Lothar Nest and his Berlin World Judo Museum – A life on the mat

Lothar Nest, 10th Dan holder in various martial arts, was in Japan for a long time and trained there.

The museum rooms, says Nest, the 78-year-old museum director who still teaches judo and jiu-jitsu daily, all deal with different themes.

“The Japanese honor room, the Olympic honor room, then the printing shop, the library, the jacket museum, the poster museum, and here again a room where we then do auctions, where we then say: ‘Bares für Rares’ and that’s always for donated to good causes.”

Nest has exhibited many items from his own martial arts career here, such as combat belts, jackets, trophies, certificates, medals and more.

“I also have all of Werner Seelenbinder’s things, who the Nazis murdered. Did they donate to me for the museum, the descendants.”

The museum rooms are usually located below the training halls. The walls are densely hung and pasted with old posters, certificates, letters and photographs. Old Gis lie or hang everywhere – judo suits or samurai swords and knives, there are awards such as trophies and honorary cups, there are Budo books.

“Here is the entire history of judo in the world. From 1882, the first German championships, 1926, you can see the pictures. Original documents, also from the cruel Hitler era, can then be seen. I am very proud that all famous people come to me.

One could spend days in Lothar Nest’s World Judo Museum listening to his stories, in which the likes of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone and others casually appear.

A life dedicated to martial arts, says Lothar Nest thoughtfully, his own and that of the many others who left him their memories in the form of certificates, letters, medals and other things.