Ethnologisches Museum

Ethnologisches Museum review

The Ethnological Museum is a stunner - extensive, authoritative, beautifully laid out and lit. It encompasses cultures from Oceania to Central America to Africa to the Far East. Only the true ethno-fan should attempt to see it all, but no one should miss the Südsee (South Sea) room. Here you'll find New Guinean masks and effigies, and a remarkable collection of original canoes and boats - some huge and elaborate. The African rooms are also impressive - look out for the superb carvings from Benin and the Congo, and beaded artefacts from Cameroon. An enlightening small exhibit explores the influence of African art on the German expressionists. The museum only has space to exhibit two per cent of its 500,000 items, and is hoping to move to the Stadtschloss in Mitte in 2010.

Two other museums are housed in the same building. The Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Museum of Asian Art) features archaeological objects and works of fine art from India, Japan, China and Korea from the early Stone Age to the present. The Museum Europäischer Kulturen (Museum of European Cultures) contains exhibits about European everyday culture from the 18th century to the present. One highlight is a mechanical model of the nativity, displayed each year in the Advent period. Audio guides in English are available.