Altes Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Altes Museum

Location	Museum Island, Berlin
Public transit access	U: Museumsinsel (Template:BLNMT-icon)

The Altes Museum (which means Old Museum in English) is a famous building in Berlin, Germany. It stands on Museum Island, a special place in the city's historic center. King Frederick William III of Prussia ordered it to be built between 1825 and 1830. The architect was Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and his design is a great example of Neoclassical architecture.

The museum is surrounded by other important buildings. To the east is the Berlin Cathedral, to the south is the Berlin Palace, and to the west is the Zeughaus. Today, the Altes Museum holds the Antiquities Collection and some parts of the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet). Because it is part of the Museum Island complex, the Altes Museum became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. This honor recognizes its role in showing how museums have grown as important places for society and architecture.

History of the Altes Museum

Why Was the Museum Built?

In the early 1800s, many people in Germany wanted to learn more about art and culture. They believed that art should be available to everyone, not just kings or rich people. King Frederick William III of Prussia agreed with this idea. He asked Karl Friedrich Schinkel to design a public museum for the royal art collection.

Schinkel's Design Ideas

Schinkel's plans for the museum, first called the Königliches Museum (Royal Museum), were also shaped by the future King Frederick William IV. The crown prince wanted a building that looked like ancient Greek and Roman structures. He even sketched a large hall with classic columns.

Schinkel designed the museum to fit with other important buildings around the Berliner Lustgarten (a large garden). The Berlin Palace showed worldly power, the Zeughaus represented military strength, and the Berlin Cathedral stood for divine authority. The new museum, meant for public education, symbolized science and art. Schinkel added a grand entrance with eighteen tall columns facing the Lustgarten. This design made the museum look important and fitting for its location.

Altes Museum, around 1830

Schinkel started planning the museum in 1822. Construction began in 1825 and finished in 1828. The museum officially opened on August 3, 1830. Schinkel also helped redesign the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten. This made sure all the buildings looked good together.

How Museum Island Grew

In 1841, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV declared that the northern part of the Spree Island should become a "sanctuary for art and science." In 1845, after the Neues Museum (New Museum) was finished, the Königliches Museum was renamed the Altes Museum (Old Museum).

Historical photograph of the Altes Museum, before 1854

More museums were built on the island over time. These included the Nationalgalerie (now the Alte Nationalgalerie) in 1876, the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum (now the Bodemuseum) in 1904, and the Pergamonmuseum in 1930. This is how Museum Island became the famous group of museums we see today.

What Was Displayed in the Museum?

When the museum first opened, it was meant to show "High Art." This included Old Master paintings and prints and drawings on the upper floor. On the ground floor, it displayed Classical sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome. Other types of artifacts, like those from ancient Egypt or the Near East, were kept in other places.

The Museum in the 20th Century

During World War II, the Altes Museum was badly damaged. A tank truck exploded in front of it, and many of the beautiful paintings on the walls were lost.

After the war, the museum was the first on Museum Island to be rebuilt. This work happened from 1951 to 1966. The famous paintings in the rotunda (a round room) were restored in 1982. There are plans to build an underground path connecting all the museums on Museum Island.

Gallery

The Antiquities Collection

A Greek glass amphora, 2nd half of the 2nd century BC, from Olbia, now in the Altes Museum

The Altes Museum was first built to hold all of Berlin's fine art collections. This included old paintings, prints, and drawings. However, since 1904, the museum has focused only on the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities).

Since 1998, the Collection of Classical Antiquities has shown its Greek collection on the ground floor. This includes ancient Greek treasures. Special exhibitions are often held on the second floor of the museum.

Images for kids

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  Altes Museum, 1950

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  Types of Ancient Greek helmets, Antikensammlung Berlin

See also

In Spanish: Altes Museum para niños

• List of art museums
• List of museums in Berlin
• List of museums in Germany
• Granite bowl in Lustgarten
• Apulian picture vases for a funeral ceremony (Berlin Antique Collection)