"Old Museum" Old Museum · Audio guide
Listen to the story of "Old Museum" Old Museum
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Story
In the center of Museum Island in Berlin is the Altes Museum — the Old Museum. Eighteen columns support its entrance.
And behind them, Prussia changed forever — without a single shot being fired.
Year eighteen twenty-three. The architect Schinkel receives a strange order: build a museum. But not for the kings. For everyone.
In that Berlin, it was a dangerous idea. Around it rise the symbols of power: the King's Palace, the Army Arsenal, the Cathedral of God.
and Schinkel added a fourth, at the same height: art. The wide staircase. The eighteen open pillars.
Everything says the same in silence: there is no barrier between beauty and people.
Inside, a rotunda that breathes like the Pantheon in Rome. The light falls from above. Statues frozen in time:
Greeks,
Romans,
Etruscans.
Treasures that were once only for kings... today within anyone's reach. Two centuries later, it still works.
The building keeps saying the same thing, every day. Because the true revolution is not fought on the battlefield. It is fought in an art room.
Visiting "Old Museum" Old Museum
- How to get there
- The closest stops are U Museumsinsel bus stop, 217 meters away, and Museumsinsel metro/train stop on line B, 220 meters away.
- Entry and price
- Entry is not free. The adult price is 14.
- Opening hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays.
Frequently asked questions
What is significant about the Altes Museum's architecture?
The Altes Museum, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, is a significant example of German neoclassical architecture. Its facade features eighteen large Ionic columns, and it includes a central rotunda inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
What can I see inside the Altes Museum?
Inside the Altes Museum, you will find Berlin's collection of antiquities and part of the numismatic cabinet. The central rotunda houses sixteen statues of ancient gods and the famous bronze sculpture known as the Praying Boy.
Why was the Altes Museum built?
The Altes Museum was built to make art accessible to the public, a revolutionary idea at the time. Commissioned by King Frederick William III of Prussia and designed by Schinkel, it opened in 1830 as the first public museum in Prussia.
What is nearby the Altes Museum?
Nearby, you can visit the Neues Museum, which is 83 meters away, and the Berlin Cathedral to the east. The museum is also surrounded by significant historical sites like the Berlin Palace to the south and the Arsenal of Berlin to the west.
What makes the Altes Museum a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The Altes Museum is part of the Museum Island complex, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is recognized for its architectural significance and its role in the development of museums as public institutions.
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