200 years of museum island: Celebrate the big anniversary with us!

200 years of museum island: Celebrate the big anniversary with us!

The museum island in Berlin celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2025. The anniversary, which has its origin in the laying of the foundation of the old museum in 1825, is accompanied by an extensive cultural program. The celebrations begin with a big event from May 30th to June 1, 2025, which includes tours, concerts, workshops and hands -on activities for all ages. This cultural program is designed by the state museums in Berlin and offers numerous free offers, including search games for children and scientific experiments. Musical performances by the Komische Oper Berlin will also be part of the program, which underlines the important role of the museum island as one of the most important museum complex in Europe. [Development City.de] reports that the museum island is considered an ensemble of architecture, history and art, which is visited annually by around 2.5 million people.

A public tour on Sunday, December 28, 2025, is planned to celebrate the anniversary. This exclusive tour lasts from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is aimed at young people, students, families and adults. Participants have to register online in advance, whereby a fee of 10 euros is charged. The focus of the tour is on an overview of the anniversary, the history and the architectural highlights of the Museum Island. A changing museum is put into focus every year, starting with the old museum in 2025 and the old National Gallery in 2026. The tour takes place outdoors and does not consist of a visit to the individual museums. [SMB.Museum] emphasizes that the number of participants is limited and that early registration is recommended.

Historical importance of the museum island

The museum island is not only an outstanding architectural ensemble, but also reflects social upheavals and political balance of power. Historical events such as the March Revolution of 1848, the destruction in World War II and the development in the GDR period have left their mark. The Museum Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and is a center of art and science. After reunification, the "Museum Island Museum Island" was developed to renovate and bring the collections together. The important museums on the island include the old museum, the new museum, the National Gallery, the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum and the Old National Gallery.

The anniversary is also enriched by three large special exhibitions that extend over five years. These exhibitions address the old museum and the ancient collection, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey as well as the most important German private collection of French art. Furthermore, open-air exhibitions, concerts and film nights are planned in the open-air cinema, which complements the cultural spectrum of the celebrations. The ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, has taken over the patronage over the anniversary and thus underlines the importance of the museum island for the city and its culture. [berlin.de] summarizes these facets and illustrates that the museum island is far more than just a collection of museums - it is a lively part of Berlin identity.