1Berlin Palace / Humboldt Forum
No. 1 — Berlin Palace / Humboldt Forum. On the lists of 6 of 6 AIs; median place there: 2. The AIs put it first for its huge €682m price, the long wait before building, and the dispute over what the rebuilt palace stands for.
Did you know
The rebuilt palace's baroque facade has 500 lion heads, each carved by hand and each different. Its sandstone work was done by a masons' lodge set up in 2011 in a former Allied car repair shop in Berlin-Spandau.
- What it is
- A Prussian-style palace rebuilt in Berlin as a modern museum and culture centre.
- Its edge
- It cost the most, with a €682m budget and 63 years before construction.
- Who should know
- Useful for anyone curious how big rebuilding bills and political fights can get.
- Cost and years fought€682m, 63 years to build
Why it is here
The palace was finished in 2020 at a cost of around 700 million euros. It had been demolished in 1950, and in 2002 the Bundestag backed rebuilding with an almost two-thirds majority.
The state paid for the rebuilding, and private donors paid for the old-style outer walls. The support association raised about 110 million euros in private gifts for the historic facades.
Did you know
The Humboldt Forum's page says the facade rebuilding was paid for by donations. Sculptors made over 2,800 figures and around 23,000 sandstone elements. One corner cartouche is 5.8 m tall and weighs about 56 tonnes.
History
In 1950 the East German ruling party, led by Walter Ulbricht, tore down the Berlin Palace. It had been badly damaged by bombing in World War II.
Keep in mind
Critics say the palace's golden cross and design recall Germany's colonial past. The museum holds about 500 Benin objects, around 400 of them Benin Bronzes looted by British forces in 1897. Officials are still studying how to show them.
Protesters at the opening objected to showing looted colonial-era objects. At first only part of the building was open, and the upper floors opened in stages, so early visitors saw less.
Where to go further
Free areas such as the Humboldt Lab, the palace cellar and the sculpture hall let you explore the building without a ticket. Start there, then choose one paid exhibition, such as BERLIN GLOBAL, if you have more time.
Video: Das historische Umfeld des Berliner Stadtschlosses erklärt · Traditional Architecture