The Humboldt Forum is a new museum of non-European art on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin (Germany). The Museum is open for the time being only digitally, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was named in honour of the Prussian scholars Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt. The former Royal Palace facades were rebuilt and the modern interior was designed by the famous architect Franco Stella. Also on the eastern side of the Forum, a modern exterior facade has been added with a viewing platform just above the surface of the water on the banks of the River Spree. The Humboldt Forum incorporates two former museums, the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and the Museum of Asian Art.
Starting from the impressive foyer on the ground floor, which connects high-rise modern gallery walls with the reconstructed palace portal, visitors can see in the sculpture hall the original sandstone figures of the castle facades. Also, they can learn about the history of the building in the palace cellar, where the remains of the medieval Dominican monastery and the foundations of the palace have been uncovered.
On the first floor, the Berlin exhibition offers a surprising special view of Berlin. The exhibits on this floor are related to the history of the city and offer a way to understand how the global developments have influenced and shaped Berlin. It also asks what impact Berlin has had on the world – and it does in an interactive way with the help of the visitors. The Museum also houses the new Humboldt Laboratory, a project of Berlin’s Humboldt University. The Laboratory is a workshop for all those who want to take part in the process of scientific research and discuss global problems and challenges such as climate change, environmental destruction and species extinction.
From autumn 2021, the Forum will host on the second and third floors, a unique exhibition with outstanding exhibits from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania, dating from the 5th millennium B.C. to the present day. These artifacts that come from the world-renowned collections of the Ethological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin will include: Chinese court art, richly decorated houses from Palau, bronze and ivory reliefs from Benin and stelae from Guatemala.
The Museum with its outstanding collections that have been assembled under one roof, and the varied program of exhibitions, events and educational and digital offerings has the purpose to inspire visitors to gain new insights into the world of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
The Museum is currently closed to the public due to the pandemic.
For more information about the Museum, visit the official website: www.humboldtforum.org.
The article has been published in the 3rd issue of the digital travel magazine Voyagers Voice : voyagersvoice.com