A slightly surprising find in Nuremberg is this museum of national importance: an expansive…read morecollection of German art, culture and history from the Neolithic to the present.
If you want to understand the complex cultural history of Germany prior to its political unification in the 19th Century, this is the place to come. Set aside at least half a day to do it justice.
The museum itself has its origins in the growing sense of pan-German identity in the mid 19th Century, around the time the forces of unification were in the ascendent. Some of these elements (such as frescoes and stained glass) were rather Wagnerian in their somewhat romantic appropriation of German history, though much was destroyed in the 1945 bombing. (The curation is very honest in explaining how it differs from modern understanding of German culture.)
The building itself is very modern, but incorporates much of a previous convent - an excellent setting for some of the religious works.
It's hard to cover the scope of the collection here, but it starts with grave goods, arms and jewellery from the Neolithic to the period up to the Roman invasions in the first century BC.
There is then a huge (and I mean huge) collection of devotional Christian art from the Frankish period right up to the 18th Century: this includes sculpture and metalwork, but above all, a vast collection of religious paintings, the highlight of which is a collection of works by Albrecht Dürer.
This is all supplemented by galleries on domestic objects, costume, scientific instruments and the secular decorative arts; and world-class collections of musical instruments, early mediaeval tapestry and mediaeval armour. It includes the first ever globe of the world (contemporary with Christopher Columbus - so it misses out the Americas!); and a self-portrait by Rembrandt.
The displays are for the most part in English and German, but audio guides are also available. There's a lot of emphasis on level access but it's worth checking access to some of the galleries. The museum has a complex and rather sprawling layout, and we walked just shy of two miles around the exhibits in four hours.
Afterwards, there's an excellent cafe to rest your feet (you'll need it) and a very educational gift shop.
