Humboldt Forum – Berlin Palace

You are now standing in front of the entrance to the new Humboldt Forum. Yet, the Baroque façade before you belongs to the former Berliner Schloss, in other words Berlin Palace. The first version of this palace was built in the 15th century for Elector Frederick II. Back then, the Holy Roman Empire, had seven prince-electors—the highest-ranking nobles—who had the exclusive right to vote for the emperor. Frederick II belonged to the powerful Hohenzollern dynasty, a ruling family dating back to the 11th century, which explains how he was able to build his own castle. Over the course of 900 years, the Hohenzollerns rose to power, reigning as German Emperors, Kings of Prussia and Romania, as well as prince-electors, counts, margraves, and burgraves, which were military titles that became aristocratic. I think by now you’ve understood how influential they used to be. Therefore, the Berlin Palace was their imperial residence, expanded and renovated multiple times until the 19th century. However, the Hohenzollerns’ decline began with the defeat of Germany and its allies after World War I. In 1918, Emperor Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate and fled to the Netherlands. With the fall of the dynasty, Germany became a republic : the Weimar Republic. The palace was then nationalized and repurposed as a museum and administrative center. After World War II, the palace’s fate took a dramatic turn. Following the division of Berlin, Museum Island and the palace both fell under Soviet governance. The palace was severely damaged by bombings, and the communist regime decided to destroy this historic building that reminded of a despised era. In its place, the East German government built the Palace of the Republic, their new parliament building. It was a monumental building of smoked glass and metal, facing a huge square called Marx-Engels. So why are you looking at the old palace’s historical facadenstead of a huge Soviet building from the 50s? Well, iIt all started with the fall of the Berlin wall and the discovery of asbestos in the premises. The Palace of the Republic’s fate became a heated debate. After more than a decade of controversy, the decision was taken in 2002. The Hohenzollern Palace was to rise again from its ashes,- at least its façade, as the new Humboldt Forum. This ambitious project sought to transform the site into Berlin’s biggest tourist attraction, composed of a jumble of museums, shops, restaurants, green spaces, and cultural centers, as well as a diverse program of events in the fields of culture, education, and science, attracting visitors from all around the world. Notably, entry is free to the magnificent Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. The site takes the name of the Humboldt brothers, renowned German scholars and humanists whose contributions had a major impact on the academic world. I’ll leave you to discover it yourself and step inside this colossal blend of concrete mixed with Baroque architecture, proof that different styles and ideas can coexist in harmony.