Museum Europäischer Kulturen

The museum focuses on the lived-in world of Europe and European culture contact, predominantly in Germany from the 18th Century until today.

[1] The current Museum of European Cultures was established from several previous institutions which arose at the beginning of the 19th century and are due in part to private initiatives as well as governmental foundations.

The basis of the exhibit was two shaman drums of the northern European Sámi which came to the Königlich Preußische Kunstkammer (Royal Prussian Art Collection) at the beginning of the 19th century.

[3] The private Museum for German Traditional Costume and Handicrafts, with the support of the Patron James Simon (1851–1932, from 1904 President of the Museum's Association) and under the leadership of Karl Brunner (1904–1928), was in 1904 made part of the "Königliche Sammlung für Deutsche Volkskunde" (Royal Collection for German Folklore), part of the Königlich Preußischen Museen zu Berlin.

Director Konrad Hahm (1928–1943) preoccupied himself with intensive public work, varying exhibits, and purposeful lectures so that the richness and variety of the museum's collections could be made known to a large audience.

The relocation of the exhibition and administration buildings to the Prinzessinnenpalais (Princess Palace) next to the Berlin State Opera on Unter den Linden followed in 1938.

Adolf Reichwein, a progressive and humanistic educator and active resistance fighter in the Kreisau Circle, took over leadership until his arrest and later execution in October 1944.

With special exhibitions like "Großstadtproletariat" (Big City Proletariat) (1980–87) or "Dienstbare Geister" (Willing Hands) (1981) the museums were able to overcome the confinements of the pre-industrial country and farm culture.

In connect to the political reunification of Germany the collections of the State Museums were brought together with the support of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

This complex organizational challenge triggered a wave of controversial contentual/conceptual discussions that entailed reconciling and compromising in regards to the prospective structure of the museum.

At the same time the museum busies itself with issues of the plural society in Germany, such as migrant movements, cultural diversity, its expression and societal effects, especially in urban settings.