36-604: The Altes Museum (English: Old Museum ) is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin , Germany . Built between 1825 and 1830 by order of King Frederick William III of Prussia according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel , it is considered a major work of German Neoclassical architecture . It is surrounded by the Berlin Cathedral to the east, the Berlin Palace to
72-496: A national gallery came in 1815. The idea gained momentum during the 1830s, but without an actual building. In 1841 the first real plans were created. These plans never made it out of the planning stages, but finally in 1861 the National Gallery was founded, after banker Johann Heinrich Wagener donated 262 paintings by both German and foreign artists. This donation formed the basis of the current collection. The collection
108-461: A sketch by King Frederick William IV of Prussia . Two years and two failed plans later, his third proposal was finally accepted. Stüler died before planning was completed and Carl Busse handled the remaining details in 1865. In 1866, by order of the king and his cabinet, the Kommission für den Bau der Nationalgalerie (Commission for the construction of the national gallery) was created. Ground
144-462: Is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin , Germany. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King Frederick William IV of Prussia according to plans by Friedrich August Stüler and Johann Heinrich Strack in Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival styles . The building's outside stair features a memorial to Frederick William IV. Currently,
180-597: The Berliner Lustgarten (pleasure garden). The Stadtschloss in the south was a symbol of worldly power, the Zeughaus in the west represented military might, and the Berliner Dom in the east was the embodiment of divine authority . The museum to the north of the garden, which was to provide for the education of the people, stood as a symbol for science and art—and not least for their torchbearer:
216-819: The Berlin National Gallery , which in turn is part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin . It is the original building of the National Gallery, whose holdings are now housed in several additional buildings. In October 2021 the Alte Nationalgalerie restituted the Camille Pissarro painting, "A Square in La Roche-Guyon" (1867) to the heirs of Armand Dorville , a French Jewish art collector whose family
252-733: The Berlin Stadtbahn and Bode Street on the eastern banks. It is connected to the Pergamon Museum to the north, and to the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Berlin Cathedral to the south. The building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler with details by Carl Busse , in an architectural style that is a mix between late Classicism and early Neo-Renaissance , and realised by Heinrich Strack . It
288-489: The Königliches Museum , as it was then known, were also influenced by drafts of the crown prince, the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV , who desired a building that was heavily influenced by Classical antiquity . The crown prince even sent Schinkel a pencil sketch of a large hall adorned with a classical portico. Schinkel's plans incorporated the Königliches Museum into an ensemble of buildings, which surround
324-587: The Lustgarten , which coincided with the construction of the museum, resulting in a harmonized and integrated ensemble. In 1841, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV announced, in a royal decree, that the entire northern part of the Spree Island (now known as Museum Island) "be transformed into a sanctuary for art and science". In 1845, with the completion of the Neues Museum ("New"), the Königliches Museum
360-504: The Nazi era , the Altes Museum was used as the backdrop for propaganda, both in the museum itself and upon the parade grounds of the redesigned Lustgarten . Close to the end of Second World War , the building was badly damaged when a tank truck exploded in front of it, and the frescoes designed by Schinkel and Peter Cornelius , which adorned the vestibule and the back wall of the portico, were largely lost. Under General Director Ludwig Justi,
396-651: The Neues Museum has also not been rebuilt; instead, an underground passageway connecting all of the museums of Museum Island is planned as part of the Museumsinsel 2015 renovations. The Altes Museum was originally constructed to house all of the city's collections of fine arts, including Old Master paintings, and prints and drawings. However, since 1904, the museum has solely housed the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities). Since 1998,
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#1732772547757432-542: The Pergamonmuseum by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann (1930). Thus, Museum Island evolved into the institution it is today. Julius Carl Raschdorff 's 1894–1905 reconstruction of the Berliner Dom into a neo-Renaissance cathedral (replacing the classical cathedral designed by Schinkel) severely disrupted the classical ensemble, especially since the new cathedral has significantly larger dimensions than its predecessor. The royally appointed commission, which
