The famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin has closed its doors for a restoration that will last fourteen years

Famous for its first-rate ancient monuments, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the most visited in the German capital, closed its doors on October 23 for an in-depth restoration expected to be completed in 2037. Located on the Isle of Museums, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the historic heart of the city, the Pergamon Museum houses treasures, such as the Roman Pergamon Altar, which dates from the 2nd century BCE, and the Babylonian Gate of Ishtar with the Procession Way, built 2,600 years ago.

Built on an ice age river

Opened in 1930, the museum attracts more than a million visitors per year when all exhibits are accessible. In recent months, the announcement of this in-depth renovation has attracted Berliners and tourists eager to take a last look at the works. “We were very lucky to have the last tickets. At my age, I’m not sure I’ll still be alive before reopening“, a visitor from Berlin, a 75-year-old retired teacher, told AFP.

After discovering the ruins of the Roman Altar of Pergamon (in present-day Turkey) between 1878 and 1886, German archaeologists transferred them to Berlin, under an agreement between Germany and the Ottoman Empire. The reconstruction of this altar lasted until 1902. The Pergamon Museum, whose architecture is reminiscent of an ancient temple, was specially designed to exhibit and particularly highlight this altar and the Babylonian Gate of Ishtar.

However, time and the weight of the collections, which rest on the bed of a river from the Ice Age, have damaged the foundations of the museum which will have to be strengthened. A herculean task estimated at nearly 1.5 billion euros and expected to last more than a decade. The wear and tear of the building and lasting damage caused by World War II led to water leaks during rain, explains Barbara Helwing, director of the Museum of the Ancient Near East at the Berlin State Museums. He is “urgent“, according to her, to begin repairs to protect the precious collections and ensure the safety of visitors.”The building is in very poor condition and is sagging“, she explains.

Partial opening in 2027

The exorbitant cost of the renovation and the fact that, with the exception of a few solar panels, nothing will be very ecological, have been denounced by critics. “When completely renovated in 2037, the Pergamon Museum will be, in terms of climate technology and energy, a fossil fuel-powered building of the past“, asserted the architecture critic Nikolaus Bernau, in the German weekly Die Zeit.

Another problem in perspective: the possible request for restitution of certain works, while more and more Western institutions are returning objects to the countries from which they came. Last month, in the German daily Tagesspiegel, an archaeologist from the Turkish Ministry of Culture, Zeynep Boz, questioned whether Germany really had the right to possess the Pergamon Altar. Barbara Helwing acknowledges that it was a question “difficult” and ensures that research into the provenance of the museum’s collections will continue during the renovation work.

The north wing of the museum had already been closed for renovation in 2012 and the Pergamon Altar has already been hidden behind scaffolding since 2014. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the very first part of the museum that can be visited again in 2027. Thousands of objects – sculptures, urns, carpets – will be stored in warehouses. A small part of them will be loaned to other institutions. Large monuments, such as the Babylonian Ishtar Gate, protected by a covering, will remain in place during the work.