On my way to the Altes Museum in the centre of Berlin, I get the feeling that Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of heaven, are not dealing with things as they normally would. It somehow is too cold for this season and I feel like a hot chocolate. Still, I decide to visit the Altes Museum first. Who knows? I might meet them there and talk to them.
After walking up the impressive outdoor staircase I step into the rotunda to get into the right mood for the story of the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans.
Demeter: Goddess of corn and grain. Hermes: Patron of travellers |
One
The
architect of the museum is Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and with this he designed
one of the most important buildings of the neoclassical era.
Two
The
Property is on the Museum Island and directly opposite of the (soon to be
re-build) City Castle.
Three
The
museum is built on 3053 stilts, which were rammed into the muddy ground.
Four
The
property was completed in 1830, after 7 years of building works.
Five
In
the beginning people paid the entrance fee to the museum (without the art
collection) only so that they could see the inside.
Six
The
property has one rotunda. The inspiration for the rotunda inside of the museum
was the Pantheon in Rome, which also has a coffered dome and a central opening
to the sky. The statues in the rotunda come from castles in Berlin (Capital
city of Germany) and Potsdam (in Brandenburg) and are copies of famous Greek
sculptures of the Roman period.
Seven
The
property was heavily destroyed in WW2, the inside burned down completely, and
rebuilding in the 1960s took eight years. The overhaul of the Altes Museum
started but parts of it are still pending.
Eight
The
antique collection of the Altes Museum is one of the most important worldwide,
and is also an archive for scientists from around the world.
Nine
The
Altes Museum is Berlin’s oldest museum.
Ten
Together
with the other museums on the Museum Island the Altes Museum became UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1999.
Talking about the weather at the Altes Museum in Berlin
When I found Hera and Zeus, they were very friendly and open to chat about the weather. They took the time to explain that in Berlin Petrus (English: Saint Peter) is in charge of it, and that they can’t do anything at all. Petrus is the cultural-historical successor of the Roman god Janus and ever since linked closely with meteorological phenomena ...
Info Altes Museum Berlin
Where Am Lustgarten 1, 10178 Berlin. Wheelchair-accessible.
When
Closed Mondays. Thurs 10am – 8pm. Tues, Wed, Fr, Sat, Sun 10am – 6pm.
How much EUR 10.
Do you like to visit museums on city trips? Looking forward to hearing from you.
From Berlin with love
How much EUR 10.
Do you like to visit museums on city trips? Looking forward to hearing from you.
From Berlin with love