Neues Museum

The 'new museum' is actually one of Germany's first, built as the Grand Ducal Museum in 1869. The building itself is a domed neo-Renaissance masterpiece, designed by Czech architect Josef Zítek; the grand central staircase, presided over by Carl Steinhäuser's 1851 statue Goethe und Psyche, is a highlight, as is the Preller Gallery, with its 16 frescoed scenes from the Odyssey. At the time of research the museum was closed for remodelling; it is scheduled to reopen in early 2019.