Link to full article

Revamped Neues Museum Finally Opens in Berlin

For seven decades Berlin’s Neues Museum was a derelict, bomb-scarred shell — but finally it is back, boasting a star-studded cast including the 3,400-year-old bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially opens the restored museum on Friday.

It’s a day that took decades to arrive. One of the jewels of Berlin’s Museum Island complex will reopen its doors. The Neues Museum reopens on Friday, meaning that the entire ensemble of Berlin’s neoclassical galleries will be open for the first time since World War II.

Do follow the link to the full article, as there are some truly excellent photos there. Also, a hertening extra from the article:

The star of the show will be the limestone-and-stucco bust of Nefertiti, which has been in Germany since 1913. Reflecting her status in the world of art history, the beautiful object will reside alone in a dome-ceilinged room which overlooks the length of the museum.

It’s always make me smile to see Egyptian art get pride of place… biased a know, but in this case I think almost everyone would agree it’s a place rightfully occupied.

The restoration of the Neues is a major achievement, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s been executed, as much of the original structure has been preserved, complete with it’s battle scars.