Through my ancient art class, I have been able to explore the collections at the Alte Nationalgalerie, Neues Museum, Altes Museum, and the Pergamon Panorama. It has been wonderful engaging with art that is hundreds of years old and reveals so much about our past. One of my favorites is the Bust of Nefertiti.
But it has also been enlightening to engage both with the museums and their collections more critically, thinking more deeply about Germany’s colonial history. During our visits to Museum Island, we are thinking about how objects are acquired, the history of ownership for the objects, how the museum presents this information to the public, and current efforts to return some objects to where they originally came from.
Engaging with the art on Museum Island has allowed me to better understand the current landscape of Germany’s museums and Germany’s colonial past. If you like being surrounded by art, Berlin may be the place for you, too!
