Throughout our trip, we have had the absolute pleasure to attend many a museum. Making the acquaintance of many which most people would never have the honor of interacting with in their lifetime. I have recognized this privilege, and have since relished in my gratitude for my experiences. For the sake of paying proper homage to each, here is a comprehensive list along with my favorite artifact or exhibit:
House of History- (Bonn, Germany) The artifacts displaying the work and efforts of the "rubble women" following the war. The dresses that they carefully embroidered with flowers showed resourcefulness without sacrificing their ode to style.
Cologne Dom- (Koln, Germany) While yes this is a cathedral, we saw many an artifact and by definition a museum is a facility in which a collection of articles can be visited so in my opinion this qualifies. My favorite exhibit would be the bells, functioning and not. Its mind boggling to consider the number of ears who have heard them ring, looked forward to their chime, and contributed to their craft, maintenance, and preservation.
Bademuseum- (Norderney, Germany) I loved the advertisements for swimwear that they displayed throughout the years. While they showed beautiful women in their photos, photoshop was not yet applicable, so it was very comforting to see REAL women in advertisements, something we don't see a lot of these days.
Rijksmuseum- (Amsterdam, Netherlands) This one is very difficult but I must go with the displays of religious art from the 1100-1600. Some of the stories from the bible that I hold near and dear to my heart were portrayed in ways that made me experience emotions that I'd never felt from hearing the stories from the mouth of my preacher. I learned a lot about the manner in which Christ is depicted from birth to death, which will help me appreciate religious art for the rest of my life.
Van Gough Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)- Getting to walk through the special exhibit of the Olive Trees was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was incredible to not only see his work, but read the words in which he explain why it was that he painted them, the goals he was aiming to accomplish in his pieces, and the influence of which nature had on his life. It personified Van Gough to me.
Anne Frank Museum - (Amsterdam, Netherlands) This may be my favorite, or most moving museum experience of my trip. The most influential moment was witnessing the marks on the wall in the secret chamber of where the Frank family measured the girl's growth. Then further, into the bedroom that Anne celled her own where, just like any other girl her age, Anne plastered her passions, hobbies, admirations, and dreams, in the form of pictures and clippings onto her wall.
Museum am Strom-(Bingen, Germany) Hildegard is one of my favorite individuals that we have learned about this far. I could go on for pages appreciating her strong will and assertive passions. My favorite exhibit in this museum would be the art of her visions shown upstairs. The light cascaded in through the windows and caught the brilliant colors of the paintings bringing somehow even more vibrance to the already striking images.
Johann Winter Museum- (Andernach, Germany) Easily my favorite part of this museum was simply the photo that our lovely tour guide showed of his grandmother. Not only does he have the passion for the artifacts that he has in his museum, but he has the pride of honoring his family and their contribution to the field that he so dearly loves.
Michaelerkirche Catacombs- (Vienna, Austria) The catacombs presented a challenging experience with me because of the time framed proximity to a close family death, but I am sincerely glad that I stayed for the duration of the tour. I was stricken with learning that one of the women that was buried there was buried in a dress likely purchased for her funeral. I am fascinated by learning how humans have faced preparing their dead throughout the years, and it was surreal to me to recognize that some things never change.
Droggistenmuseum- (Vienna, Austria) Occurring early in our tour, we had the honor to meet Alexander, who's smiling face was also seen pictured behind the preserved original pharmacy counter in the first room we were shown. I cherished the chance to meet this sweet little man who proudly shows up to share his profession with those who come to learn.
Narrenturm- (Vienna, Austria) This museum was a most incredible experience from the architectural features to the countless astonishing pieces inside. My favorite component of this exhibit was noticing the names of the patients depicted on many of the wax models, then hearing of the personification in the preservation of the little girl's body displayed to show ichthyosis. It is integral to remember that each relic was a human being, and every patient has a story that should be honored and respected for the life they lived and the ways in which they help us learn.
Freud Museum- (Vienna, Austria) My eye for interior design definitely comes into play in deciding my favorite part of this museum. I had a serene, out of reality experience while standing in the waiting room. The restored decoration allowed me to travel back to the days where Freud sat amongst his others and had conversations that likely shaped his world-changing theories. I felt like I was in the presence of history happening, and I wish there was a way to bottle that feeling- or at least properly describe it.
Austrian Gallery Belverde- (Vienna, Austria) This visit was a bit spontaneous of a visit, for I had dreamed of seeing this palace one day for some reason it slipped my mind that I was here with the opportunity to visit. The art was spectacular, but my favorite experience was walking into the ballroom on the second floor of the palace. I'm in constant fear of being desensitized to the grandeur of the beautiful buildings we visit because of their abundance. With that said, I somehow still find myself breathless when I walked into this room. My friends and I stood without words as we spun around craning our necks to take in the painted ceilings and absorb all of the light reflected by the massive chandeliers. While no red ropes marked any exhibits in this room, the room was the showcase. We waltzed, we photographed, we looked out the windows, we didn't want to leave.
Natural History Museum- (Vienna, Austria) Bones!!! It sounds cheesy or too simple but seeing the skeletons of living creatures foreign to our experience, to reconstructed fossils unearthed in all of their glory is invigorating! I feel just as excited and awestruck as the kinder tour pupils that wander around with their jaws slack and fingers pointing their exclamations. I looked at a triceratops head nose-to-nose, and felt my heart jump when I registered the massive scale of the whale ribs that framed the doorways.
Having my parents raise me on visiting parks and museums rather than arcades and theme parks helped shape me into the person that I am today in that I labeled learning as "fun" at a very early age. I believe that's what I truly love the most about museums, and why I adore learning so much. It makes me feel like a kid again. I believe we humans should never stop learning, exploring, and appreciating. Going to museums allows me to devote myself to that mission in the most unapologetic and carelessly-joyful manner possible.
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