When walking around Berlin, be sure to check out Museum Island. The history of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Gothic and romanticism - all this in its five museums. Conveniently, on a museum map in a couple of days you can get around them. The island also has a beautiful Cathedral.
Museum Island (Museumsinsel), photo by Vitalij Sosna
The Museum Island, or as it is also called the Museum Island (Museumsinsel), is located on the north side of the Spreeinsel Island on the Spree River in Berlin. This is one of the main attractions of the capital of Germany, since 1999, a UNESCO site.
Here are five iconic Berlin museums:
- Old Museum (Altes Museum),
- New Museum (Neues Museum),
- Old National Gallery (Alte Nationalgalerie),
- Bode Museum (Bode-Museum),
- Pergamon Museum (Pergamonmuseum).
Museum Island Panorama, photo by Benreis
Also on the island of Spreeinsel, the Berlin Cathedral was erected, walking areas were equipped, a colonnade was built where you can watch a movie or a concert, relax. The famous Unter den Linden street passes through the island. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Museum Island could only be reached from East Berlin.
The Monbijoubrücke pedestrian double bridge connects the island with both banks of the Spree. It was built in 1898-1904. designed by architect Ernst von Ine. The southern part of the bridge is thrown over the left sleeve (Kupfergraben), and the northern part - over the main Spree sleeve.
The emergence of Museum Island
King Friedrich Wilhelm II in 1797 supported the idea of an art professor and archaeologist Alois Hirth to create a museum that would house works of art from antiquity and the New Age. And Friedrich Wilhelm III, in his highest decree in 1810, ordered the laying of "a public collection of carefully selected works of art." Thus began the history of Museum Island.
The first public museum in Prussia was the Old Museum, built on the island in 1830.
In 1859, the Royal Prussian Museum was opened; today it is called the New Museum.
They were followed by the National Gallery, which today is called the Old National Gallery.
In 1904, the Kaiser Friedrich Museum opened, renamed in 1956 as the Bode Museum, in honor of the great art historian and permanent director of the museum for many years.
And in 1930 the Pergamon Museum was built.
The concept of each museum was based on the idea of preserving the heritage of European and Asian cultures, as well as artefacts of archaeological excavations of earlier civilizations.
During the Second World War, museums were badly damaged, a significant part of the exhibits perished. The reconstruction lasted a long time.
Museum Island today
View of Museum Island from the beach opposite, photo selbst
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, historians of both countries experienced significant difficulties in creating a single exhibition of the surviving rarities. Therefore, all the museums were alternately under reconstruction, which is not finished now. The last remained the Pergamonmuseum. Restoration work on the island of Museums cost the state one and a half billion euros.
For acquaintance with the museums of Berlin (30 in total), including the Museum Island, it is better to take the Museum Card of Berlin (Museumspass Berlin) for 3 days for € 29, reduced for € 14. You can buy tickets and find out additional information about opening hours and prices on the official website of Museum Island.
Museum Island - Berliners favorite vacation spot, photo by dinnouti
How to get there
Take the U2 underground line to the Spittelmarkt, Märkisches Museum, Hausvogteiplatz or Klosterstraße stations; Lines U6 - to the station Friedrichstraße.
By tram M1, M12 - to the stop Am Kupfergraben; M4, M5, M6 - to the Hackescher Markt stop.
By city train lines S5, S7, S9, S75 - to the station Hackescher Markt; lines S1, S2, S25 - to the station Friedrichstraße.
