Hamburg Museum

Hamburg Museum
Hamburg Museum

Entrance of the museum.
Location of Hamburg Museum in Hamburg
Location of Hamburg Museum in Hamburg
Established 1908
Location Hamburg, Germany
Coordinates 53°33′04″N 9°58′23″E / 53.551111°N 9.973056°E / 53.551111; 9.973056
Type History museum
Website www.hamburgmuseum.de (in English)

The Hamburg Museum, also known as Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte ("Museum for Hamburg History"), is a history museum located in the city of Hamburg in northern Germany. The museum was established at its current location in 1922, although its parent organization was started in 1839. The museum was named hamburgmuseum in 2006. It is located near the Planten un Blomen park in the center of Hamburg.[1] The museum is commonly reviewed among the museums of the city of Hamburg.[2]

History

Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte in 1930

The Society of Hamburg History (Verein für Hamburgische Geschichte), founded in 1839, started compiling the Collection of Hamburg Antiquities (Sammlung Hamburger Altertümer). First exhibits included architectural fragments of the demolished St. Mary's Cathedral and two monasteries.

The main building at Holstenwall was designed by Fritz Schumacher and constructed between 1914 and 1922.[3]

The museum was built on the site of the former Bastion Henricus, a part of the baroque fortification which was erected between 1616 and 1625 by the Dutchman Jan van Valckenborgh in order to make the town impregnable.

The museum courtyard was damaged in the great fire in 1842 and fully restored in 1995. A glass dome over the inner courtyard was completed in 1989.[4] The glass courtyard was completed by the firm of Von Gerkan, Marg and Partners.[4] This allowed increased museum space without an actual new building, because it allowed increased use of the courtyard.[4] The covered courtyard was actually envisioned, or at least considered, as part of the original design, however the construction of the covering was deferred.[4] The design uses a steel gridshell.[4]

The Hamburg Observatory occupied the area at the Museum from 1825 to 1912 before being moved to Bergedorf. The area was part of the old city wall defences built by the Dutchman Jan van Valckenborgh. These walls were part of Bastion Henricus which was a baroque fortification built between 1616 and 1625.[3] The museum was formerly located at the Johanneum school.

The museum became state-owned under the direction of Otto Lauffer, though this was changed back in 1999.

The museum adopted the name hamburgmuseum, and initials hm, in 2006. In 2008 the museum runs a program called hm freunde (Society of friends of the museum of Hamburg history).[5]

The skull in question with its famous nail.

In 2010 a pirate skull with a nail in it was stolen from HM.[6] The skull was discovered in 1878, and forensic analysis believe it to be from the 1400s.[6] At that time it was common for pirates to be executed by being beheaded, and then the skull would be put on an iron stake to display the consequences of this activity.[6] A more precise determination was attempted by the museum in 2004 by DNA analysis, but there was no further confirmation.[6] It was thought this might be from a particular execution of 30 during the age of the Hanseatic League.[6] The skull was stolen on January 9, 2010, and it was thought it may be the skull of (in)famous pirate Klaus Stoertebeker.[7] The skull was added to the museum's collection in 1922.[7]

We are deeply shocked about the theft
— HM Museum Director, 2010[7]

In 2016 HM was considered as a candidate for repatriation of a century old German dog-tag.[8] The dog tag belonged to a soldier that had gone MIA in world war one.[9]

Exhibits in 2005

Over time there is a gradual shift with some temporary exhibits also. Here the exhibits around 2005

Aufsatzofen, 1778

Interior and contents

Hamburg Museum's courtyard
Lobby of the Hamburg Museum

The museum has many artifacts preserved by the Society of Hamburg History founded in 1839. The Petri portal from Hamburg's St. Petri Church, built in 1604, was built into the museum courtyard in the 1990s.[11]

The museum is known for having miniature scale models that show the history of the port.[12] It is also a site for the club MEHEV, and the museum as one of the largest scale model railroads.[13]

Permanent Exhibitions

"Colonial Goods Shop" exhibition room, ca. 1830
The Picture clock with Alster panorama (c.1830), one of the treasures of the collection

The museum's website lists its permanent exhibitions as:

Visitors

The museum takes part in the Long Night of Museums of Hamburg.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "Museum of Hamburg History (Hamburgmuseum) (Germany): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor". www.tripadvisor.com. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  3. 1 2 The Museum, Hamburg Museum, accessed December 2011
  4. 1 2 3 4 5
  5. ↑ Society of Friends of the Museum of Hamburg History, hamburgmuseum, accessed December 2011
  6. 1 2 3 4 5
  7. 1 2 3
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "Tracing private Fatsch: A 100-year journey to repratriate German dog tag". Stuff. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  10. ↑ Pelc, Ortwin. "Jews In Hamburg". (trans. Guido G. Möring). University of Hamburg. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  11. ↑ Hamburg Museum website, in English, accessed November 2012
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ TravelDudes (2010-04-14). "11 Popular Museums in Hamburg, Germany". Traveldudes.org. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  14. ↑ "Lange Nacht der Museen Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte" (in German). Der Museumsdienst Hamburg. Retrieved 2009-08-29. External link in |publisher= (help)

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