Pergamon Museum in Berlin to Close for 14-Year Renovation, Full Reopening in 2037

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin will fully close from October 2023 for 3.5 years as part of a long-term renovation project, with complete reopening scheduled for 2037. The northern and central wings are already under construction; the Pergamon Altar remains inaccessible until 2027, while the southern wing and a new connecting wing to other Museumsinsel institutions will not open before 2037. Total costs have risen to €1.5 billion, up from an initial 2014 estimate of under €300 million. The museum, built 1910–1930 to house the Hellenistic altar acquired from the Ottoman Empire, became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 despite lingering war damage and Soviet-era neglect. Structural issues include leaks, humidity, and outdated technical systems; Deutsche Welle reported that parts of the early 20th-century building are in "poor structural condition" and unfit for visitors. A temporary exhibition space nearby features an installation by Iranian-born Viennese artist Yadegar Asisi and rotating displays of artifacts. The prolonged closure raises questions about repatriation of colonial-era objects, including the Pergamon Altar and the Babylonian Ishtar Gate from Iraq. In January 2023, a German government official expressed support for returning some cultural goods to their countries of origin, but no concrete plan exists.