The Museum of Art and Trade, Hamburg

The Hamburg Museum of Art and Trade combines antiquities, art and culture within the contexts of cross-cultural exchange and opposition. Located across from Hamburg’s Central Train Station, this museum collection has been housed here since 1877 and was rebuilt after World War II due to extensive damage sustained during bombing.

Hamburg developed this museum along the same lines as the Victoria and Albert in London with an emphasis on material culture. It covers a wide range of periods from Antiquity and the Renaissance to Art Nouveau and Modernity. You may not expect to spend a long period of time in this museum, but budget at least half a day in order to take in all it has to offer.

The museum focuses on the story of human creativity, imagination and ingenuity by displaying portions of its 500,000-object collection in non-linear displays. Current exhibitions range from an examination of looted artworks, Japanese dyeing stencils and animals. More permanent exhibitions include Islamic art, cabinets of wonder and the evolution of beauty from Antiquity through the Renaissance. Many of its past exhibits are archived online and these give you a sense of the unique creativity with which the museum displays its objects.

The Museum of Art and Trade is located at Steintorplatz and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Hamburg Museum of Art and Trade

Steintorplatz
20099 Hamburg

T.: +49 (0)40 428134-880