InfoBox on Schlossplatz

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The Humboldt – Box

Focal Point for Information about the Future “Humboldt-Forum” in Berlin

(You can find detailed information about the Humboldt Forum in the Menu under the heading “The New Palace”, subheading “Humboldt Forum – the Usage Plan”. The building plans shown here should be considered to be merely a basis for discussion since the final form of the Humboldt Box will be clarified in an architectural competition.)

The Republic of Germany, together with the State of Berlin, want to build the so-called Humboldt-Box in the near future as an information pavilion with 1,600 square meters of useable space situated on the Schloss Platz Square at Liebknecht Strasse across from the Lustgarten Park.

Financing for the Information Center is supposed to come from excess funds originally authorized for the demolition of the Palace of the Republic in the amount of 20 million Euros. According to the announcements, the demolition was estimated to cost 10 million Euros, but because of the continual discovery of asbestos remnants in the Palace it will probably cost 4 million Euros more. For this reason the construction of the Humboldt Box, which was initially contemplated for the spring of 2007, has been put on the back shelf.

The construction plans for the Berlin Palace and its planned use as the “Humboldt – Forum are topics which are especially intended to be communicated in the Humboldt Box. The Förderverein Berliner Schloss will likewise use it to seek donations for the reconstruction.

In other words, donations for the rebuilding of the Palace will not be used for the construction of the Infobox itself.

The Infobox will be used as an exhibition site for the “Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace”. It will be open to everyone, and at present it is not anticipated that an entrance fee will be charged. 

WHY IS THE HUMBOLDT BOX BEING BUILT?

In diesen wird die deutsche Wissenschaft mit ihrer Geschichte, aber auch mit ihren lebendigen Beiträgen zur Zukunft integriert.

Thus the so-called “Free State of Art and Science” originally planned as far back as the 19th century will become a reality in the center of Berlin. The Central State Library will round out this concept with a technical collection oriented to the themes of the Forum.

Overlying this complex will be the great exhibition center, the so-called Agora. It is orientated towards the dialog of the world’s cultures in the spirit of Alexander v. Humboldt. It will offer an elegant space for the most varied conferences as well as cultural and social events, and will place at the service of Art and Science it multiplicity of different rooms.

The Commission for Berlin’s Historic Center based the usage concept of the new Palace on the fundamental idea of the former Palace of the Republic, namely as a place of culture , a place open to the whole population.  Now, because of the high demands which the Berlin inhabitants are placing on the usage plan, it will become evident to them that they are involved in the evolution of the plan, precisely in accordance with the Commission’s thinking.

The realization of the Humboldt Forum on the Museum Island and in the Palace is a gigantic undertaking. From the standpoint of its content, it is incomparably more difficult to configure and from a planning perspective significantly more encompassing than the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche in Dresden as a church.

Yet, even in Dresden, there was initially hardly any longing to rebuild the Frauenkirche. On the contrary, there was bitter carping and strife as to whether one should destroy the remains of the church, which was such a unique war memorial, in order to replace it with a “fake” new church. Nevertheless, all this was done immediately following the fall of communism because the construction site stood open and ready for use so that one could begin work. The ruins were removed, and the stones sorted and stored in exhibition shelves. There arose a fascination with the facts of the rebuilding. Chancellor Kohl involved himself on the occasion of his 60th birthday and requested donations for the Frauenkirche instead of presents. The Bundespresident took over the honorary leadership of the collection drive. The federal government, the state of Saxony and the city obligated themselves to assume about 1/3 of the construction costs. People came, saw the growing construction work, were inspired, made donations and the mood changed. Dresden became a Mecca for reconstruction tourism. In addition, at the beginning of the 1990s following the reunification, there came the huge almost European-wide desire to travel and, for many, the inspiring obligation to become involved precisely here in Dresden.

In Berlin on the other hand, the construction site was occupied until 2006 by the Palace of the Republic. During the last 15 years, debate between the reconstruction of the old Palace and the retention of the Palace of the Republic had to be overcome in all its severity. With the erection of the Palace Simulation in 1993/94 we won over a majority of the Berlin inhabitants and then through the incredible support of many citizens and politicians we achieved the key parliamentary decision. In the summer of 2002, the Bundestag adopted, by a wide majority, the basic decision in favor of rebuilding the Palace following more than a year of work by the state Commission for the “Historic Berlin Center” which came up with a convincing usage concept – a concept that was greeted with unanimous approval by the media.

THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE CONTENT
OF THE HUMBOLDT-BOX

The exhibits of the individual partners in the Box will be dovetailed with each other and present an interactive concept.  In no event will they simply be one little box next to another.

THE EXHIBIT OF THE FÖRDERVEREIN BERLIN SCHLOSS

Exhibits of the Foundation for Prussian Culture, the Humboldt
University and the State and Central Library of Berlin

At the beginning of these exhibits one sees the development of the State Museums out of the princely art and curiosity collections in the old Palace, and, in the 19th century, the transformation of the Museum Island into a so-called “free state of art and science”.

At the beginning of these exhibits one sees the development of the State Museums out of the princely art and curiosity collections in the old Palace, and, in the 19th century, the transformation of the Museum Island into a so-called “free state of art and science”.

A further section directs the eye to the present day situation with the Palace area as an empty hole in the middle of a unique network of scientific (Humboldt University, State Library), artistic (Museum Island, Friedrichswerder Church and former Academy of Architecture) and political (Foreign Office, Red City Hall and German Historical Museum) institutions.

Farther on, the exhibits deal with the future of the Humboldt Forum as a center of art and science available for all sorts of important events at all times of the day completely in keeping with the motto of the Museum Island Festival: “Art without end.”

In the upper level of the Box, the collections of the State Museums of Berlin as well as the collections of the Humboldt University in cooperation with the LZB Berlin, cover the concept of the “universal museum” in a flexible multimedia exhibition program.

The relationship to the European collections of the Museum Island is ever present in this vision of the universal museum. The interplay of the two museum complexes demonstrates the intellectual identity of the State Museums as a “universal Museum” which will bring together in the future the arts and cultures of the entire world in one location, in the heart of Berlin.

The Humboldt Box will be a effective signal to the public of the intellectual partnership of the State Museums of Berlin, the Humboldt University and the Berlin Central and State Libraries. The Berlin of the future, i.e. the vision of Berlin as a metropolis of art and culture, of museums and education, of universities and libraries, is the key message of this so-called “Forum of the new central district”. It is a strong rationale for the reconstruction of the Palace as the Humboldt Forum of the art and culture of the world.

Finally, the Humboldt Forum stands, with its exhibits and presentations, for the international exchange of ideas at all levels of communication, for dialog and, in the final analysis, also for the attempt make a German contribution to the reconciliation of cultures and to overcome the “Clash of Cultures” which has been defined in the process of globalization.

Despite all kinds of delays, hesitations and obstacles, we can indeed be proud and happy about the Humboldt Box.