The Museum Island in Berlin (German: Museumsinsel) – the northern part of the Spree Island, located on the River Spree in the center of Berlin, where one of the most important museum complexes in the world is situated, including: the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the New Museum, the Old National Gallery, and the Old Museum. The collections of the Museum Island mainly consist of archaeological exhibits and artworks from the 19th century.
In 1999, the Museum Island, as a unique architectural and cultural ensemble, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Bode Museum
The Bode Museum (German: Bode-Museum) – A Neo-Baroque building erected between 1897 and 1904 based on the design by the royal architect Ernst von Ihne. The museum was originally named after Emperor Frederick III – the Emperor Frederick Museum. In the 1950s, the museum was renamed after the first general director of the Berlin Royal Museums, Wilhelm von Bode (1845-1929).
Key collections
- Collection of modern painting and sculpture – including works by Donatello, Verrocchio, Bernini.
- Collection of ivory sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Collection of Byzantine art.
- Numismatic department containing collections of coins from the 7th century BC to the 20th century.
The Pergamon Museum
The Pergamon Museum (German: Pergamonmuseum) – A museum renowned for its reconstruction of the Great Altar of Zeus (Pergamon Altar). The museum is also famous for its collection of ancient architecture and Hellenistic sculpture, including the Ishtar Gate.
Key Collections:
Antiquities Collection (Antikensammlung)
The main attraction is undoubtedly the Great Altar of Zeus (180–160 BCE). Its sculpted frieze is one of the masterpieces of Hellenistic art, depicting Olympian gods battling with the Giants. Another example of Roman architecture is the Market Gate – a reconstruction of the entrance to the market in the Roman city of Miletus in Asia Minor from around 100 CE.
Near Eastern Museum (Vorderasiatisches Museum)
The museum’s collections primarily include objects of Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian art and architecture.
- Ishtar Gate,
- Processional way to the temple of Marduk from the time of Nebuchadnezzar II
- Facade of the Throne Hall of Nebuchadnezzar II.
Museum of Islamic Art (Museum für Islamische Kunst)
The museum’s collections include works of Islamic art created in the area from Spain to India between the 8th and 19th centuries. Most of the exhibits come from Egypt, the Middle East, and Iran.
- Facade of the Mshatta Palace,
- Room from Aleppo,
- Mihrab from Kashan,
- Dome from the Alhambra.
The New Museum
The New Museum (German: Neues Museum) – a museum located in Berlin, on the Museum Island. It is housed in a building constructed between 1843 and 1855 according to the design by the Prussian architect Friedrich August Stüler.
The museum houses exhibits of ancient Egyptian art, including the famous bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti from 1340 BCE, as well as archaeological collections from prehistoric, ancient, and early medieval times.
The Old Museum
The Old Museum (German: Altes Museum; until 1845 Royal Museum – Königliches Museum) is housed in a neoclassical building constructed between 1825 and 1830 according to the design by architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
The museum was built with the aim of making collections of ancient art accessible to the general public, on the orders of the Prussian King Frederick William III.
Key Collections:
- Collections of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman sculptures.
- Collections of ancient Egyptian art (particularly notable are the exhibits from Tell el-Amarna, the capital of the pharaoh Akhenaten).
The Old National Gallery
The Old National Gallery (German: Alte Nationalgalerie) – The tympanum of this portico is filled with a relief entitled “Germania als Beschützerin der Künste” (English: “Germania as the Protector of the Arts”), and at its peak are sculptures of three female personifications of painting, sculpture, and architecture. The sides of the building are adorned with half-columns, between which are plaques bearing the names of German artists.
Key Collections:
- Classical sculpture as well as works influenced by naturalism and Art Nouveau (late 19th and early 20th centuries).
- German realism and Impressionism (1850–1880).
- Neoclassicism and Romanticism – works from the first half of the 19th century (including works by Caspar David Friedrich).
