Just keep moving....

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Marathon museum day

I bought myself a 7-day transit pass for 16.50. Normal fare is 2.10 per ride, where the ticket is good for up to 2 hours, as long as you continue in the same general direction. I calculated that 2.35 per day is a good deal. I would validate it today, and I wouldn't have to buy another ticket before I leave next Wednesday.

Today I'll use my pass to the Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum) in the morning and take advantage of free admission at the Staatliche Museums in the afternoon. The museums that close at 6:00 are free from 2:00, and the museums that close at 10:00 are free from 6:00. I have some serious walking to do today.

I took about 2 – 3 hours more at the Jewish Museum to finish my visit. I still had to skim a few sections for want of time. There were numerous school groups visiting, from what appeared to be about 5th grade through high school. In addition, many adults were in guided tours. Very few of the visitors appeared to be Jewish.

In the museum I saw a few items that I found amusing. For example, Veitel Heine Ephraim, whose house is now a museum (see previous post) tried to use his access to the Prussian king to request a law forbidding Jewish men to shave. The king turned him down. Another item was a reprint from a Jewish newspaper of the time showing the evolution, citing Darwin, of a Chanukah menora into a Christmas tree.

I grabbed a quick lunch near the museum so that I could get out to Charlottenburg by 2:00 when the Museum Berggruen would be free.

Heinz Berggruen was a Jewish art dealer and close friend of Pablo Picasso. He left his considerable art collection to the government of Berlin just a few years ago. The museum contains over a hundred works by Picasso, plus scores by Klee, Matisse, and Giacometti. Some of the Picasso works are signed “to my friend Berggruen” -- occasionally misspelled.

Across the street from the Berggruen is the Collection Scharf-Gerstenberg, exhibiting works by the Surrealists and their forerunners. The spectrum of artists ranges from Goya and Redon to Dalí, Max Ernst, and Dubuffet. In addition, completely out of place, there is a 2500-year-old gate, given to the German government by Egypt in appreciation for assistance in saving artifacts from the flooding due to the building of the Aswan high dam.

By now it was time to get moving in the direction of Museum Insel (Museum Island) in the Stadtmitte, where the most significant museums are located. Bela and I spent a few hours here last time seeing the Ishtar Gate and the Pergamon altar in the world-famous Pergamon Museum. I could skip it this time.

First, on the way, I went to the Musical Instruments Museum, right next to the Berlin Philharmonic Hall. I took a guided tour, because the docent plays various ancient instruments for the guests. I saw some instruments I had never seen before, and I got to hear some instruments that had been owned by famous people. The culmination of the tour was to hear a Wurlitzer Cinema Organ, one of the largest in the world, including various sound effects. Very amusing.

On Museum Island I went first to the Altes Museum. This collection of ancient pottery and sculpture we had seen 4 years ago, as well. But now, one of the best-known pieces of art in the world, previously undergoing stabilization and restoration, was on display, namely the head of Nefertiti. It was inside a glass case, climate controlled and vibration isolated. When I had last seen this piece, it was 42 years ago in this very museum, when it was still in East Berlin. The bust stood out in the open with essentially no protection at that time, and, if I remember correctly, I was the only one in the museum.

Then I went around the corner to the Alte Nationalgalerie, which houses primarily 19th Century art, both sculpture and paintings. I was able to stroll through this museum, as I wanted only to get a feeling for the period. I did take some time where the paintings had some historical significance.

It was getting dark outside at 9:15 when I went down the street past the Pergamon to the bridge and the entrance to the Bode Museum. This building has gothic and renaissance art, primarily, emphasizing Italian. I was impressed by the number of della Robbia sculptures there were in the collection.

Not to be the last one out, I exited the museum at about 10 minutes before 10:00. The museum is just steps from a very popular neighborhood for night clubs, bars, and socializing. Right across the river is the bar “Am Strand” (at the Beach), complete with large live palm trees, where salsa was playing continuously and numerous couples were dancing, some quite well.

To see more (official) information about the Staatliche Museen, look at their English-language website.

If I had been there with someone, would I have gone in, ordered a beer, and danced? ......... Oh, well; probably not. I could barely stand up.