The Wilhelm von Bode Museum, located in the cultural center of Berlin - in the northwestern part of the Museum Island, is very popular and makes a lasting impression on the public. The Bode (museum) is in a beautiful piece of architecture. It is a complex consisting of the Museum of Byzantine Art, the Sculpture Collection and the Coin Office.
History of Creation
The Bode (museum) was created at the request of Frederick III - he wanted to show the whole world the collections of exhibits collected and belonging to him. Work on the creation of the "Berlin Louvre" began Wilhelm von Bode - a well-known art critic. The Bode Museum welcomed its visitors already in 1904. It should be noted that it took only seven years to build it.
Each hall with exhibits was the personification of a certain era. The architect of the museum building was Ernst von Inn. This delightful creation of architecture is a symmetrical building, enchanting with its scale, in the center of whichthere is a spherical dome and two bridges connecting art and everyday life.
War against art
It is worth saying that the Bode (museum) was significantly damaged after the end of World War II. The "Berlin Louvre" opened its doors to visitors only in 1950, and restoration work lasted until 1987. The museum continued to exist, but it was obvious that it needed to close for a major overhaul. The complete restoration of Bode lasted a long nine years - from 1997 to 2006. It was only in 2006 that the museum was completely restored, and nothing reminded of the damage caused.
The Berlin Louvre has finally been refurbished and continues to impress visitors to this day. 4 out of 5 courtyards with sculptural displays are now open to guests.
It should be noted that after the renovation of the museum, the security system has been updated. Restoration workshops have also received new equipment. Not without the installation of an air conditioning system. And a big achievement is that the Bode (museum) is now open to people with disabilities.
Full overhaul of the building cost the federal budget 152 million euros.
Exhibit of Lost Items
After the end of the war, many exhibits disappeared. In this regard, the exhibition "The Disappeared Museum" was recently held. The name was not chosen by chance. After all, during the warso many works of art have gone missing that they could fill at least one more museum. The exhibition featured photographs and plaster molds of the lost masterpieces, making every visitor reflect on the tragedy of the whole situation.
The Bode Museum now
Today there are 66 exhibition halls that captivate the human mind and impress the imagination.
The Bode Museum in the city of Berlin has several buildings. First, a huge hall and beautiful stairs open up to visitors, leading directly to the sky under a large dome located in the center. One gets the feeling that the whole air is filled with magic and bewitching magic. Here you begin to feel like a part of history. Continuing to look around, you find yourself in the Kameke Hall and the basilica. They feature stunning collections of statues. The number of exhibits on display is impressive - there are more than 1700 of them. But these are not all the secrets that the Bode Museum in Berlin keeps within its walls. Further attention opens the Small domed hall with sculptures of Frederick the Great and his generals.
Besides these halls, the museum houses the Coin Office, which occupies 4 departments. Here is the largest numismatic collection in Germany. The Mint Cabinet has collected more than 500,000 original exhibits, which are in excellent condition. In addition, there are more than 300 thousand plaster casts of other objects. Most of the hall is made up of antique coins. There is also a huge collection of medals.
The Bode Museum hosts touring coin exhibitions. One of these was called "Money in Latvia: History and Modernity". For Latvia, this is not only the most extensive numismatic exhibition, but also proof that the history of the development of money in this state is an integral part of the history of currencies around the world.
Sculptural collection
Sculptural collection - one of the most famous and largest collections. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, all exhibits were divided between East and West Berlin. It should be noted that the Sculpture Collection includes works of art from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century.
A serious dispute flared up around one exhibit, which dragged on for many years. We are talking about the sculpture "Bust of Flora", the origin of which is still unknown. For many decades it was believed that the masterpiece belongs to Leonardo da Vinci himself, because only he could repeat the attractive smile of Mona Lisa, which now adorned the beautiful Flora. That's what Bode thought when he saw the bust from a London collector. After spending a large amount of money, Wilhelm bought the Bust of Flora.
The British decided to conduct their own investigation, as they doubted that this masterpiece could be the work of da Vinci. The dispute about the origin of Flora was partially resolved only in the 80s of the last century, when the possibilities of technical equipment made it possible to determine that Flora was much younger than Bode assumed.
But it is not only the works of art that are presented within their walls that cause admirationthe Bode Museum (Museum Island), but also its interior.
What else is interesting?
The museum often hosts various exhibitions. Thus, the priceless collection of the politician Fritz Thome was exhibited for the first time in 100 years. The collector preferred the Middle Ages as his favorite period of cultural development. He bought works of art at auctions and from owners, adding to his collection. The entire collection was preserved during the Great Patriotic War and handed over to the heirs of Fritz Thoma in integrity and safety.
And now in the halls of the Bode Museum are priceless paintings of the Middle Ages, which are worthy of being admired.
Conclusion
What is the Bode Museum, we have already found out, but what can we tell about the time of visiting it? If you are going to visit this citadel of art, then one day is not enough. Be sure: this time will not be enough to get to know all the beauty and mystery of the exhibits. It is better to count on 2-3 days - then not a single masterpiece will go unnoticed.
For all the museums of the island there is a single ticket that can be used for one day. Entrance from Mitte Monbijoubrucke. The museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00, and on Thursday - until 22:00. Bode is the most remote and least visited of the five museums located on the island. The museum allows photography without a flash for free, which is kind of a nice touch.
