Agenda

The panorama shows the splendid capital of the Roman Empire in 312 AD. The visitors experience Emperor Constantine (280-337), who has just defeated his opponent Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge (pons milvius) and who rules the city and the empire from now on. On the visitor platform of fifteen metres, the 360 ° panorama opens the view on the metropolis beyond. The visitor experiences the theaters, temples, palaces, Thermae, basilicas and tenements down to the Alban hills on the horizon. It is a highlight that the Pergamon Panorama in Berlin and Lepizig is on show at the same time.

This year, 2012, marks the 1100th birthday of Otto the Great (emperor from 962-971) and the 1050th anniversary of this coronation as emperor at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in 962. On this occasion the kulturhistorisches Museum in Magdeburg is giving the European history of the idea of emperorship from the first European emperor Augustus (emperor from 27 BC-14 AD) and other Roman emperors, through the dynasty of the Ottonian emperors (who ruled from 962-1024). The exhibition shows how Augustus cunningly availed of the Roman Republic principles around the turn of the century top create new forms of legitimacy for his rule. When the last Roman emperor was deposed in 476, the title of emperor initially remained confined to the Eastern Roman Empire, which evolved into the Byzantine Empire and emperors. Western Roman Emperorship was revived in 800, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome in 800. The milieu of Roman, Byzantine, Carolingian and Ottonian emperors produced splendid works of art. The exhibition is bringing these riches from one thousand years together as well.

The exhibition in the Landesmuseum tells the story of the origins of our contemporary economic system, capitalism, in the historic maritime republic of Venice and during the “Golden Age” of Amsterdam – Venice from the 13th century and Amsterdam in the 17th century. Both cities played a key role in the economic and social development of the West. Merchants and traders invented new forms of finance, credit and commerce which we still use today. Both cities looked out towards the sea, took risks, built ships, pursued trade overseas, suffered losses, but also made large profits. With growing affluence and the birth of a pre-modern civil society, for example in Amsterdam, culture and splendour became more attractive than risky overseas trade. This marked the start of investment in culture and luxury – and also the end of the “Golden Age” of both cities. Though capitalism is as old as mankind, modern capitalism has its roots in late medieval and early modern history.

The exhibition is dedicated to Schinkel’s oeuvre regarding the history of architecture and building aesthetics, as well as the entire Schinkel art universe, newly appraised and translated into descriptive arrangements of art works with special attention given to the transformation achievements of the early historism period. According to Schinkel, “History and Poetry” exceed pure function and material value and as a consequence elevate a piece of work to a work of art. Enlightenment, romanticist and classicist notions flash up in those two terms. Schinkel restaged the burning of the city of Moscow on 6 September 1812 and created a sophisticated optical diorama, which was enthusiastically received by the Berlin audience. The exhibition will open with a reconstruction of this impressive construction.