will walk straight past, which is a shame.