Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt

 

Hessisches Landesmuseum is a large multidisciplinary museum in Darmstadt. This magnificent and impressive structure stands across the road from the Residenzschloss, facing Friedenplatz along the entrance of Herrngarten. In style and proportions, it harmonizes with the castle and synchronizes well with the surroundings. 

Before talking about the collections in the museum and other activities that one can do here, let me take my readers through the museum's history:

Hessisches Landesmuseum was founded in 1820 with the donation of the collections of the ruling family. Grand Duke Ludewig I is considered the founder of the museum. The inheritance of a collection of natural objects from his mother, Landgravine Karoline ( whose tombstone can be found in Herrngarten), is said to have laid the foundation for the idea of creating a museum. Ludwig I added stained glasses, old German altars, Dutch paintings, copper engravings, and many mammalian fossils to the collection during his reign. He also contributed prints, paintings, ivory works, etc. 

Since he aimed to create awareness and spread knowledge through the museum, he transferred the museum's ownership to the state, hence making it accessible to the public.

The collection was in the old residential palace at first and was later moved to the new palace. However, when that too turned out to be insufficient, the then Grand Duke - Ernst Ludwig appointed architect Alfred Messel and tasked him with designing a structure that could accommodate the massive collection under one roof.  Hence, was created the Hessiches Landesmuseum.

Today, the museum has a vast collection from various disciplines. Some of the highlights are:

1. Models of famous structures like the Colosseum, the pyramids, and many more.

2. Mosaic works and sculptures

3. Exhibits showing the evolution of humans and other species

4. Beautiful dioramas depicting animals and their habitats

5. The church collections

 

6. Geology section dedicated to the fossil site - Grube Messel, showcasing the finds from the site.

7. An armory section that has an extensive collection of vests, shields, and more.

8. A massive collection of rocks and minerals in the geology section

9. Paintings, skeletal structures, and more

The museum contains much more, enough to engage and engross its visitors and offer a great learning experience.

The museum also houses a cafe and a shop.

The official website of Hessisches Landesmuseum is https://www.hlmd.de/. Here, you can find plenty of information about the museum, its history, collections, special exhibitions, etc.

The museum website also contains plenty of information on planned workshops, guided tours, and informational videos about the exhibits in the museum, which are worth checking. You can find these here:

https://www.hlmd.de/vermittlung.html

The Hessisches Landesmuseum is a great place to learn and educate oneself in various disciplines. All the information about the exhibits is available in English and German. 

The museum is well maintained, and the staff is always willing to help and guide. 

To know more about places and experiences in and around Darmstadt, click here.