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Pergamon Museum Berlin Closed from 2023 to 2027

by in Berlin, Germany

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is closed from 23 October 2023 until a partly reopening in mid-2027 — some top items will be displayed in other museums and venues.

The Ishtar Gate will not be seen while the Pergamon Museum Berlin is closed from October 2023 until 2027 (and only reopening fully by the mid-1930s)

Berlin’s Pergamonmuseum on the Museumsinsel (Museum Island) closed completely to visitors on 23 October 2023. Some items are on display elsewhere but the first section of the Pergamon Museum — the Hellenistic Hall including the Pergamon Altar — is expected to reopen in spring 2027. The full Pergamon Museum will only be open by the late 2030s but more exhibition areas are likely to reopen in phases earlier. Some of the Greek sculptures are displayed in the Pergamon Das Panorama exhibition.

Pergamon Altar and Hellenistic Hall in Berlin Closed until 2027

Mshatta Palace Façade in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin
Mshatta Palace Façade was already disassembled in May 2023.

Construction work at the Pergamon Museum has been ongoing for several years and the building’s North Wing and the middle section should reopen in spring 2027.

Pergamon Altar Berlin
Pergamon Altar (old display) in the Pergamon Museum ©visitBerlin | Günter Steffen

The top attractions in this part of the new museum include:

  • The Hellenistic Hall and the Pergamon Altar after which the museum is named. Some of the Greek sculptures are currently temporarily displayed in the Pergamon. Das Panorama.
  • The middle section will continue to show large objects from the Antikensammlung (antiquities collection), such as the Ishtar Gate.
  • The Museum fĂĽr Islamische Kunst (Islamic Art), with its new larger permanent exhibition, will be on view in the North Wing.

Pergamonmuseum Berlin Closed until mid-1930s

The Alhambra Cupola will not be seen while the Pergamon Museum Berlin is closed from October 2023 until 2027 (and only reopening fully by the mid-1930s)

The second construction phase ‒ the restoration of the South Wing and the construction of a fourth wing — is due to start in 2024 and will in total take well over a decade. By the late 2030s, the Pergamon Museum should be connected to the Bode-Museum and the Neues Museum.

The building sections concerned housed the Museum für Islamische Kunst Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art), the Vorderasiatisches Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East), and the Miletus Hall, which belongs to the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities).

See Pergamon Objects while the Museum in Berlin is Closed

Heracles Frees Promentheus

Some of the collections of the Pergamonmuseum will remain viewable while the museum building is closed:

Top sculptures and objects from the Antikensammlung will continue to be exhibited at Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama, located directly across from the Museumsinsel. The Vorderasiatisches Museum is preparing a new exhibition for this location, as the Greek sculptures are due to move back to the Pergamon Museum in 2025/2026.

Some of the outstanding individual objects from the Pergamonmuseum will be on loan to other museums in Berlin and around the world. For instance, an intervention at Hamburger Bahnhof and a thematic collaboration with the Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings) are planned, and cooperation with the Louvre is in preparation.

As of winter 2023‒24, the current (future historical) permanent exhibition of the Vorderasiatisches Museum will also be available online as a virtual tour. While the building is closed, the Vorderasiatisches Museum also intends to move its objects from the main level to storage depots and intermediate sites for restoration. Large special exhibitions with international cooperation partners are now in preparation, including Das Zweistromland – die Wiege der Könige (Mesopotamia ‒ The Cradle of Kings).

Objects from the Museum für Islamische Kunst (Islamic Art) will not be on temporary display, as the museum will move to the new larger display halls of the Northwing due to open in 2027. The exhibits, some of which are permanently installed, will not only need to be dismantled and reinstalled at a new location during this period but also restored ‒ for instance, the Mshatta Façade, the Aleppo Room, and the Alhambra Cupola.

More on the Berlin State Museums (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin):

Note: Most Berlin museums and similar sights are open in 2024. Timeslot reservations are essential for only the Alte Nationalgalerie, Gemäldegalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Neues Museum, and Pergamon – Das Panorama. (The Pergamon Museum itself is closed until 2027!). Timeslots are released only around four weeks in advance. Tickets are available from GetYourGuide which seems to have timeslots available when SMB has already sold out — many passes and multi-museum tickets are again available (Kulturforum / Museums Island). Individual museum ticket prices range from €6 to €14 (€20 for special exhibitions). Online tickets are skip-the-line — go directly to the gallery entrance to scan the code.

For more general information on the Berlin State Museums:

News & Temporary Exhibitions:

More Museum Reviews and Museum-Specific Information:

Previous Temporary Exhibitions:

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