[citation needed] During World War II, portions of the collection were stored in an antiaircraft tower called the Flakturm Friedrichshain for safe keeping.

This is reminiscent of William von Bode's concept of "style rooms", in which sculptures, paintings, and crafts are viewed together, as was usual in upper middle-class private collections.

He added: "It is no exaggeration to say that in the new Bode Museum, Europe will be able for the first time to read its history — aesthetic and religious, intellectual and political — in a three-dimensional form.

"[6] On 27 March 2017, a solid gold coin called the Big Maple Leaf, issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007 as a commemorative piece, was stolen from the museum.

[8][10] The thieves were later found to be 21 and 23-year-old cousins Ahmed and Wissam Remmo, along with their friend, Denis W.[11] Police do not expect to ever recover the coin, as the presence of gold dust leads them to believe the culprits had melted it down.