The Museum Barberini, opened on January 23, 2017, owes its existence to Hasso Plattner, billionaire and art collector who made his fortune in technology. Plattner began his career at IBM and co-founded SAP in 1972. His success allowed him to build an impressive art collection. What makes this collection unique is its focus on impressionist works and art from the former East Germany. Plattner deliberately chose Potsdam as the location, honoring a region that experienced major economic and social upheavals after reunification.
The museum’s building has its own layered history. Originally, the baroque Barberini Palace stood here, commissioned in the 18th century by Frederick the Great. Destroyed during World War II, it was meticulously reconstructed between 2013 and 2016 on its historical site. The museum thus serves both as a home for art and as a monument to historical preservation.
From the tower of the Nikolaikirche, visitors can view the Museum Barberini alongside the Brandenburg Landtag and the rebuilt city palace, emphasizing its place in Potsdam’s historic cityscape. Today, the museum showcases much of Plattner’s collection, offering a platform for both impressionist works and DDR art, enriching Potsdam’s cultural life.
Sources. Story: Source Story: Berlijn Geschiedenis en wetenswaardigheden Photos: Source Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Le_palais_Barberini_%28Potsdam%29_%2837065598495%29.jpg Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