468-558: The Alte Nationalgalerie is home to paintings and sculptures of the 19th century and hosts a variety of tourist buses daily. As part of the Museum Island complex, the gallery was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 for its outstanding architecture and its testimony to the development of museums and galleries as a cultural phenomenon in the late 19th century. The first impetus to founding
504-652: The Collection of Classical Antiquities has displayed its Greek collection, including the treasury, on the ground floor of the Altes Museum. Special exhibitions are displayed on the second floor of the museum. List of World Heritage Sites in Germany The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries signatories to
540-545: The UNESCO World Heritage Convention , established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from
576-422: The building was the first museum of Museum Island to undergo reconstruction and restoration, which was carried out from 1951 to 1966 by Hans Erich Bogatzky and Theodor Voissen . Following Schinkel's designs, the murals of the rotunda were restored in 1982. However, neither the ornate ceilings of the ground floor exhibition rooms nor the pairs of columns under the girders were reconstructed. The former connection to
612-477: The collection was still relatively small. Next to Wagener's collection, originally, was a display of cartoons by Peter von Cornelius that had been bequeathed to the Prussian government. The initial objective of the gallery was to collect contemporary, primarily Prussian art, as Berlin did not then have any repository of modern art. In 1874 Max Jordan became the first director of the National Gallery. In 1896 he
648-586: The criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural. In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. Germany maintains seven properties on its tentative list. (cultural) Alte Nationalgalerie The Alte Nationalgalerie ( lit. Old National Gallery )
684-643: The energetic effort by government and private institutions to re-establish Berlin as Germany's political and cultural heart. The Alte Nationalgalerie, together with the Altes Museum , the Neues Museum , the Bode Museum , the Pergamon Museum , the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten , make up the Museum Island complex in Berlin. It is situated in the middle of the island, between the rails of
720-495: The interior has been renovated many times in order to suit the exhibits. The collection contains works of the Neoclassical and Romantic movements (by artists such as Caspar David Friedrich , Karl Friedrich Schinkel , and Karl Blechen ), of the Biedermeier , French Impressionism (such as Édouard Manet and Claude Monet ) and early Modernism (including Adolph von Menzel , Max Liebermann and Lovis Corinth ). Among
756-530: The modern art to the Kronprinzenpalais at the end of Unter den Linden , which became known as National Gallery II . In 1933, the new Nazi authorities dismissed Justi, who was followed by Eberhard Hanfstaengl . He remained until 1937, when he too was dismissed. His successor, Paul Ortwin Rave , remained until 1950, although because of World War II the building was closed during much of that time. It
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#1732772547757792-570: The monuments can be placed. Schinkel had developed plans for the Königliches Museum as early as 1822/23, but construction did not begin until 1825. Construction was completed in 1828 and the museum was inaugurated on 3 August 1830. Schinkel was also responsible for the renovation of the Berliner Dom, originally a Baroque cathedral, in the Neoclassical style, and he exercised considerable influence on Peter Joseph Lenné 's renovation of
828-550: The most important exhibits are Friedrich's Der Mönch am Meer (The Monk by the Sea), von Menzel's Eisenwalzwerk (The Iron Rolling Mill) and sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow 's Prinzessinnengruppe , a double statue of princesses Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Frederica of Prussia . The Alte Nationalgalerie houses one of the largest collections of 19th-century sculptures and paintings in Germany. In addition, it belongs to
864-408: The point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. As Germany was divided following World War II , West and East Germany ratified the convention separately, the former on 23 August 1976 and the latter on 12 December 1988. With German reunification , East Germany was dissolved on 3 October 1990. Germany has 54 sites on the list, with a further seven on
900-433: The relationship between itself and art, and the concepts that art should be open to the public and that citizens should be able to have access to a comprehensive cultural education began to pervade society. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia was a strong proponent of this Humboldtian ideal for education and charged Karl Friedrich Schinkel with planning a public museum for the royal art collection. Schinkel's plans for
