The Bode-Museum is part of Berlin's Museumsinsel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Renamed the Bode-Museum in 1956 after its first director, Wilhelm von Bode, it opened in 1904 as the Kaiser Friedrich-Museum. Ernst von Ihne, the architect commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II, used the site at the tip of the Museumsinsel to heighten the visual effect by causing the building to seem to rise out of the water. The large dome and the two broad staircases lend a magnificent radiance to the museum. Wilhelm von Bode had conceived the institution as a museum of the Renaissance, and it was his idea to show works of art in the context of original ceilings, doors, and furniture. This presentation concept, which aimed for an authentic overall effect, established a precedent that was followed worldwide.
The building was heavily damaged during the Second World War. Following a thorough renovation, the entire Bode-Museum has been open to the public once again since October 2006. It houses the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection), the Museum für Byzantinische Kunst (Museum of Byzantine Art), the Münzkabinett (Numismatic Collection), and works from the Gemäldegalerie.
Bode-Museum
(c) Polyform, Berlin
Show all Museum Island Trustees
