Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof

Paper Summary:

This paper contends that what has come to be known as the "classic model" of the public art museum is rooted in the evolution of art museums in Europe throughout the last few centuries. In particular, it examines the ways in which Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof - a museum whose building was initially constructed for quite different purposes, plays into this conception of the museum.

From the Paper:

"The Hamburger Bahnhof has in many ways conformed to this aspect of the classic museum model. The museum's permanent collection, which is constantly rotating, features works by many "contemporary" (i.e. living or recently-lived) artists, representative of the major trends in western art, from the 1960s to the present day. But a vast portion of the Hamburger Bahnhof's ample exhibition space is devoted to temporary exhibitions by younger, up-and-coming artists who, on both a national and international scale, are widely considered to be producing work that is emblematic of the future of art. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Duncan, Carol. 1995. The Art Museum as Ritual. In The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology, ed. Donald Preziosi, 473-485. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Forster-Han, Francoise. Shrine of Art or Signature of a New Nation? The National Gallery(ies) in Berlin, 1848-1968. In The Formation of National Collections of Art and Archaeology, ed. Gwendolyn Wright, 79-100. Washington: National Gallery of Art.
• McClellan, Andrew. 1996. Nationalism and the Origins of the Museum in France. In The Formation of National Collections of Art and Archaeology, ed. Gwendolyn Wright, 29-40. Washington: National Gallery of Art.

More papers on Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof:

• Film Review # 3718 : "Hamburger Hill" Film Review"
• Essay # 32472 : "The Berlin Blockade as the Beginning of the Cold War"
• Article Review # 113452 : "B-29's in the Berlin Airlift"

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