The Berlin museum masterpiece currently hidden behind decades of renovation

Art · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From the spoils of empire to the chaos of war, the Pergamon Museum holds the world's most profound archaeological treasures. Yet, the doors are now shuttered, leaving the legendary Ishtar Gate and Pergamon Altar in a long period of architectural transformation.

Commissioned by Emperor Wilhelm II, the Pergamon Museum was constructed between 1910 and 1930. Designed by Alfred Messel and later completed by Ludwig Hoffmann, the building was intended to house massive architectural finds that the existing Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum could no longer accommodate. These treasures, including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the 2nd-century BC Pergamon Altar, were brought to Berlin through excavations in sites like Miletus, Priene, and ancient Egypt. Some historians suggest that the political and financial pressures on the Ottoman Empire during this era allowed archaeologists like Carl Humann to retrieve these artifacts with questionable legal standing.

The museum's history is marked by extreme upheaval. During the Second World War, air attacks severely damaged the structure. In 1945, as fires raged through Berlin, the Red Army collected many unattended items, some of which remain in Russia today, held in the Pushkit Museum or the Hermitage. While a treaty exists for their return, Russian restitution laws have blocked the process as of 2003. Following the division of Germany, the museum's collection was also split, with the Pergamon Museum operating in East Berlin while West Berlin housed remaining pieces at Schloss Charlottenburg.

Today, the museum is entering a period of profound change. Following a partial closure that began in 2014, the museum closed completely in October 2023 for a massive renovation. This project, which saw estimated costs rise to 477 million euros due to unforeseen structural issues like old pump houses, is expected to keep the museum mostly closed for 14 to 20 years, potentially until 2043. While the North Wing may reopen as early as 2027, the monumental Altar hall remains inaccessible to the public for the foreseeable future.

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