Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum is a major cultural institution located on Museum Island in Berlin, Germany.

This building is a listed structure of great historical importance. In 1999, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This honor recognizes its unique architecture and its role in the history of museums. The museum serves as a massive home for ancient architecture and art from many different civilizations. It acts as a bridge between the modern world and the distant past.

The museum is organized into several specialized departments to house its vast collections. The Middle East Museum, or Vorderasiatisches Museum, focuses on Assyrian, Sumerian, and Babylonian cultures. This department features massive architectural pieces like the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way from Babylon. It also holds the Meissner fragment from the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Islamic Art Museum, or Museum für Islamische Kunst, occupies the upper floor of the south wing. This department has been part of the museum since it moved there in 1932.

Another vital part of the museum is the Antiquity Collection, known as the Antikensammlung. This collection includes art ranging from the archaic to the Hellenistic ages. It features many types of objects, such as sculptures, mosaics, and jewelry. Visitors can see the famous Pergamon Altar, which dates back to the 2nd century BC. This altar contains a long sculptural frieze that depicts a battle between gods and giants. The collection also includes the Market Gate of Miletus from Roman antiquity. These items show the skill of ancient artists across many centuries.

The history of the museum began because older buildings could not hold new discoveries. By 1904, the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum was already too small for the growing number of treasures. Many objects were being excavated from sites like ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Miletus. Wilhelm von Bode, the director of the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, pushed for a new building. Alfred Messel began designing a large three-wing structure in 1906. After Messel died in 1909, Ludwig Hoffmann took over the project. Construction lasted from 1910 to 1930, surviving both World War I and a period of great inflation.

The museum has survived significant historical struggles and conflicts. During the air attacks of the Second World War, the building was severely damaged. To protect the art, workers moved many objects to safe locations. Some of the largest exhibits were even walled up inside the building for safety. In 1945, the Red Army collected many loose items from the museum. While many items returned to East Germany in 1958, some remain in Russia. These pieces are currently held in the Pushkin Museum or the Hermitage Museum.

Currently, the Pergamon Museum is undergoing a massive transformation. It closed completely to visitors in October 2023 for comprehensive renovation works. These renovations are expected to last between 14 and 20 years. The museum is scheduled to remain mostly closed until the years 2037 to 2043. However, the North Wing is expected to reopen as early as 2027. This project is part of a larger plan to connect all the museums on Museum Island. This plan includes a new underground walk called the Archäologische Promenade.

This renovation is a very large and expensive undertaking. In 2016, it was revealed that costs would rise to 477 million euros. Part of this increase was due to the discovery of two old pump houses during construction. Rising construction costs also added at least 60 million euros to the budget. Despite the closure, the museum's influence continues through temporary displays. For example, a 3D reconstruction of the Pergamon Altar was created by the Fraunhofer Institute. These efforts ensure that the treasures of the past will be preserved for the future.