Sometimes when traveling, you experience an amazing place simply by accident, which is how we ended up at the German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum) in Berlin.
It was not on our original itinerary, but Berlin on a Monday can be challenging since many of the museums and sites are closed. I was extremely disappointed to find that the Sanssouci, the Summer Palace of Frederick the Great, was closed as well and since it was our last day in Berli I couldn’t even imagine any replacement site that would live up to it. Fortunately, I was SO wrong!
After searching through our guide-book, I saw that the Deutsches Historisches Museum was open so we jumped in a taxi and arrived just at opening time so for a while we had the museum almost all to ourselves, and a fabulous museum it is. Filled with amazing artifacts, it documents the history of the German people and the later nation state from the Early Medieval Age through WWII and into the modern day. The museum is a fascinating view into the historic and modern culture of Germany.
It was not on our original itinerary, but Berlin on a Monday can be challenging since many of the museums and sites are closed. I was extremely disappointed to find that the Sanssouci, the Summer Palace of Frederick the Great, was closed as well and since it was our last day in Berli I couldn’t even imagine any replacement site that would live up to it. Fortunately, I was SO wrong!
After searching through our guide-book, I saw that the Deutsches Historisches Museum was open so we jumped in a taxi and arrived just at opening time so for a while we had the museum almost all to ourselves, and a fabulous museum it is. Filled with amazing artifacts, it documents the history of the German people and the later nation state from the Early Medieval Age through WWII and into the modern day. The museum is a fascinating view into the historic and modern culture of Germany.
The museum is located in the Zeughaus (old armory) on the avenue Unter den Linden as well as in an adjacent modern Exhibition Hall designed by renowned architect, I.M. Pei, where temporary exhibitions are held.
Above Photo Only: modern Exhibition Hall designed by renowned architect, I.M. Pei,
Source - Gattom at English Wikipedia - Own work
Source - Gattom at English Wikipedia - Own work
The museum's home, the Zeughaus, is the oldest structure in Unter den Linden. It was built by the Brandenburg Elector Frederick III between 1695 and 1730 in the Baroque style, to be used as an artillery arsenal for the display of cannons from Brandenburg and Prussia.
The Deutsches Historisches Museum was founded on 28 October 1987 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin. Due to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, reunification, dissolution of the GDR and the transfer of their collections to the DHM, the new museum opening was delayed. The first exhibitions were finally shown in the Zeughaus in September 1991.
The Deutsches Historisches Museum was founded on 28 October 1987 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin. Due to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, reunification, dissolution of the GDR and the transfer of their collections to the DHM, the new museum opening was delayed. The first exhibitions were finally shown in the Zeughaus in September 1991.
Above Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=243737315
Photographer: Pazit Polak
Photographer: Pazit Polak
The Permanent Exhibition you visit today, German History in Images and Artefacts was inaugurated in the Zeughaus by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel on 2 June 2006.
Below is a photographic glimpse of this informative and beautiful museum. I hope it inspires you to visit!
When you are finished exploring the extensive collection, you will be ready for the wonderful array of refreshments at the café where you can choose to dine inside the cozy interior or as we did, on the terrace with a lovely view of the Berliner Dom and Fernsehturm peeking over the trees.
Click here to learn more about visiting the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin
Deutsches Historisches MuseumZeughaus and Exhibition Hall
Unter den Linden 2
10117 Berlin
Deutsches Historisches MuseumZeughaus and Exhibition Hall
Unter den Linden 2
10117 Berlin
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