Leipzig Museum of Applied Arts
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Applied Arts is a museum in Leipzig
, Germany
. It is the second oldest museum of decorative arts in the country, founded just six years after the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin
. Today it is part of the Grassi Museum
, an institution which also includes the Museum of Ethnography
and the Museum of Musical Instruments
, based in a large building on the Johannisplatz.
More than 2,000 items are on permanent display, currently split between two exhibitions: "From Antiquity to Historism" and "Asian Art". A third exhibition, "From Art Nouveau to the Present Day", is scheduled to open in late 2011. There are also special temporary exhibitions.
One highlight of the museum is the "Roman Hall", with panels salvaged from a palace in Eythra, near Leipzig, which was demolished to make way for coal mining.
There is also a graphics
collection with over 50,000 works, a photographic archive of 75,000 items, and a library with around 60,000 titles.
during World War II.
Between 1981 and 1994, no permanent exhibition was possible because of damage to the building. The Grassi Museum was refurbished from 2001 to 2006. The Museum of Applied Arts received its present name in 2005, and the new permanent exhibition opened in 2007.
The museum is one of around 20 so-called "Cultural Lighthouses" in the German government's Blue Book of culturally significant sites in the former East Germany. As such, it is a member of the Konferenz Nationaler Kultureinrichtungen
.
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is the second oldest museum of decorative arts in the country, founded just six years after the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin
Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin
The Kunstgewerbemuseum, or Museum of Decorative Arts, is an internationally important museum of the decorative arts in Berlin, Germany, part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin...
. Today it is part of the Grassi Museum
Grassi Museum
The Grassi Museum is a building complex in Leipzig, Germany, home to three museums: the Ethnography Museum, Musical Instruments Museum, and Applied Arts Museum....
, an institution which also includes the Museum of Ethnography
Leipzig Museum of Ethnography
The Leipzig Museum of Ethnography is a large ethnographic museum in Leipzig, Germany. Today it is part of the Grassi Museum, an institution which also includes the Museum of Applied Arts and the Museum of Musical Instruments, based in a large building on the Johannisplatz.-History:The museum...
and the Museum of Musical Instruments
Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig
The Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig is a museum in Leipzig, Germany. It is located on Johannisplatz, near the city centre...
, based in a large building on the Johannisplatz.
Collections
The museum owns around 90,000 items, of European and non-European origin, featuring decorative art from all eras since antiquity. The collection is particularly strong on exhibits from the 1920s and '30s. The items include ceramics, textiles, glassware, metalwork, sculpture, furniture and coinage.More than 2,000 items are on permanent display, currently split between two exhibitions: "From Antiquity to Historism" and "Asian Art". A third exhibition, "From Art Nouveau to the Present Day", is scheduled to open in late 2011. There are also special temporary exhibitions.
One highlight of the museum is the "Roman Hall", with panels salvaged from a palace in Eythra, near Leipzig, which was demolished to make way for coal mining.
There is also a graphics
Graphic arts
A type of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of art forms. Graphic art is typically two-dimensional and includes calligraphy, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, lithography, typography, serigraphy , and bindery. Graphic art also consists of drawn plans and layouts for interior...
collection with over 50,000 works, a photographic archive of 75,000 items, and a library with around 60,000 titles.
History
The museum was founded in 1874 as the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Arts and Crafts). It moved into its present location, the New Grassi Building, in 1926. Numerous exhibits were destroyed by bombsBombing of Leipzig in World War II
During World War II, Leipzig was repeatedly attacked by British as well as American air raids. The most severe attack was launched by the Royal Air Force in the early hours of December 4, 1943 and claimed more than 1,800 lives...
during World War II.
Between 1981 and 1994, no permanent exhibition was possible because of damage to the building. The Grassi Museum was refurbished from 2001 to 2006. The Museum of Applied Arts received its present name in 2005, and the new permanent exhibition opened in 2007.
The museum is one of around 20 so-called "Cultural Lighthouses" in the German government's Blue Book of culturally significant sites in the former East Germany. As such, it is a member of the Konferenz Nationaler Kultureinrichtungen
Konferenz Nationaler Kultureinrichtungen
The Konferenz Nationaler Kultureinrichtungen or Conference of National Cultural Institutions is a union of more than twenty cultural organizations in the former East Germany...
.