936-460: The self-aware bourgeoisie. For the front facing the Lustgarten, a simple columned hall in grand style and proportionate to the importance of the location would most certainly give the building character. The arrangement of the eighteen Ionic columns was effected by the Lustgarten. The portico was designed with a function in order to give the museum building an exterior befitting its site, in which
972-634: The south and the Zeughaus to the west. Currently, the Altes Museum houses the Antikensammlung and parts of the Münzkabinett . As part of the Museum Island complex, the Altes Museum was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, in recognition of its testimony to the development of the museum as a social and architectural phenomenon. In the early nineteenth century, Germany's bourgeoisie had become increasingly self-aware and self-confident. This growing class began to embrace new ideas regarding
1008-496: The tentative list. The first site listed was the Aachen Cathedral in 1978. The most recent addition took place in 2024. Three sites are natural and 51 are listed for their cultural significance. Germany holds the third-highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world , after Italy and China with 59 and 57 sites, respectively, and the second most in terms of cultural significance. The Dresden Elbe Valley , which
1044-461: Was broken in 1867 under the supervision of Heinrich Strack . In 1872 the structure was completed and interior work began. The opening took place on 22 March 1876, in the presence of the Kaiser. Because of the building's modern construction using brick and iron, it was widely believed to be fireproof. The exterior and outer staircase were constructed of Triassic sandstone from Nebra . At the opening
1080-465: Was first known as Wagenersche und Nationalgalerie (Wagener and National Gallery) and was housed in the buildings of the Akademie der Künste . The current building, shaped like a Roman temple with an appended apse , was designed by Friedrich August Stüler and after his death, realised in detail under Carl Busse . Friedrich August Stüler began working on a design for the building in 1863, based on
1116-523: Was heavily damaged in Allied air raids. It was partly reopened in 1949, but reconstruction continued until 1969. Between 1998 and 2001, the museum was renovated thoroughly by German architect HG Merz . Some extra halls were added on the uppermost floor and now contain the Romantic works. The three-year, $ 62 million renovation of the Alte Nationalgalerie was part of a refurbishment of Museum Island and
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1152-441: Was intended to express "the unity of art, nation, and history", and therefore has aspects reminiscent of a church (an apse) and a theatre (the grand staircase) as well as a temple. An equestrian statue of Frederick William IV tops the stairs, and the inside stairs have a frieze by Otto Geyer depicting German history from prehistoric times to the 19th century. The exterior of the building still retains its original appearance, whereas
1188-658: Was listed as endangered in July 2006, was eventually delisted in June 2009, making it one of the only three sites in the world to have been removed from the World Heritage Site register. Cologne Cathedral was listed as endangered from 2006 to 2008 due to plans to construct high-rise buildings nearby that would threaten the integrity of the property. Nine sites are shared with other countries. UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria ; each entry must meet at least one of
1224-675: Was renamed the Altes Museum ("Old"), a name it holds to this day. With the completion of the Neues Museum by Friedrich August Stüler in 1855, Museum Island began to take form. This was followed by the Nationalgalerie (now the Alte Nationalgalerie ) by Johann Heinrich Strack (1876), the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum (now the Bodemuseum ) by Ernst von Ihne after plans by Stüler (1904), and
1260-583: Was responsible for the conception of the museum, decided to display only " High Art " in the proposed building, which included Old Master paintings and prints and drawings on the upper floor, as well as Classical sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome on the ground floor. This precluded the incorporation of ethnography , prehistory and the excavated treasures of the ancient Near East from Assyria , Persia , and elsewhere); instead, these artifacts were primarily housed in Schloss Monbijou . During
1296-533: Was succeeded by Hugo von Tschudi , who acquired Impressionist works, risking conflict with the Kaiser because this ended the collection's focus on German art. The German National Gallery thus became the most important museum for modern French Art at the turn of the century. In 1909, Ludwig Justi assumed the post of director, and added Expressionist works to the collection. Following the German Revolution of 1918–19 that ended Imperial rule, he moved
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