Museum Island (Museumsinsel) in Berlin, Germany is the name of the northern half of the Spreeinsel, an island in the Spree river in the centre of the city (the southern half of the island is called Fischerinsel (Fishers’ Island)). The island received its name for several internationally renowned museums that now occupy all of the island’s northern half (originally a residential area dedicated to “art and science” by King Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1841). Constructed under several Prussian kings, their collections of art and archeology were turned into a public foundation after 1918, the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), which maintains the collections and museums today. The Prussian collections became separated during the Cold War during the division of the city, but were reunited after German reunification except for the art and artefacts stolen after World War II by Allied troops and not yet returned; these include the Priam’s Treasure, also called the gold of Troy, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in 1873, then smuggled out of Turkey to Berlin. Berlin has lo of tourist attractions and very rich travel guides.
GPS travel coordinates: 52° 31′ 17″ N, 13° 23′ 44″ E
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