Berlin’s “Triratna Buddhist Community” (formerly “Friends of the Western Buddhist Order”) has existed since the early 1990s. The order was founded in the UK in 1967 and is a member of a network of “spiritual friendship” that makes no distinction between secular and religious specialists. The first centre in Germany was opened in Essen in 1982.

The Berlin community’s meetings initially took place in people’s homes. In 1997, it rented the former offices of the Charité Hospital, and opened the “Buddhist Gate” there in 1998. With the help of a donation from an English company in 2009, the community purchased a building on the former site of the hospital. In January 2013, the new “Buddhist Gate” was opened.

Previous to this, extensive renovation work had been carried out across the entire site. The construction group “Am Urban”, with around 140 developers, had bought the land from the Vivantes Group for 13 million euros. It contracted the architectural firm Graetz to convert the former hospital site, which dates back to the late 19th century. Most buildings have now been converted into apartments.