Dresden’s Military History Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind
After a 2-hour drive from Berlin I was able to see Dresden’s Military History Museum. I had seen pictures of the outside of this museum after the museum re-opened with the newly designed Daniel Libeskind extension –a complete contrast to the old building.
I actually like such juxtapositions in architectural design, a mix of the old and the new where old buildings can be made to be more relevant especially for younger visitors. Seeing the Military History Museum in person I was happy to see that I liked it from the outside but more than that I loved the inside. And I think because of the beautiful design, creative use of space and fabulous exhibition techniques that I saw, I ended up liking the exterior, or rather the museum building as a whole more.
It is a Libeskind. You can tell immediately. Just like the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Yet while I did not like neither the design nor the majority of exhibitions for the Jewish Museum, I loved them in the Military History Museum. Interesting exhibitions along with an experience more fitting to the theme of war caused by the design was more fitting to this museum. I came out thinking exhibitions could be what matters the most for museums’ success: if it's good you like it, and that's just it perhaps.
I didn't know, or rather I must have forgotten that Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 was inspired by his experiences as a prisoner of war at Dresden, and they recently had an exhibition called Slaughterhouse 5, which closed. I would have liked to see that. I will definitely read that book once more --it's been 20 years, it's about time!
I am not sure you can understand from this photograph but the floors have an incline.