Pergamonmuseum

Description

On the Museumsinsel in Berlin‑Mitte, the Pergamonmuseum occupies a central position within the UNESCO World Heritage site; it brings significant collections of ancient, Near Eastern, and Islamic art together under one roof.

Originally, a predecessor building was erected on the same site at the end of the 19th century, whose exhibitions already displayed large architectural elements; this building was demolished in 1908. A new three‑wing building, designed in neoclassical forms, was constructed in simplified form between 1910 and 1930. Work was delayed by the First World War, the 1918 revolution and the inflation of the early 1920s; several originally planned components were never completed. The complex is conceived as a deep, three‑wing architecture oriented toward the Spree: a high, windowless central block at the forecourt and flanking side wings with Doric pilasters and rows of half‑colossal columns. The façades combine various natural stones and stone‑imitating render, corresponding to the historic building materials.

The Second World War caused severe damage; numerous exhibits were evacuated, and monumental parts were partly boarded. In 1945 large‑scale transports to the Soviet Union took place. In the 1950s large portions of the collections returned, the first rooms of the Antikensammlung could be reopened, and the Pergamonaltar was largely reconstructed in its former installation. Other collections remained in divided Berlin and were partly taken over by western institutions; some objects burned, and others remain in museums in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. A bilateral repatriation agreement of 1990 has so far been blocked by political and institutional obstacles.

Today the building houses three museums: the Antikensammlung with the Pergamonaltar, the Vorderasiatisches Museum and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. Outstanding exhibits include, alongside the Pergamonaltar, the Markttor von Milet, the Ischtar‑Tor with the Prozessionsstraße from Babylon, and the Mschatta‑Fassade. Parts of the Antikensammlung are additionally housed in the Altes Museum and in the Neues Museum.

As part of the Masterplan Museumsinsel, the Pergamonmuseum has been comprehensively renovated since 2013 and integrated into an overarching visitor concept; the James‑Simon‑Galerie serves as one of the access points. The restoration led to sharply rising costs (from about €250 million in 2000 to around €1.507 billion in 2023) and considerably extended the construction period. After phased closures, the museum has been completely closed since 23 October 2023; a partial reopening is planned for 2027, with the final reopening targeted for 2037. In 2019 around 804,000 people visited the museum.

The Pergamonmuseum also appears as a location in the German feature film Ich bin dein Mensch (2021).