Haus der Geschichte
Encyclopedia
Haus der Geschichte is a modern history museum in Bonn
, Germany
. Located on the Museumsmeile (Museum Mile), the museum has exhibitions related to German history from 1945 until the present. The museum has a cartoon gallery with over 75,000 political cartoons and caricatures, and in the foyer there are also busts of famous politicians. The museum's collection includes a large part of illustrator Helmuth Ellgaard
's works.
and the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
, which are also part of the Museumsmeile. The basement of the Haus der Geschichte can be directly accessed from the subway station (Heusallee/Musuemsmeile) below, which is shared by all three museums.
called for construction of a collection about the history of Germany and the division of Germany after 1945. In the following year he specified his vision in another government statement. In 1986, realization of this plan started in Bonn when a historical collection was brought together, a permanent exhibition was planned, and the construction of a building initiated. The German Bundestag
confirmed the institution in 1989 in a separate law on foundations. Hermann Schäfer was the first president of this foundation and served for almost 20 years. In June 2007, his representative of many years, Hans Walter Hütter, became his successor. The museum was opened on the 14th of June 1994 by Helmut Kohl.
The board of trustees as supervisor approves the budget and the basic program composition, and makes important personnel decisions. It is composed of representatives of the factions of the German Bundestag, the federal government, and all federal states. Since June 2008, Dr. Berggreen-Merkel has been chairman of the board of trustees.
The academic advisory council (chairman Lothar Gall) advises the board of trustees and the president of the foundation as to the museum's legal mission, especially as it affects the conceptional preparation of temporary exhibitions and the content of the permanent exhibition. The academic advisory council, consisting of historians, political scientists, experts in international law and museum experts, is an important guarantor for the independence of the foundation from political influence.
The committee concerned with the interests of various societial groupings (Arbeitskreis gesellschaftlicher Gruppen), chairman Karl Jürsten, represents the interests of museum visitors, major religious groups, employers' and employees' associations, foreigners, women, young people, and major community authorities when advising the board of trustees and the foundation president.
The president of the foundation, Hans Walter Hütter, manages the business of the foundation and decides matters which are not the responsibility of the board of trustees.
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, 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...
. Located on the Museumsmeile (Museum Mile), the museum has exhibitions related to German history from 1945 until the present. The museum has a cartoon gallery with over 75,000 political cartoons and caricatures, and in the foyer there are also busts of famous politicians. The museum's collection includes a large part of illustrator Helmuth Ellgaard
Helmuth Ellgaard
Helmuth Ellgaard was a German illustrator, artist and journalist.Helmuth Ellgaard was born in the then German Haderslev in Nordslesvig. In 1928, the family left Haderslev, which became Danish after the Schleswig Plebiscites, for Kiel. Soon, Ellgaard caught an interest in drawing and painting...
's works.
Location
The Haus der Geschichte is located on Bundesstraße 9 and is part of the Museumsmeile (Museum Mile) in Bonn, which itself is part of the former West German government district. It lies just north of the Kunstmuseum BonnKunstmuseum Bonn
The Kunstmuseum Bonn or Bonn Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Bonn, Germany, founded in 1947. The Kunstmuseum exhibits both temporary exhibitions and its collection. Its collection is focused on Rhenish Expressionism and post-war German art...
and the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland is a museum in Bonn, Germany....
, which are also part of the Museumsmeile. The basement of the Haus der Geschichte can be directly accessed from the subway station (Heusallee/Musuemsmeile) below, which is shared by all three museums.
History
In his government statement of October 13, 1982, right after taking office, the then Chancellor of Germany and student of history Helmut KohlHelmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
called for construction of a collection about the history of Germany and the division of Germany after 1945. In the following year he specified his vision in another government statement. In 1986, realization of this plan started in Bonn when a historical collection was brought together, a permanent exhibition was planned, and the construction of a building initiated. The German Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
confirmed the institution in 1989 in a separate law on foundations. Hermann Schäfer was the first president of this foundation and served for almost 20 years. In June 2007, his representative of many years, Hans Walter Hütter, became his successor. The museum was opened on the 14th of June 1994 by Helmut Kohl.
Construction
The building was designed in 1985 by the married couple and architects Ingeborg and Hartmut Rüdiger from Braunschweig within the framework of an architecture competition. Construction began in September 1989. The building has a total floor space of around 22,000 square meters, with 4,000 square meters being dedicated to the permanent exhibition, and over 650 square meters to temporary exhibitions.Structure
The independent foundation under public law, "Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland", is sponsored and financed by the Federal Republic of Germany. The four entities of the foundation are a board of trustees, an academic advisory council, a committee concerned with the interests of various societal groupings, and a president.The board of trustees as supervisor approves the budget and the basic program composition, and makes important personnel decisions. It is composed of representatives of the factions of the German Bundestag, the federal government, and all federal states. Since June 2008, Dr. Berggreen-Merkel has been chairman of the board of trustees.
The academic advisory council (chairman Lothar Gall) advises the board of trustees and the president of the foundation as to the museum's legal mission, especially as it affects the conceptional preparation of temporary exhibitions and the content of the permanent exhibition. The academic advisory council, consisting of historians, political scientists, experts in international law and museum experts, is an important guarantor for the independence of the foundation from political influence.
The committee concerned with the interests of various societial groupings (Arbeitskreis gesellschaftlicher Gruppen), chairman Karl Jürsten, represents the interests of museum visitors, major religious groups, employers' and employees' associations, foreigners, women, young people, and major community authorities when advising the board of trustees and the foundation president.
The president of the foundation, Hans Walter Hütter, manages the business of the foundation and decides matters which are not the responsibility of the board of trustees.