History:
There are five museums that make up
the famous Museum Island of Berlin.
These museums are located between the Spree and Kupfergraaben Rivers. King Friedrich Wilhelm III commissioned the construction
of the Altes Musum in 1830, which is when these museums started. The museum was built to allow the general
public to view the “royal art treasures” of Germany. Technically the idea for the Museum Island
was not planned until around 1841, which is when Friedrich August Stuler
proposed the idea. His goal was to
create a cultural center on the island which he wanted to be praised by all. In 1859 the New Museum was complete. In 1876, the Old National Gallery was
completed. The Bode Museum was added in
1904, and the final museum, Pergamon, was completed in 1930.
Unfortunately, nearly 70% of the
buildings were destroyed during World War II.
After the war, the collections were split amongst East and West Berlin.
Fortunately, reconstruction and
de-modernization program was started at the end of the 20th century
to restore all five museums.
The Museums:
Old National Gallery (Alte
Nationalgalerie):
Owns one of the largest collections
of 19th century sculpture and paintings by well-known artists in
Germany. These artists are of current
Germans as well as a display of French Impressionist pieces.
Old Museum (Altes Museum):
This museum houses ancient Greek and
Roman artifacts. It was, however, built
originally to display the treasure of the royal family. This museum resembles a Greek Corinthian
Temple.
The Bode Museum:
This museum shows a large collection
of sculptures and a selection of paintings from the Germaldegalerie.
The Neues Museum:
This museum houses a collection of prehistoric
Egyptian works of art. It is connected to
the Altes Museum via walkway.
Pergamon Museum:
A collection of Greek and Babylonian
antiques are housed in the
ALL PHOTOS AND INFO:
"Museum Island." , Berlin. A View On Cities, n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.
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