Pergamon Museum from 3/26/09

(Old MySpace Import, so not all links may work!)

Ahh I’m so behind.  I had a week off on holidays – and still have
pictures from my birthday trip to process.  However, due to a request
from the photo group – I’m trying to get the ones from the photo group
processed and up first.   So, thus the reason for multiple back-dated
blog posts on the same day.  (no, it’s not your eyes – I really did
enter these in May… but out of my diary from April.)

Let’s
start with Just after the birthday trip.  I got back home on March 18th
and started back to work.  The weekend after I got back, a friend of
mine, Tony was in town. No time off from life for me!  This always
results in alot of running around Berlin, dinners, and so on.  Anyhow,
as a team event, we went to the Pergamon Museum.  Most of the photos I
don’t like – but since he didn’t have a camera, I thought I’d take a
few just to try and show the size and scale of the place.

They’re up at on Flickr in My Pergamon Museum Set.

Just for the sheer size comparison, these are the ones I picked as “the
best”. Seriously – if you ever get to Berlin, this is one place you
just can’t miss because it is what it is – the rape of the treasures of
several countries, dismantled and rebuilt in a specially designed
museum.

Temple of Athena
Tony with the goddess Athena (greek)

Ishtar gate (babylon)
Again,
Tony – in front of the Ishtar Gate (of Babylon. Yes, this was an entire
dismantle and move into this specially built museum building. (Iraqi)

Temple of Pergamon

The Temple of Pergamon – (greek) yes, those are people on the steps,
and yes, again this was an entire dismantle and move into this
specially built museum building.

Roman Walls
3 story high outside of a Roman house – with tile mosiac (around which you have to walk) and speaking platform – below:

Roman Speaking Platform

Notice the mosiac at the bottom…of this picture.

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Long(er) night at museums Jan 27,2008

(AKA, 4 days of going with very little sleep). Wow What a weekend. I need a break from all the go go go, but hey, if my weekend is any consolation, at least I’m young enough to have enjoyed it completely. There will be 3 entries posted in one day (Jan 28) so forgive me y’all – I wrote it up but didn’t have time to post
Ugh – I woke up Saturday morning with a bit of a hangover, but nothing that I can’t handle. The concert was great and I had a fun time hanging out with everyone. I wondered briefly (after getting home at 3 AM Saturday) if I was going to make it out to the Long night at museums, but yes, I did. (With the caviot to NOT Drink – I was successful here too!)
In case you don’t remember what it is, the Long Night at Museums is a huge night from 6pm – 2am the next morning where all the state owned museums in Berlin are open extra hours. Tickets cost 15 euros and cover all the museums, transport and so on. Most of the museums have some kind of event going on (think exhibit opening, special tour, music, or costumed performers) to enhanse the visit – and make it extra special for those visiting the museum.
This 6 months series long night was themed “Time”. Basically, all the museums had a different take on it (time related to archaeology, time related to the planet earth, time related to astronomy, time related to painting or religion, a special exhibition on clocks, etc.).
Once again, Kat, “bubba” and I wound up heading out to this – despite the cold, rainy blustery weather. It was great. I went in 2 churches, and 4 museums I’d never been in before, and 1 church I had seen before. I took a few pictures, and had a really nice time.
A few highlights – the Kultureforum at Potsdamer platz had a nice exhibit on black and white photography. I couldn’t take pictures of course, but this made some interesting images come into my mind – that I Must try with some of my own work.
The Marionkirche was open – and the interior renovations are almost complete. I got to see all the sculptures this time – they had previously been covered by plastic sheeting and stacked in a corner. Yes, I had to take pictures – once processed, I’ll add them to flicker and the blog. The angels there are exquisite.
The knoblauchhaus museum was open with a beautiful cellist playing music. It was the least crowded of the museums I was in (Kat and bubba gave up and went to dinner before I did) and was enjoyable. I’m glad I didn’t pay for this one – mostly because it’s like walking through a house of antiques. Interesting, pretty, but not really something I’d have wanted to pay for seperately.
Similarly, the palace gallery near Ephraim Restaurant was interesting, but I didn’t get it – due to my lack of German. This place has 5 floors that are dedicated to different exhibits. Tonights was – lowest floor – jewelry from the 1800’s, 2nd floor, modern art paintings in a cubist /abstract style. 3rd floor – the art of iron – so trinkets like boxes and jewelry, candlesticks and corner candelabras, and so on. 4th floor – the industrial age – developing a city using steel and city panning for industry – including a bunch of maps, antiques that were made in the area and other things. 5th floor – they had a jazz band playing up here so it was way way crowded – and I didn’t get to see much, but it appeared to be some kind of an exhibit of political cartoons over the last 100 years. (That I would have liked to see but again, too many people).
I then also proceeded to wander around the old town of Berlin for a bit, found some cool statues, and then wandered back toward the Egyptian Museum. This is where I found no lines, but decided (after chatting with Bubba) to wait on seeing it. I headed home (soaked to the skin and freezing cold – despite the lovely art and too hot, mostly overcrowded museums) and went to bed about 1:30 AM.
It was a worthwhile experience – once again – and I’ll be sure to attend when it happens in the summer.
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