Rockin' Through the Ages: Deutsches Museum's Centennial Celebration
Centenary Celebration Unfolds: German Learning Hub Marks a Decade of Intellectual Pursuits - Celebrating a Century: Germany's Museum Marks a Decade of Artistic and Historical Preservation
Get ready to party, because the Deutsches Museum is turning 100! If you're fortunate enough to be its 100 millionth visitor, you'll be in for a treat. This world-class science and technology museum, nestled in Munich, Germany, first opened its doors on May 7, 1925, making it one of the largest in the world. With locations all over the city, the museum boasts over 125,000 objects, from a 3.7-billion-year-old moon rock to an almost 100-ton military submarine.
The grand event was attended by Germany's Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who emphasized the importance of natural scientific and technical education. He highlighted that technological advancement is crucial in tackling current issues, like climate change and social justice.
Next weekend, the museum is throwing a three-day party with free admission for everyone. According to museum director, Wolfgang Heckl, "Knowledge for all has always been the core idea of our house." Expect exhibitions, workshops, a library, an archive, and an education department to be on display, alongside a knowledge stage, workshops, and a virtual reality space adventure!
Renovation Tales: A Long Journey
While half of the 45,000-square-meter exhibition area is currently under renovation, the process began ten years ago and was initially expected to be completed this centennial year. However, various setbacks, including architect bankruptcies and heated state parliament debates, have led to significant delays and cost increases. From the initial projected 445 million euros, the cost has now risen to approximately 750 million euros. With contributions from the Free State and the Federal Government, total funding is expected to reach around 660 million euros. The grand reopening is now scheduled for 2028, marking another significant anniversary: the museum's founding in 1903 by Oskar von Miller.
Between Past and Present: Mining Uncertainties
The first, already renovated section of the museum opened in 2022, exhibiting 19 permanent exhibitions on diverse topics ranging from atomic physics to photography and film to health. Highlights include the air and space hall, a nuclear fission table, and the incubator where Robert Koch bred bacteria 140 years ago and discovered the tuberculosis pathogen. The second section is currently undergoing renovation, resulting in the dismantling of popular attractions like the life-sized mining exhibit and the lightning show. It remains uncertain if and how these beloved displays will return due to potential additional costs.
Building Bridges: Reinforced Concrete Dreams
Post-renovation, the museum's first exhibitions were housed in the old National Museum and the former Heavy C cavalry Barracks from 1906. The new building on Museum Island was one of the first large buildings made of reinforced concrete, showcasing the then-progressive construction method. The house stands on over 1500 concrete piles driven deep into the island's soil, each able to support up to 40 tons.
World's First: The Projection Planetarium
A world premiere 100 years ago was the projection planetarium, presenting great visual impressions. Other highlights included the mine, walkable ship decks, and laboratories. Unlike before, a larger number of large exhibits, such as the submarine U1, ships, locomotives, and airplanes, could now be displayed.
A Grand Opening to Remember
The three-day opening celebration on Munich's Museum Island in 1925 was the last great festival of the Weimar Republic. On opening day, children were granted a day off from school, and Oktoberfest-like festivities filled the streets. To provide some perspective, the 47,000 needy Munich residents received a one-time allowance of one mark, which could buy either a liter of beer at Oktoberfest or two visits to the Deutsches Museum.
A Forgotten Co-founder's Shadow
As the republic became a dictatorship, the museum fell under the control of the Nazis. Adolf Hitler's love for cars was evident in an addition to the museum island for motor vehicles. The library soon displayed the anti-Semitic propaganda exhibit "The Eternal Jew." Researchers have recently brought to light another co-founder of the museum alongside Oskar von Miller: the Jewish engineer Arthur Schoenberg, cousin of composer Arnold Schoenberg. In spite of his contributions, he was deported by the Nazis and perished in the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1943.
Continued Growth Through Time
Although the museum suffered severe damage during World War II, an exhibition reopened on the museum island in 1947, eventually reaching its pre-war size in the 1960s. In the 1970s, visitor numbers surpassed one million for the first time, and the museum has been continually expanded since. Significant additions include the large aviation and space flight hall in 1984, the Schleißheim aviation museum in 1992, the German Museum Bonn in 1995, the traffic center in 2003, and the German Museum Nuremberg in 2021. Heckl, the museum's director, says, "A museum like this is never finished."
- Deutsches Museum
- Munich
- Germany
- Berlin
- Isar River
- Military
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier
- Education
- Weekend
- Oskar von Miller
- Arthur Schoenberg
- The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, which celebrated its centennial, was first opened by Oskar von Miller in 1925 and is one of the world's largest science and technology museums.
- The museum's director, Wolfgang Heckl, emphasized the museum's core idea of "knowledge for all," during the three-day party scheduled for the upcoming weekend, featuring exhibitions, workshops, a library, an archive, an education department, and a virtual reality space adventure.
- During a grand event, Germany's Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, underscored the importance of natural scientific and technical education, noting that technological advancement is vital in addressing issues like climate change and social justice.
- The museum's reconstructed building on Museum Island is a historical testament, being one of the first large buildings made of reinforced concrete, showcasing a then-progressive construction method.