Bodestraße
10178 Berlin Mitte
“The Alte Nationalgalerie is the original home of the Nationalgalerie (National Gallery), whose collections today are divided between the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart (Hamburger Bahnhof – National Gallery of Contemporary Art), the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche (Friedrichswerder Church), Museum Berggruen (Museum Berggruen) and the Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg (Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection). The idea of establishing a cultural and educational centre across from the Berlin Palace dates back to the time of Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who dreamt of creating a “sanctuary for art and science” on the site. The basic architectural concept for the Alte Nationalgalerie – a temple-like building raised on a plinth decorated with motifs from antiquity – came from the king himself. The building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler, a student of Schinkel who also designed the Neues Museum (New Museum). It was completed after Stüler’s death by another of Schinkel’s students, Johann Heinrich Strack. …