THE BERLIN HUMBOLDT FORUM - SHARING OF KNOWLEDGES

The Berlin Humboldt forum – Sharing of knowledges

Wednesday the 29th of january : 12h-13h15 Soufflot room

Ost- und Südfassade, Mai 2019 © SHF / Stephan Falk

 

The Humboldt Forum, currently being built in Berlin’s historic center, creates a new cultural, sharing and learning venue in the center of Berlin. Already before its opening, in autumn 2020, the institution receives enormous attention from the public and political spheres.

Where a partial reconstruction of the Berlin Palace is now being built, once stood the Palace of the Republic, whose demolition remains controversial to this day. As a joint venture between the state of Berlin and the federal government, the creation and activities of the Humboldt Forum are regarded by the media as a symbol of current cultural policy. Although it will house large permanent and temporary exhibitions, it is not a museum.

So what is the Humboldt Forum? In which context does it emerge? How will it deal with the relevance attributed to it? The presentation will explore these questions by discussing the construction and future use of the building through its four partners: Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (with the collections of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Stadtmuseum Berlin. Special attention will be paid to the programs of cultural education and outreach.

The Humboldt Forum owes its name to Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose ideals and impact have not lost any of their relevance to this day. Thus, the new institution should become a forum where ideas, opinions and individual perspectives can be shared. In order to achieve this, new ways of cultural cooperation between museums and universities, cultural institutions and communities are developed and the relationship between Germany and the world is constantly renegotiated.