German Historical Museum

The grand buildings in this district form an impressive sequence with their similar classical styles. Here, you are standing in front of the entrance to the German Historical Museum, known as the Zeughaus, meaning Arsenal. The museum takes its name from the royal armory, seeing as that was its original function. In 1695, the King of Prussia, Frederick I, laid down the foundation stone of the building. You can actually see his name inscribed on the pediment above the door. Since there is not much else left to figure out, let me shed some light on the inscription. Translated into English, the phrase above your head reads: “Frederick I, the sublime and undefeated King of Prussia, built this armory from scratch in 1706 to store all the instruments of war, as well as military spoils and trophies, to commemorate his military exploits, to strike fear into his enemies, and to protect his people and allies”. Quite the humble statement. In the 19th century, the building was converted into a military museum, and later, in 1987 the Zeughaus became the home of the German Historical Museum, in order to mark Berlin’s 750th anniversary. The section of the former arsenal is currently undergoing renovation, but the new wing of the museum, located just behind it, hosts temporary exhibitions about key figures from German history within a broader European context. To any architecture enthusiasts, feel free to take a closer look at this new building. It was designed by the Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, who is also renowned for the famous glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris. I will now let you retrace your steps and cross the road somewhere safe.