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STUTTGART MUSEUMS
History, Modern Art, Dinosaurs and Cars

Stuttgart is one of the most modern feeling large cities in Germany, the regional capital of Baden-Württemburg in the southwest of the country. Distinctive as having lost much of its old world architecture to allied bombs, the city is sleek and business-like. For visitors looking for what to do in Stuttgart, the city offers a variety of museums, most located around the center of the city within easy walk, surrounding the main city square of the Schlossplatz “castle square”.

The new Stuttgart Art Museum adds to the modernistic impression of the city, a virtual glass cube of a building. At night the building lights up like a sparkling faceted square-cut gem. But much in the collection is not in the glass cube, but in two disused road tunnels underneath turned into exhibit space. The original art collection was started by the contribution of the Count Silvio dell Valle di Casanova in 1924, sounding like the famed Italian lothario, perhaps related, but actually a Stuttgart import. The collection includes 15,000 works, especially focused on Swabian impressionist artists, the most important collection of Otto Dix and modernist German artists like Max Ackerman and Willi Baumeister. Stuttgart Art Museum Kleiner Schlossplatz 1

One of Stuttgart’s grandest older buildings, a museum in itself, but also housing the state museum collection is the Württemburg State Museum in the Old Castle. Once home to dukes and counts of Weurttemburg, the Old Castle museum was one of the most important established in the 19th Century. The Kunstkammer (Art Chamber) dates to the 16th Century when the dukes began collection rare arts. The crown jewels of Württemburg are here, roman artifacts, Celtic burial objects, a large collection of crystal, Renaissance clocks, and also 20th Century Art. Landesmuseum-Stuttgart Schillerplatz 6

Also on the Schlossplatz, the Württemburg Society of Art in the “Art Building” uniquely identifiable by its domes roof with a golden deer on top. The building dates from 1913 and provides a combination of new and historical architecture and the latest in contemporary art trends. This museum also provides unusual exhibits exploring themes like “art in the era of globalization” and new art forms like “game art”. Society of Art Schlossplatz 2

To get a sense of Stuttgart in the 18th Century, the Hegel House on Eberhardstrasse is the birthplace of one of the city’s most famous residents, the philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. This historic house where he was born in 1770 survived the war damage and houses exhibits of Stuttgart from the period of Hegel’s life and his travels. The exhibits include manuscripts, pictures and documents. There are guided tours available in German and English.

To follow the history of this region of Germany, how Baden and Württemburg and Hohenzollern (see Hohenzollern Castle) all came together in a modern state, The House of History offers a collection of a million documents, photographs, images and films depicting 200 years of Baden-Württemburg history, actually quite interesting and for it’s ultra-modern interactive exhibits and unique entertaining displays. House of History Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse 16

Also on Konrad-Adenauer is the Stuttgart State Gallery, with an older original building started in 1800’s under King Wilhelm I and a new section in another ultra-modern glass fronted museum exhibition hall. The old State Gallery features art works from the 14th to 19th Century, including Rembrandt. The New State Gallery is dedicated to 20th Century Art, classical modernism, contemporary painting and sculpture, concentrating on important “schools” like the “Fauvists” the “Brüke Group”, “Cubism’, and the “Blur Rider School” (see Castle Art Museum Murnau), with individual artists like Picasso represented. State Gallery Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse 30-32

A little farther from the center, the State Museums of Natural History are located in Rosenstein Park. The modern Museum am Löwentor houses an excellent display of fossils, dinosaurs from the Triassic period, Ice-Age mammals like mastadons. The Rosenstein Palace Museum in a neo-classical palace building designed by Giovanni Salucci in 1824 houses the natural history museum’s biological exhibitions, demonstrating the evolution of life, and modern day animals shown in their habitats in geological zones. Here also are sea creature exhibits including great sharks and a whale reconstructed over its original skeleton in the marine hall. Natural History Museums Rosenstein Park

For automotive history and design, nothing compares to the brand new Mercedes-Benz Museum, a brief train or bus ride across the Neckar River to the Neckarpark near the stadium. Five worlds of Mercedes automotive history, more an experience than a museum, a car enthusiasts dream. An auto and design collection in one of the world’s most unique exhibition spaces. (see Mercedes-Benz Museum). Mercedes Strasse 100.

The Porsche Museum is also in Stuttgart farther out at the factory in Zuffrenhausen, has reopend with a spanking new high tech design (see Porsche Museum).

A map to all the museums can be gotten at the Stuttgart Tourist office directly across from the main rail station. Also available is a StuttCard, offering reduced admission at many of the museums and other attractions and also covers use of Stuttgart Public Transit. © Bargain Travel Europe

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See Also:

STUTTGART - CITY OF FESTIVALS
Beer and Wine Fests

GOLD WALL, WATCHES AND SHINY BAUBLES
The Jewelery World of Schmuckwelten Pforzheim

SINSHEIM AUTO & TECHNIK MUSEUM

ZEPPELIN MUSEUM
Airship History at Freidrichshafen

SCHLOSS LUDWIGSBURG PALACE GARDENS
Fat Friedrich, Napoleon and the Mistress

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